Armenia is a long way from Castle Donington, and people tend to assume that means it is too awkward to bother with. It is a longer job than most of Europe, that much is true. But we ship from far more countries than we have written guides for, and once the car is in the UK the work is exactly what we do every week.
The two things worth understanding up front are the route out and the tax on arrival. Both are covered below, along with what the car needs to get onto UK plates.
- Route
- Confirmed when we quote
- Price
- Priced per job
- Steering
- Mostly left-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT plus 10% duty
How the car gets here
We arrange collection from your address in Armenia and bring the car to the UK by road or by sea, whichever works out best for that car. Armenia has no coastline of its own, so any route starts overland whichever way it finishes.
The map below shows one road route, west through Georgia and across Turkey, then up through the Balkans to the Channel. It is an illustration, not a booking. Which route actually makes sense depends on where the car is, what is running at the time and the car itself, so we confirm it when we quote rather than promise it on a web page.
A longer route means a longer wait, so allow for that when you plan. We give you a timing for your car with the quote. Our guide on how long it takes to ship a car to the UK explains what stretches the timings, and container, RoRo or air compares the shipping options. If the car is valuable, ask for enclosed transport on the quote form and we will price it in.
The paperwork before it leaves
The car will need dealing with on the Armenian register before it goes, and the rules for that sit with the Armenian authorities. We have not found a current official English source to quote, so we will not guess at the steps here. We confirm what is needed when we quote, and you should keep whatever the authorities give you when the car leaves.
If you are buying rather than moving your own car, make sure the seller is the registered owner and that the paperwork matches the car. Our guide to buying a car abroad safely covers the checks worth making before money changes hands, and car shipping scams covers the warning signs.
Import tax from Armenia
Armenia is not in the EU, so My Car Import's standard non-EU rate applies: 20% import VAT plus 10% duty. Both are worked out on the price you paid plus the cost of transport. If the purchase invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
Armenia does not appear on the government's list of UK trade agreements in effect, checked October 2026. So there is no Armenian trade preference to lean on. That said, duty follows where a car was made rather than where it was bought, and a car built in the EU or UK may qualify under the UK's agreement with the EU, with the right proof of origin. We check this for your car and confirm it on the quote. Until then, budget for the 10%.
| Feature | VAT | Duty |
|---|---|---|
| Standard non-EU car | 20% | 10% |
| Origin proven under a UK trade agreement | 20% | Can be nil, confirmed on your quote |
| Over 30 years old | 5% | None |
| Transfer of Residence | None | None |
A car over 30 years old can pay the reduced 5% VAT and no duty. Our guide to the historic vehicle 5% VAT rules explains which cars qualify.
Moving to the UK
If you have lived outside the UK for more than 12 months and owned the car for more than 6, Transfer of Residence means no import tax or duty. Apply to HMRC before the car ships. A car that was UK-registered before may come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C, as our guide to bringing a UK car back home explains.
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car through UK customs ourselves as HMRC CDS authorised agents. HMRC needs to be told within 14 days that the car has arrived, through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA), and the DVLA will not register the car without it. We submit it as part of clearance. Our customs clearance guide walks through the step.
Making it UK road legal
Most Armenian cars are left-hand drive and set up for driving on the right. Expect:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph
- A rear fog light where needed
All of it is done on our own site. Our guide to speedometer and headlight conversions explains the work, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers day-to-day life with one. If your car is right-hand drive, tell us on the quote form and we will look at what it needs.
Testing and registration
The test depends on the car's age. Under 10 years old, it takes an IVA test. Over 10, it takes an MOT, with changes generally coming down to the rear fog light. Over 40, it needs no MOT and can be delivered to you before it is registered.
We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain and test on site every week, so there is no waiting months for a government slot. Once the car passes, our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. The IVA test explained guide goes through what the test checks.
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Before it moves
Quote and checks
We confirm the route and the paperwork, look at where the car was built for the duty question and set up any Transfer of Residence application.
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Collection
Out of Armenia
The car is collected from your address and comes west by road, or by sea for part of the way where that suits it better.
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Arrival
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car through UK customs and tell HMRC it has arrived.
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At our site
Conversion and test
Headlights, speedometer and fog light are sorted, then the car takes its IVA test or MOT.
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Within 10 working days
Registration
We register the car with the DVLA and fit your UK plates.
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for Armenia. European routes are priced per job, and from Armenia the route itself is part of the quote. Distance, open or enclosed transport and the work the car needs here all make a difference. The estimator below uses the standard non-EU rate. Our guide to what affects the cost of shipping a car explains the other moving parts, and the import tax calculator works through the tax on its own.
Questions people ask
Do you ship cars from Armenia?
Yes. Armenia does not have its own guide on the My Car Import site yet, but we ship from far more countries than we have written up. Send us the car details and we will confirm the route and price it.
Do I pay import duty on a car from Armenia?
Budget for 20% VAT plus 10% duty. Armenia is not on the government list of UK trade agreements in effect. A car built in the EU or UK may qualify for nil duty with proof of origin, which we check on the quote.
How long does it take to bring a car from Armenia?
Longer than most European moves, because the route is long and starts overland. We give you a timing for your car when we quote.
Does an Armenian car need an IVA test?
Under 10 years old, yes. Over 10 years old it needs an MOT instead, and over 40 years old no MOT. We test on our own site every week.
Can I bring my car tax free if I am moving to the UK?
Yes, if you have lived outside the UK for more than 12 months and owned the car for more than 6. Apply to HMRC for Transfer of Residence before the car ships.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will confirm the route, the duty position and the price.
