How to import your vehicle permanently into Great Britain

Section 2: Technical requirements

What you need to do depends mainly on the age of the vehicle and the standards applicable in its original sales market. Generally speaking, you are unlikely to have significant problems importing a vehicle from the European Union except to ensure that the lighting and mirrors are set up for left hand traffic and the speedometer includes an miles per hour display. Cars from other parts of the world might need extensive modification before they can be used in Britain. You should not assume that a vehicle which seems to be similar in appearance is identical to a model already available in Britain. Vehicles outwardly similar to European-specification models, but intended for other markets, can often be unsuitable for use in Britain without some modification.

Please note: the Department cannot advise on whether a particular vehicle is suitable for use in Britain. You should always consult the manufacturer or his agent for advice, especially about whether any modifications are necessary and whether they can be made. You should give the manufacturer as much information as possible about the origin of the vehicle so that he can give appropriate help. Ideally, this should include the Vehicle Identification Number - usually 17 characters, but 8 in the case of vehicles made for the Japanese market - stamped on the chassis.

After-sale issues

If you are importing or buying a vehicle which has not been type-approved - e.g., one built for a non-European market such as Japan or North America - you are advised to check (before purchasing) with the person or company supplying it that the after-sale service satisfies your needs. This applies in particular to vehicles which are subject to Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) and Enhanced SVA (ESVA) and imports from outside the European Union, which are unlikely to have been type-approved. You are also advised to check that your vehicle insurance is valid in such circumstances.

Particular questions you might wish to ask are:

• Does the vendor have access to any applicable vehicle recall scheme?

For vehicles sold in the UK, manufacturers and the Government's Vehicle and Operator Services Agency operate a Code of Practice covering the recall of vehicles in the event of a defect being discovered. Vehicles not made for the European Market are unlikely to be covered by that Code, but there might be similar arrangements in the country for which the vehicle was originally intended to be used. You should check that in the event of a Manufacturer's recall campaign, your vehicle is adequately covered.

• Can the vendor verify who carries product liability for the vehicle in the event of problems - in particular, if the vehicle has been modified for use in Great Britain?
• What are the terms of any warranty?

A manufacturer's warranty might only be valid in the country for which the vehicle was originally intended to be used. A warranty might be invalidated if modifications are made to the vehicle, but not authorised by the manufacturer, even if the modifications are needed to comply with British requirements.

• What are the servicing arrangements (including the availability of spare parts)?

Engine management systems for vehicles that look similar might be significantly different to reflect variations in driving conditions and fuel quality in other parts of the world. Not all dealers have the equipment to service such vehicles.

• Is the owner's manual and vehicle labelling in English?

You may find it helpful to refer to Appendix 1 for a summary of the following procedures.

If you wish to import a vehicle manufactured more than 10 years ago, please go to section 2.1.

If you wish to import a passenger car or light goods vehicle from a European Union (or European Economic Area) country, please go to section 2.2.

If you wish to import a vehicle from Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, please go to section 2.3.

If you wish to import a passenger car from any other country, please go to section 2.4.

2.1 All cars and light goods manufactured more than 10 years before registration in Great Britain.

Any car or light goods vehicle 10 years old or more may be imported regardless of its origins or whether you have previously lived in the country of export. The vehicle must pass a standard "MoT" roadworthiness test before it can be licensed and registered. At August 2003, this costs up to £40.75.

The MoT test is only a spot check of a limited number of key safety and environmental features of a vehicle's condition. Alone, it will not guarantee that the vehicle meets all applicable standards, (particularly those concerning design and construction.) These are set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, both as amended. The relevant standards will be determined by the vehicle's year of manufacture. These regulations are complicated and it is extremely difficult to give individual advice on the likelihood of compliance - particularly for non-European vehicles. Section 2.6 includes general guidance on basic checks you should make. Please see also Section 4.

2.2 Cars & light goods vehicles up to 10 years old and since the date of manufacture and type approved in the European Union.

Throughout the European Union, manufacturers of most cars are granted a "Type Approval" for a model or range of models. This signifies that the vehicle has been designed and constructed to appropriate safety and environmental standards. There are two kinds of type approval.

EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) - Passenger Cars Only

Most new cars sold in the European Union will conform to an "EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval". (ECWVTA has been available optionally since 1993. From January 1998, virtually all new mass-produced cars sold in the EU must conform to an ECWVTA).

ECWVTAs are recognised throughout the European Union but you must ensure that the vehicle is suitable for use on UK roads. Normally, this will not be a problem for right-hand drive vehicles intended for the UK market. To confirm compliance with an ECWVTA, you should obtain from the manufacturer or his agent a valid "Certificate of Conformity" (CoC) and present it when first licensing & registering the vehicle. (The manufacturer might charge if a duplicate Certificate is required). A CoC is only valid for the UK if the light and rear-view mirrors are designed for left-hand traffic and the speedometer is marked in m.p.h. as well as km/h.

If the certificate is not valid in these respects, you should be in a position to produce evidence that modifications for left hand traffic have been made and that the speedometer includes a miles-per-hour display e.g. a statement from a garage/mechanic or receipts for necessary replacement parts (see Section 2.6 for further guidance). When the modifications have been completed and you have obtained a statement or invoices to that effect from a garage/mechanic, you should send it together with the CoC to the Vehicle Certification Agency who will, if satisfied, issue a Mutual Recognition Certificate for which the charge will be £65 (as of August 2003). It is this Certificate that you will need to present to your local DVLA Local Office.`

Vehicles with a valid CoC can be imported by individuals and businesses without restriction; it is not necessary to demonstrate compliance with the personal import criteria as described in Section 2.4.

If your vehicle is more than 3 years old, it must also pass the normal "MoT" roadworthiness test before it can be licensed and registered. (At August 2003, this costs up to £40.75).

National Type Approval (NTA) - Passenger Cars and Light Goods Vehicles

If your passenger car was built before 1996, or you have a light goods vehicle, it will probably conform to a NTA. Strictly, this is valid only in the EU State in which it was issued. Naturally, a British Type Approval is acceptable. However, if your vehicle was nationally type-approved in another EU country, it may also be acceptable in Britain under a procedure called Mutual Recognition.

As with ECWVTA, compliance with a NTA is normally shown by a valid Certificate of Conformity issued by the manufacturer. If you establish that your vehicle conforms to a NTA issued outside Britain, ask the manufacturer for a statement explaining the differences between your vehicle and the nearest model which has type approval in Great Britain. If a similar model to yours is not available in the UK, then ask which requirements of NTA your vehicle fails to comply with. The manufacturer or importer may charge for this work. When you have this information, please contact the British Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA); they will tell you whether the NTA is recognised here. If it is, the Agency will issue a Mutual Recognition Certificate - a charge will be made for this, at August 2003 £65 - which you must present when first licensing & registering the vehicle in Britain. The only reason a Mutual Recognition Certificate can be refused is if the type of vehicle in question is unsuitable for use on UK roads.

If your car or light goods vehicle is more than 3 years old, it must pass the normal "MoT" roadworthiness test before it can be licensed and registered. (At August 2003, this costs up to £40.75).

2.3 Cars and light goods vehicles up to 10 years old since the date of manufacture previously registered in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Northern Ireland

If you propose to import a car or light goods vehicle first registered in Northern Ireland on or after 2 December 1985, you need only present evidence of its previous registration in Northern Ireland and, if the vehicle is over 3 years old, a valid MoT roadworthiness certificate.

The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

Most vehicles sold in these islands comply with British requirements. If you are able to demonstrate that the vehicle had been registered in Great Britain before being exported to the islands, that will suffice.

Vehicles registered in the Isle of Man (IoM) usually include, where appropriate, type approval information obtained from Great Britain. An IoM export certificate that includes this information is adequate evidence for licensing and registration in Great Britain. Similarly, an IoM export certificate might also include a CO₂ emissions figure, which can be used in Great Britain, where appropriate, to obtain a lower rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) under the graduated scheme. If the CO₂ figure is not shown, but you wish to claim a lower VED rate, you will need to obtain a Certificate of Conformity from the vehicle manufacturer to provide evidence of the emissions standard the vehicle meets.

Vehicles registered in Jersey should have a type approval number on the export certificate. If the export certificate has this information this is adequate evidence for licensing and registration in Great Britain.

For other IoM and Jersey exports and, currently, vehicles imported from other the Channel Islands, you will need to proceed in accordance with Section 2.2 or 2.4 as appropriate.

2.4 Cars and light vehicles up to 10 years old and not type-approved for the European Union or Great Britain

You should first consult the manufacturer or his agent to establish the design and construction pedigree of the vehicle. If the car was built to a British or European type-approval specification, please follow the procedure in Section 2.2 .

If the car is not to a British or European Type Approval specification, you can only proceed if the vehicle meets, or is modified to meet, technical standards broadly comparable with those of European type approval

Single Vehicle Approval

Your vehicle will have to pass a Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) inspection of its design and construction before it can be registered and licensed. A vehicle that passes will be issued with a Minister's Approval Certificate, which you will need to present to license and register it. (A Department's Approval Certificate issued in Northern Ireland is also valid in Great Britain.) If your vehicle is 3 or more years old it will also have to pass the normal "MoT" roadworthiness test prior to licensing & registration.

Since 1 August 2001 there have been two levels of SVA: standard and enhanced. Standard SVA will be applied in cases where the number of affected vehicles is expected to be low and we can accept that the very demanding safety and environmental standards of type approval will not be undermined. The enhanced inspection (ESVA) will be applied in other cases - i.e. where the number of vehicles entering service warrants a more thorough inspection. Further advice is given in free leaflet SVA4, which can also be seen on the DfT web site.

Enhanced SVA will be required for the majority of non type-approved imports, whether imported by individuals privately or for any commercial reason.

Standard SVA will apply only for the following main categories of imported vehicle ^1:

• Any "personally imported" vehicle as defined below
• Any left-hand drive vehicle

At August 2003 the Standard SVA inspection for cars and dual-purpose vehicles costs £150 and for goods vehicles (including bi-purpose vehicles) £60. For ESVA the basic fees are £180 and £90 respectively you might have to pay more for independent tests if you do not have all the required information for your vehicle. Special rates apply for re-tests and other circumstances. Please see leaflet SVA4 for details.

What is a Personal Import?

With effect from 1 February 2001 you are a personal importer only

a. if the vehicle has been imported by a person entering the United Kingdom;

b. that person had, at the time the vehicle was imported, been normally resident in a country other than the United Kingdom for a continuous period of at least 12 months;

c. that person intends to become normally resident in the United Kingdom;

d. the vehicle has been in the possession of that person and used by him in the country where he has been normally resident for a period of at least 6 months before its importation; and

e. the vehicle is intended for his personal or household use in the United Kingdom.

What the applicant will need to produce as evidence of meeting the above criteria:

1a. Outside the EC C+E 388 as proof of 12-month continuous residence. (No other custom forms will be accepted as a substitute for this).

1b. Inside the EC documents such as household bills will be accepted as evidence but they must cover the 12-month period.

or

2.  ownership document or Registration document plus insurance document or service invoices for the vehicle covering the 6-month period. NB the European Community countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Eire, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden the UK, ,. Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia

NB the original documentation is needed

For further information, please refer to SVA 4

2.5 Motor caravans, ambulances

When considering applicable technical standards, these are classed as a special kind of passenger car; a different classification may be applied for other purposes, such as taxation.

The only pre-registration test is the annual MoT test. Motor caravans and ambulances are exempt from the Type Approval and Single Vehicle Approval described above. New imported motor caravans and hearses are subject to roadworthiness (MoT) testing three years after first UK registration and every year thereafter. New imported ambulances are subject to MoT testing one year after first UK registration and every year thereafter. A motor caravan, that has been used on roads outside Britain before being imported, is subject to annual MoT testing three years after the date of manufacture. An imported ambulance previously used abroad is subject to annual MoT testing one year after the date of manufacture.

British Construction and Use and Lighting Regulations require that vehicles incorporate a number of individual components that are marked to show they have been type-approved to British or European standards unless specifically exempt. Such components include lights, windscreens, seatbelts, mirrors and tyres. The only lawful alternative to this for imported motor caravans and ambulances is possession of a Minister's Approval Certificate under the SVA scheme. You can volunteer your vehicle for SVA to gain exemption from these requirements instead of replacing the individual components. General guidance is given in Section 2.6 on common problems, but you should seek the manufacturer's or importer's advice on how best to proceed.

2.6 Modifications necessary for use in Britain.

The following is general guidance on the most common problems you are likely to encounter. It is not exhaustive and you should always seek the manufacturer's advice in relation to individual models.

Please note: Even if you source a vehicle from the EC or Northern Ireland, it may have been imported by your supplier from outside the EC and may still require the modifications described in this section.

Left hand traffic

If your vehicle is left hand drive, it will probably need to be modified or adjusted for use in left-hand traffic. In particular:

• Headlamps will need to be replaced or adjusted to produce the required dipped beam for left-hand traffic. The alignment requirement must be met without the use of masks, beam converters or adapters unless they are an integral part of an approved headlamp.
• For vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980, at least one rear fog light must be fitted on the centre-line or the offside of the vehicle.
• Rear view mirrors must give the required field of view for use in left-hand traffic.

Imperial Speedometer

Great Britain uses imperial units for speed measurement. The law requires that speedometers must include a miles-per-hour display. Please note in particular that any modified display must be visible in daylight and in darkness.

Markings may be added to the existing speedometer provided they are:

• accurate;
• durable;
• can be seen clearly in daylight and when the instrument is lit during darkness.

Emissions

Vehicles sold in several parts of the world (especially the Middle East, Africa and South America) often do not meet European emissions standards. Please note that petrol-fuelled cars manufactured from August 1992, and other vehicles manufactured from August 1994, might be required to meet a standard that can usually only be achieved by a catalytic converter. Details of vehicles needing to meet such a standard may be found in "In Service Exhaust Emissions Standards for Road Vehicles" which is available from The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, Berkley House, Croydon Street, Bristol, BS5 0DA , telephone 0870 60 60 440. All passenger cars with up to 5 passenger seats and up to 2,500kg gross weight manufactured from August 1995 will need to meet the "catalyst" emission standard to pass SVA / ESVA.

Radio Activated Security Systems (RASS)

If your vehicle has a radio-activated immobiliser, alarm or central locking, only radio frequencies within the following ranges must be used in the UK:

417.90 - 418.10 MHz (until Jan 2008);

433.05 - 434.79 MHz; 868.00 - 868.60 MHz, 868.70 - 869.20 MHz and 869.70 - 870.00 MHz

Systems using other frequencies are unlawful. The maximum penalty for non-compliance is a fine of up to £5000 and/or 6 months imprisonment. In practical terms, you run the risk that you will not be able to arm or disarm the vehicle security system due to other signals on the same frequency interfering with your key-fob transmitter. If in doubt, you should check with the vehicle or security system manufacturer what frequency is used and replace the system if necessary. Type-approved devices are readily available as 'after-market' accessories. They will be marked to show they meet either European Directive 95/56/EEC or UN/ECE Regulation 97. Other systems might be acceptable: if in doubt, please check with the system manufacturer whether the Enhanced SVA requirements are met. We recommend replacement systems be fitted by a professional installer.

Please Note: The RASS technical requirements will be checked as part of the Enhanced SVA inspection for vehicles manufactured after 1 October 1998. The ESVA test does NOT recognise systems operating between 417.9 and 418.1 MHz.

Dimensions

The maximum permitted width of vehicles in GB is 2.55m and the maximum length for a rigid vehicle is 12m.

Numberplates

Once your vehicle has been allocated a UK registration number, it must be displayed on front and rear numberplates in accordance with UK requirements. Failure to meet the requirements is an offence attracting a maximum fine of up to £1,000 and in some cases the registration mark may be withdrawn. The police can also issue fixed penalty fines for illegally displayed numberplates and vehicles may also fail the annual vehicle MoT test. It is an offence to alter, rearrange or misrepresent letters or numbers in order to form names or words; e.g. A242 ABC must not be displayed as A242A BC.

For vehicles first registered on after 1 January 1973, the characters must be black, the background must be reflex-reflecting material, white at the front and yellow at the rear. Each number plate shall be permanently and legibly marked in such a position as to be clearly visible when the number plate is fitted to the vehicle, with the following information: (i) the name, trade mark or other means of identification of the maker; (ii) the number of the British Standard, i.e. BS AU 145a.

New or Replacement Plates Fitted from 1 September 2001 must be fitted in accordance with BS AU 145d, and show (i) the number of the BS (i.e. BS AU 145d), (ii) the name trade mark or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier; (iii) name and postcode of the supplying of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier; (iv) name and postcode of the supplying outlet.

Certain imported vehicles may be permitted to display numberplates with smaller characters if:

• The vehicle does not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval

And

• The vehicle's construction/ design cannot accommodate standard size plates

Specifications for numberplates

Standard size plates

Character Height	79mm
Character Width (except the figure 1 or I)	50mm
Character Stroke	14mm
Space between characters	11mm
Space between groups	33mm
Top, bottom and side margins (minimum)	11mm
Space between vertical lines	19mm

Smaller size plates (for certain imported vehicles)

Character Height	64mm
Character Width (except the figure 1 or I)	44mm
Character Stroke	10mm
Space between characters	10mm

Diagrams of the standard permitted numberplate layouts and requirements are shown in Appendix 7.

These notes are a basic guide only. If fuller details are required, the relevant regulations should be referred to. Currently these are The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Mark) Regulations 2001 as amended - copies available from the Stationery Office: PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN (telephone orders: 0870 600 5522); fax orders: 0870 600 5533) or either the DVLA or HMSO web sites.

Vehicles imported from North America

Generally speaking, most USA and Canadian design and construction standards will be accepted as being equivalent to Single Vehicle Approval standards. There are, however, two important exceptions in addition to the above left-hand traffic, RASS and number plate requirements.

• Many North American cars follow a different convention for the colour of their external lights. Front side lights, and all turning indicators are likely to require modification - including the addition of amber front side repeater turn indicators.
• There are no standards on external projections in North America. Beware of vehicles with features such as "bull bars", non-retracting mascots, and protruding exhaust pipes.

Vehicles imported from Japan

The most common disparities with Japanese standards are: no rear fog light; no m.p.h. display on the speedometer; inadequate number plate space; wrong RASS frequency; and the fuel-filler nozzle being of incorrect diameter (which safeguards against using leaded fuel in vehicles fitted with a catalytic converter).

1 There are other limited circumstances in which standard SVA will be applied. Please refer to booklet SVA4 for details

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