The big American van has a following all of its own in the UK. Some people want a Ford Econoline or Chevy Express as a camper with room to stand up, some want a 1970s custom van with shag pile and a side window bubble, and some just want a V8 workhorse nobody else on the street has. All of them can be imported. The questions are about weight, size and age, and the answers are on the van itself.
- Shipping from the USA
- From £1,450, shipping only
- Time at sea
- Around 2 to 4 weeks
- Key number
- 3,500kg gross weight
- Test
- IVA under 10 years, MOT over
The vans people bring over
Three families cover most of what we are asked about. All of them are left-hand drive, and all came as cargo vans, window passenger vans and conversions of one sort or another.
| Feature | Ford Econoline / E-Series | Chevrolet Express / GMC Savana | Older Chevy Van / GMC Vandura |
|---|---|---|---|
| In brief | Ford's full-size van since the early 1960s, later badged E-Series | Took over from the older Chevy vans for the 1996 model year and still built | The G-series vans behind most 1970s and 80s custom vans |
| Weight ratings | E-150, E-250, E-350 | 1500, 2500, 3500 | 10, 20 and 30 series |
| UK test | MOT on almost all vans | MOT or IVA, check the date | MOT, or none once over 40 |
| Tax today | 10% duty + 20% VAT, 5% VAT on the oldest | 10% duty + 20% VAT, check the earliest | 5% VAT, no duty, if built before October 1996 |
Ford replaced the E-Series van with the Transit in the US in the mid-2010s, so nearly every Econoline you find is already over 10 years old. The E-Series lives on as a cutaway chassis, which is what many American motorhomes are built on. The Express and Savana are still in production, so a recent one is the van most likely to need an IVA test.
Weight comes first
The gross vehicle weight on the van's certification label, the most it is allowed to weigh fully loaded, decides which test it takes, which licence you need and how it is taxed. It is not the same as what the van weighs on the drive.
The light vehicle IVA and a category B car licence both stop at 3,500kg. Plenty of American vans, especially the heavier-duty 2500, 3500, E-250 and E-350 versions, are rated above that. Above the line, the van is treated as a heavy goods vehicle, with its own approval route, annual test and a category C1 licence to drive it.
Send us the label first. A photo of the door label or the VIN tells us which side of 3,500kg the van falls, and what that means for the test and your licence, before you have paid for anything.
Passenger vans with lots of seats
The 12 and 15-seat passenger versions are minibuses in UK terms, which brings its own licence and test rules. If you want one, talk to us before you buy, or plan on taking seats out.
Size on UK roads
A long-wheelbase extended van is long and wide by British standards, and a raised roof adds a lot of height. UK construction rules set a general maximum width of 2.55 metres and length of 12 metres, which these vans sit inside, but height is the one to watch for car parks, bridges, garages and ferries. Measure your drive too. Our guide to left-hand drive cars in the UK covers the everyday side of driving from the "wrong" seat.
Camper conversions
A lot of these vans have been fitted out for camping, from a simple bed and cooler to a full high-top conversion with a kitchen. If the living space is real, the van may be registered as a motor caravan rather than a panel van. The DVSA expects seats and a table, somewhere to sleep, cooking facilities and storage.
GOV.UK notes that the body type on the V5C does not change your insurance category or speed limits, so tell your insurer about the conversion whichever way it is registered. Have any gas, mains hook-up and appliances checked by a specialist once the van is here. Our guide to importing a van covers motor caravan registration, and for a bigger RV built on an E-Series chassis, see importing an American motorhome.
What to check before you buy
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 8 done
For buying in general, see buying a car abroad safely, and if the van is at auction, read buying a car from a US auction first. A 1970s custom van has more in common with a classic car than a work van, and our guide to importing a classic American car is worth a read too.
IVA or MOT
A van under 10 years old, which means one built after October 2016, needs UK approval before it can be registered. American vans were never built for Europe, so that usually means an IVA test. GOV.UK lets light goods vehicles and motor caravans use basic IVA, a mainly visual inspection, where they qualify. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, so a van up to 3,500kg is prepared and tested on our own lane in Castle Donington. For a heavier van, ask us about the route. There is more in the IVA test explained.
Older vans take an MOT instead, and a van over 40 years old, built before October 1986, needs no MOT as long as it has not been substantially changed.
Lights and speedo
The DVLA registers left-hand drive vehicles without the steering being moved, so the work is mostly lighting. A US van usually needs amber rear indicators, as many flash red at the back, side markers at the front of the doors, a rear fog light, and headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left. The speedometer already reads in mph. We do this on site before the test, and our guide to converting an American car for UK roads goes through each change.
Container or RoRo
From the USA, vans go by shared container or RoRo. A standard-roof van may fit in a container, which keeps it sealed and comes straight to our site. A high-top conversion is often too tall, so RoRo is the usual answer. The van has to run and drive and should be empty, and that includes camping gear. Our guide to container, RoRo or air compares the options.
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from the USA starts from £1,450, shipping only. A full-size van takes far more room than a typical car and is priced that way, so expect a quote above that figure. We ship mainly from New York, Savannah, Houston and Oakland. East Coast sailings take around 2 weeks and West Coast around 4, with about 2 weeks before that for paperwork and loading.
Import tax
A van from the USA pays 10% import duty and 20% import VAT, worked out on the price plus the shipping, with the VAT charged on top of the duty. A van over 30 years old that qualifies as historic pays 5% VAT and no duty instead, which takes in nearly every older Chevy Van and the earlier Econolines. If you are moving here and qualify for Transfer of Residence, there may be no tax at all. The import tax calculator will run your numbers.
Once it is on the road, the yearly vehicle tax follows how the DVLA classes the van. Our guide to road tax for imported cars explains how it is set.
ULEZ and clean air zones
Most of these vans are petrol V8s, and the ULEZ asks for Euro 4 on a petrol vehicle and Euro 6 on a diesel. American vans were never given a Euro rating, so a newer one may meet the standard but you need evidence, such as a manufacturer letter or an independent emissions certificate. Our guide to ULEZ and imported cars explains how to get it.
Questions people ask
Can I import a Ford Econoline or Chevy Express to the UK?
Yes. It ships by container or RoRo, then needs the usual lighting changes, an IVA test or MOT depending on age, and DVLA registration, all of which we handle on our site.
Can I drive an American van on a car licence?
A category B licence covers vehicles up to 3,500kg gross weight. Many heavier-duty American vans are rated above that, so check the door label before you buy, as you may need category C1.
Does an American van need an IVA test?
Only if it is under 10 years old, which means one built after October 2016. In practice that is a recent Express or Savana. Older vans take an MOT.
Should I register my converted van as a motorhome?
If it has real living accommodation and meets the DVLA conditions, it can be registered as a motor caravan. GOV.UK says the V5C body type does not change your insurance category, so tell your insurer about the conversion either way.
Will a high-top van fit in a container?
Often not. A standard-roof van may fit, but a raised-roof conversion usually goes by RoRo. Give us the real height when you ask for a quote.
Found your van? Send us the listing and a photo of the door label on the quote form and we will price it all the way to UK plates.
