The first thing most people ask is how long it will take, and the answer they get is often just the time at sea. That leaves out the weeks either side of it, and it is those weeks that catch people out. Once you see the whole journey laid out, the timing is fairly predictable.
This guide covers it door to plates: getting the car to the port, the crossing, customs, testing and DVLA registration. The sea time is decided by where the car is. Almost everything after that happens on our own site.
- Within Europe
- Usually 1 to 4 weeks
- Between continents
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Australia and New Zealand
- Around 6 to 10 weeks
- DVLA registration
- 10 working days from a passed test
The stages, in order
Every car follows the same broad path, wherever it starts. The length of each stage changes; the order does not.
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Before sailing
Paperwork and collection
We check your documents, collect the car and get it to the port. From the USA, allow around 2 weeks for paperwork and loading.
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In transit
Crossing
Days by road from much of Europe, weeks by sea from further afield. See the table below.
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On arrival
Customs
EU cars can usually be cleared the same day. Shipped cars are usually a few days at port.
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Within 14 days
NOVA
We tell HMRC the car has arrived. The DVLA will not register it without this.
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At our site
Changes and testing
Any UK changes, then an IVA, MSVA or MOT on our own lanes. Quoted per car, because every car needs something different.
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Within 10 working days
DVLA registration
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days of a passed test.
Time in transit, by region
These are the transit times we give for each route. They cover the journey itself, not the stages either side, so add those on when you plan.
| Feature | Usual method | Transit time |
|---|---|---|
| France | Our own transporter, or drive it over | About 1 to 3 days |
| Spain | Road, RoRo or container | About 2 to 5 days by road, 5 to 10 by container |
| Germany | Our own enclosed transporter | About 3 to 7 days |
| Rest of Europe | Road, ferry or container | Usually 1 to 4 weeks |
| USA | Shared container or RoRo | Around 2 weeks at sea from the East Coast, 4 from the West, plus about 2 weeks before sailing |
| Canada | Container or RoRo | About 2 to 6 weeks |
| UAE | Shared container | About 4 to 6 weeks at sea |
| South Africa | Shared container | About 4 to 6 weeks |
| Hong Kong | Shared container | About 3 to 6 weeks |
| Singapore | Shared container | About 4 to 8 weeks |
| Japan | Usually RoRo | About 5 to 8 weeks |
| Australia | Shared or dedicated container | About 6 to 10 weeks |
| New Zealand | Shared container or RoRo | About 6 to 10 weeks |
| Elsewhere outside Europe | Shared container, dedicated container or RoRo | Usually 4 to 8 weeks |
Each country page has the detail for its route, including the ports we use.
Before the car sails
The weeks before departure are the ones people forget. The car has to be collected and taken to the port, the export paperwork done, and the car loaded and booked onto a ship.
Some of this is fixed by the rules at the other end. US Customs, for example, needs the documents and the car presented at least 72 hours before export. Our guide to the US export rules explains that one. From Japan, the auction agent usually gets the car to the port.
The part you control is the paperwork. A missing title or export certificate is the most common reason a car misses a sailing. Our list of the documents you need tells you what to have ready.
Container, RoRo or air
The method changes the timing as well as the price. RoRo is generally a little quicker than a container, because there is less handling, but the car has to run and drive. From New Zealand, for example, RoRo takes around 6 to 8 weeks and a container around 8 to 10.
Air freight is the fastest by a distance, usually a few days on most routes, and it is priced per job. It is rarely the cheapest. See container, RoRo or air for the trade-offs, or the air freight page if you have a deadline.
After the car lands
Arrival is not the finish line, but this is where the timing becomes ours to manage. Customs is usually quick when the paperwork is complete. EU cars can usually be cleared the same day, and shipped cars are usually a few days at port. Container cars then come to our private facility in Castle Donington to be unloaded by our own team.
What happens next depends on the car's age and where it was built. These are the registration timings My Car Import gives for each route:
- Certificate of Conformity: most EU cars under 10 years old, typically 7 to 14 working days once we submit the V55
- IVA or MSVA: newer cars from outside Europe and motorbikes, quoted per car, then registration within 10 working days of a pass
- MOT: cars 10 to 40 years old, a few weeks once the documents and MOT go in
- Classics over 40 years old: no MOT needed, but the DVLA checks can stretch into months
Because we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, with the DVSA visiting weekly, there is no wait for a government test slot. Our guide to how long registration takes goes into each route in more detail.
Door to plates, start to finish
Put the stages together and the totals look like this for two of our longer routes. From Australia, allow around 10 to 16 weeks from the day the car is collected to the day it is registered, depending on what it needs. From Hong Kong, allow around 12 to 14 weeks from paperwork to DVLA registration.
A European car on a Certificate of Conformity is at the other end of the scale: days on the road, a same-day clearance, then 7 to 14 working days once the V55 goes in.
A few delays are outside anyone's control. Registration applications for cars from certain countries can face extra history checks. They are rare, but in some cases they have added 4 to 12 weeks. If your car is caught by one, we keep you updated and answer the DVLA straight away.
How to keep it short
- Send us your documents before the car is collected, not after it sails
- Apply for Transfer of Residence before the car ships, if you are moving here
- Sort any finance on the car early, because lender letters take time
- Leave the car with us from arrival to plates, so there is no waiting between stages
If you are planning a move, our guide to moving to the UK with your car covers when to ship it.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to ship a car to the UK?
Usually 1 to 4 weeks in transit from Europe, 4 to 8 weeks from other continents, and around 6 to 10 weeks from Australia and New Zealand. Collection, customs, testing and registration come on top.
How long does it take to ship a car from the USA?
Around 2 weeks at sea from the East Coast and around 4 from the West Coast, plus about 2 weeks before sailing for paperwork and loading.
How long from arrival to UK plates?
Customs is usually same day for EU cars and a few days at port for shipped cars. After testing, our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days of a passed test.
What is the fastest way to get a car to the UK?
Air freight, which usually takes a few days on most routes. It is priced per job and rarely the cheapest, so most people choose a container.
What usually causes delays?
Missing or mismatched paperwork, before the car sails or at customs. Rarely, extra DVLA history checks on cars from certain countries can add 4 to 12 weeks.
Want a timeline for your car? Tell us where it is on the quote form and we will price the whole journey and tell you what to expect.
