Moving from the States to the UK means a hundred decisions, and the car is one of the harder ones. Sell it and buy again here, or bring it with you? The worry is that an American car will cost a fortune in tax and never be legal on a British road. Neither is usually true for someone moving home, and this guide sets out what the move looks like with the car coming too.
- Guide shipping price
- From £1,450
- Time at sea
- Around 2 to 4 weeks
- Tax if you are moving
- Often nil under ToR
- Left-hand drive
- Legal, no conversion needed
Deciding whether to bring it
The tax is often the deciding factor, so start there. If you qualify for Transfer of Residence, the car comes in with no import VAT and no duty. If you do not, a car from the USA pays 10% duty and 20% VAT on its value plus the shipping, which changes the sums a great deal.
Then think about how the car will live here. UK roads, car parks and garages are smaller than American ones, and a full-size pickup that is easy in Texas can be a squeeze in a British town. A big car also takes more room on the ship, and it is priced that way.
Last, get a UK insurance quote before you commit. Left-hand drive cars can be insured here, but prices and attitudes vary between insurers, and it takes a few minutes to find out where you stand.
Transfer of Residence from the US
To bring the car in tax free, you need to have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months in a row, have owned and used the car for at least 6 months, and be moving your home to the UK. The car has to arrive within 12 months of your move.
The 6-month rule matters if you were thinking of trading up before you leave. A car bought in the last few months before the move will not qualify, and pays tax at the normal rates. If you are buying, do it early or wait until you are here.
You apply to HMRC online with form ToR1, before the car ships. If the car is going to travel ahead of you, there is a question on the form that asks whether your goods will be shipped before you move, and the answer is yes. Our guide to Transfer of Residence covers the form in full.
No reference, no relief. We need the HMRC reference to clear the car through customs tax free. If it is not in place when the car arrives, duty and VAT are due.
The US side of the move
The American paperwork is short, but it has to be right. US Customs and Border Protection checks cars on the way out, and the document that matters most is the title. CBP asks for the original title or a certified copy, plus two complete copies, presented at the port at least 72 hours before the car leaves.
If there is still a loan or lease on the car, the title alone is not enough. CBP also wants a letter from the lender saying the car may be exported. Lenders can be slow with these, so ask as soon as you know you are moving. Our guide to US export rules covers each case.
Keep the original title safe once it comes back to you. It is the car's registration document, and the DVLA asks for the original foreign registration certificate when we register the car here. GOV.UK says you will not get it back after that.
We collect from anywhere in the USA and truck the car to the port, so it can be picked up from your driveway while you are packing the house. Take photos of the car before it goes. They help if there is ever a question about its condition on arrival.
Timing it around the move
From the East Coast, the car spends around 2 weeks at sea. From the West Coast it is around 4. Allow about 2 weeks before that for paperwork and loading. Customs, testing and registration come on top, so plan for a spell without the car at one end or the other.
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Before you book
Check ToR and insurance
Confirm you meet the 12-month and 6-month rules, and get a UK insurance quote for the car.
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Before it ships
Apply for ToR
Send form ToR1 to HMRC. If the car goes ahead of you, say so on the form.
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Collection
Title and loan letter ready
We collect from anywhere in the USA. The original title, and a lender letter if there is a loan, go with the car.
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Around 2 weeks
Paperwork and loading
The export filing, presentation to CBP and loading at New York, Savannah, Houston or Oakland.
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2 to 4 weeks
At sea
Around 2 weeks from the East Coast, around 4 from the West.
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On arrival
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car with your ToR reference and tell HMRC it has arrived, within the 14 days GOV.UK sets.
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At our site
Changes, test, plates
Lighting work, an IVA or MOT on our own site, then DVLA registration within 10 working days of a pass.
Left-hand drive in the UK
Your American car does not need converting to right-hand drive. Left-hand drive cars are legal to register and drive here. What has to change is the lighting, because US and UK rules differ:
- Amber rear indicators, because many US cars flash red at the back
- Side markers or repeaters at the front of the doors
- A rear fog light
- Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left
Cars with automatic levelling headlights may need a manual levelling system. American cars normally read in mph already, so the speedometer is rarely an issue. Our guide to converting an American car for UK roads goes through each change, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers day-to-day driving.
IVA or MOT
The test the car takes depends on its age, and it happens after the lighting work is done.
| Feature | Test | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 years old | IVA test | A one-off check that the car meets UK standards before it can be registered |
| 10 to 40 years old | MOT | The standard UK roadworthiness test, after the lighting changes |
| Over 40 years old | No MOT needed | Can go straight to registration |
Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, and we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain. The car is changed, tested and registered on the same site in Castle Donington. Our IVA test guide explains what the examiner checks.
Before you pack
Moving from the USA with your car
0 of 9 done
Until the car is registered, taxed and insured, it cannot be used on a public road here, apart from driving to a pre-booked test. GOV.UK says you can be prosecuted otherwise, so plan another way to get around for the first few weeks.
What it costs
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from the USA starts from around £1,450. That is shipping only, and does not include registration, testing, other services, import tax or remedial work. Our breakdown of the cost of shipping a car from the USA explains what moves the figure.
Under ToR, the tax line is nil. Without it, the import tax calculator gives you a rough figure, and a car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty.
Questions people ask
Do I pay import tax when moving from the USA to the UK with my car?
Not if you qualify for Transfer of Residence: 12 months living outside the UK, 6 months owning and using the car, and moving your home here. Apply to HMRC before the car ships. Otherwise it is usually 10% duty and 20% VAT.
Do I have to convert my American car to right-hand drive?
No. Left-hand drive cars are legal in the UK. American cars usually need lighting changes: amber rear indicators, side markers, a rear fog light and headlights set up for driving on the left.
Can I ship a car that still has a loan on it from the USA?
Yes, with a letter from the lender saying the car may be exported. CBP asks for it alongside the title. Ask your lender early, because the letter can take time.
Should the car go before me or after me?
Either works. Apply for ToR before it ships, tell HMRC on the form if the car will arrive first, and make sure it lands within 12 months of your move.
Will I need my US title in the UK?
Yes. The DVLA asks for the original foreign registration certificate to register the car, and keeps it. Make sure the original comes back to you after the US export.
Planning the move? Tell us about the car and your dates on the quote form and we will set out the plan, from your driveway in the States to UK plates.
