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Vehicle Importing

This service will be of interest to individuals wishing to permanently import a car, motorcycle, or goods vehicle into the UK.  Some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) exist for this subject and can be viewed by following this link: FAQ's - Importing A Vehicle

In order to successfully register a vehicle in the UK, the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) needs to be sure that the vehicle in question is suitable for use on UK roads. Evidence of compliance can usually be provided in one of the following ways:

• Vehicles that are less than 10 years old, designed and built for the European Union and being imported from another European member State can have a certificate issued by VCA under the Mutual Recognition Scheme (see below).
• Vehicles that are less than 10 years old and are being imported from another market outside of the European Union - Japan, USA etc., will usually need to have passed a Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) Inspection.  This scheme is managed by our sister Agency VOSA, and more details can be found by following this link: Link to www.direct.gov.uk (registering an Imported vehicle) (page opens in a new browser window)
• Low Volume / Small Series Type Approval is a third option open to manufacturers and some vehicle importers.  For more information on this subject please follow this link to our main Car Type Approval page: Type Approval for Cars

The Mutual Recognition Process

The Mutual Recognition process (which is also sometimes known as the Commission Notice Procedure) requires that the person seeking to register the vehicle makes a number of declarations about the suitability of the vehicle for use on UK roads, and provides evidence of any alterations made to the vehicle.  Alterations may be necessary to ensure compliance with the UK Construction and Use legislation, and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations.

Following receipt of all necessary paperwork and the appropriate administration fee, VCA will issue a certificate that can be presented to the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority in support of the request for UK registration.

A list of the requirements, procedures involved and necessary forms can be found on the Direct Gov section entitled: A guide to the Mutual Recognition scheme (page opens in a new browser window).

For cars

Application Form with guidance:

• Mutual recognition scheme - car application form (page opens in a new browser window)

For Motorcycles

Application Form with guidance:

• Mutual recognition scheme - motorcycle application form (opens in a new page) (page opens in a new browser window)

For Goods Vehicles

Application Forms with guidance:

• Mutual recognition scheme - goods vehicle (under 1 year old) application form (page opens in a new browser window)
• Mutual recognition scheme - goods vehicle (over 1 year old) application form (page opens in a new browser window)
• Plating details form (page opens in a new browser window)

Payment

Please note that VCA is not able to offer an "over-the-counter" service. For security reasons, unannounced visitors will not be admitted into the building.

If you would like to check that your vehicle qualifies for treatment under the Mutual Recognition scheme, please contact a member of our team on +44 (0) 117 9524191.  Otherwise contact details can be found within each of the above documents.

Note that VCA also offer service to manufacturers and importers who plan to take vehicles into the United States. Details about this service can be found here.