Moldova sits just outside the EU, and that is usually where the worry starts. People expect a non-EU car to mean a pile of extra paperwork and a big tax bill. There is one extra step compared with an EU car, and the tax depends on the car more than the country. The rest is the same job we do for any car from Europe.
Moldova does not have its own guide on the My Car Import site yet, but we ship from far more places than we have written up. Here is how it works.
- Route
- By road or by sea
- Price
- Priced per job
- Transit time
- Usually 1 to 4 weeks door to door
- Steering
- Left-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT, duty depends on the car
How the car gets here
We arrange collection from your address in Moldova and bring the car to the UK by road or by sea, whichever works out best for the car. By road, the route runs west into Romania, across Hungary and Austria, then on to the Channel.
Door to door, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks once collection, border checks and customs are allowed for. Leaving Moldova means crossing into the EU first, which is part of why we confirm the timing for your car on the quote. If the car is valuable, ask for enclosed transport and we will price it in. Our guide on how long it takes to ship a car to the UK explains what stretches the timings.
The paperwork before it leaves
The car will need dealing with on the Moldovan register before it goes, and those rules sit with the Moldovan authorities. We have not found a current official English source to quote, so we will not guess at the steps. We confirm what is needed when we quote. Keep whatever the authorities give you when the car leaves.
If you are buying rather than moving your own car, check that 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, and checking the mileage on an imported car covers the odometer.
Import tax from Moldova
Moldova is not in the EU, so My Car Import's standard non-EU rate is the starting point: 20% import VAT plus 10% duty, worked out on the price you paid plus transport. If the invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
The UK does have a trade agreement with Moldova. The UK-Moldova Strategic Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement is on the government's list of agreements in effect, checked October 2026, and it covers preferential tariffs on goods.
The catch is that preferences follow where a car was made, not where it was bought or registered. A car only gets the Moldova preference if it counts as Moldovan under the agreement's rules of origin, with the proof to show it. A car built in the EU or UK may qualify under the UK's agreement with the EU instead, again with the right proof. We work out which applies 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 |
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
Moldovan 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.
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.
Send everything you have on the car. Registration papers, the purchase invoice and anything showing where and when it was built all help us answer the duty question and plan the test before the car moves.
Your Moldova paperwork
0 of 5 done
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for Moldova, because European routes are priced per job. 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, so its tax figure is the cautious one. Our Europe guide gives the wider picture, and what affects the cost of shipping a car explains the moving parts.
Questions people ask
Do you ship cars from Moldova?
Yes. Moldova 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 price the route.
Do I pay import duty on a car from Moldova?
Budget for 20% VAT plus 10% duty. The UK-Moldova trade agreement is in effect, but preferences follow where the car was made and need proof of origin. We confirm the duty for your car on the quote.
How long does it take to bring a car from Moldova?
Door to door, allowing for collection, borders and customs, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks. We confirm the timing for your car when we quote.
Does a Moldovan 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.
