Gibraltar is British, so it is natural to assume a car can come back to the UK as if it had never left. It cannot quite. For customs and VAT, Gibraltar sits outside the UK, so the car is imported like one from abroad. That is a familiar job for us, and we handle it from collection to UK plates.
- Departure
- Gibraltar, by road or sea
- Price
- Priced per job
- Transit time
- Usually 1 to 4 weeks
- Import tax
- 20% VAT, duty depends on where the car was built
How the car gets here
There are two ways to bring a car from Gibraltar. It can go by road, north through Spain and France to the Channel, or it can go by sea on a RoRo ship or in a container. We recommend the one that suits the car, your timing and the paperwork.
| Feature | RoRo | Container |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time at sea | 3 to 7 days | 7 to 14 days |
| Car sealed in | No | Yes |
Door to door, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks. Our guide to container, RoRo or air covers the methods in more detail.
One thing has changed recently. The new UK and EU agreement on Gibraltar has applied since 15 July 2026, and with it the customs arrangements at the border with Spain. That mainly matters for the road route, and it is one more reason we confirm the route when we quote rather than assume.
Import tax from Gibraltar
Because Gibraltar is outside the UK for customs and VAT, a car coming to Great Britain pays 20% import VAT. It is worked out on the price you paid plus the cost of transport, or on a recent valuation if the invoice is more than 3 months old.
Duty is the part that varies. My Car Import's standard rate for a car from outside the EU is 10% on top of the VAT, but whether it applies to your car depends on where the car was built and whether its origin can be shown under one of the UK's trade agreements. We check this for each car and confirm it on your quote. Until then, budget for the 10%.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. Our import tax calculator gives a rough figure, and the worked examples show the sums in pounds.
Was the car UK-registered before
If your car was bought in the UK and driven down, it may be able to come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and a copy of the old V5C logbook. See bringing a UK car back home.
Moving back to the UK
If you have lived in Gibraltar for at least 12 months and owned and used the car for at least 6, Transfer of Residence can mean no import tax at all. Apply to HMRC before the car ships. Our guide to moving to the UK with your car covers the rest of the move.
Sort the tax route first. Transfer of Residence and the returning UK car route both need paperwork in place before the car moves. It is far easier than trying to claim after it lands.
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car through UK customs ourselves as HMRC CDS authorised agents. HMRC also needs to be told within 14 days that the car has arrived, through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals, or NOVA. The DVLA will not register the car without it, and we submit it as part of clearance.
Left-hand drive, usually
Gibraltar has driven on the right since 1929, so most local cars are left-hand drive. A car set up for the right needs a few changes for UK roads:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph
- A rear fog light where needed
A car that went out from the UK will usually be right-hand drive already, which makes life simpler. Our guides to speedometer and headlight conversions and left-hand drive cars in the UK cover both sides of it.
Testing and registration
Before it goes on UK plates, the car has to show it is fit for British roads:
- Under 10 years old: an IVA test, or a Certificate of Conformity where one applies
- Over 10 years old: an MOT, with changes generally coming down to the rear fog light
- Over 40 years old: no MOT needed, and the car can be delivered before registration
We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, so the test happens on our own site rather than waiting for a government slot. Once the car passes, our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days.
Your Gibraltar paperwork
0 of 5 done
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for Gibraltar. European routes are priced per job, and here the choice between road and sea makes a real difference. Send us the car's details and we will price the transport, customs, testing and registration together.
Questions people ask
Do I pay import tax on a car from Gibraltar?
Usually yes. Gibraltar is outside the UK for customs and VAT, so the car pays 20% import VAT. Whether 10% duty applies depends on where the car was built, and we confirm it on your quote. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT and no duty.
Is a car from Gibraltar treated like a UK car?
No. Gibraltar is British, but for customs and VAT it sits outside the UK, so the car is imported, cleared through customs and registered like any other import.
Does the car go by road or by sea?
Either. It can go by road through Spain and France, or by sea on a RoRo ship (typically 3 to 7 days) or in a container (typically 7 to 14 days). We recommend the route that suits the car.
Can I bring my car back tax free?
Possibly. If you are moving back after at least 12 months away, Transfer of Residence can mean no import tax. A car that was UK-registered before may also come back tax free with its UK invoice and old V5C.
What changes does a Gibraltar car need?
A left-hand drive car needs headlights set for the left, a speedometer in mph and a rear fog light where needed. A car that went out from the UK usually needs less.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will come back with a bespoke price.
