People ask us about cars from Ukraine for two reasons. Some are bringing a car over from Ukraine now. Others are already here with a Ukrainian-plated car and want to know what happens when it needs UK plates. Both are more manageable than they look, and the UK end is the same either way: customs, conversion, testing and registration, all done by us.
We will not guess at transport conditions inside Ukraine on a web page. We confirm the route for your car when we quote, and plan around what is running at the time.
- Route
- Confirmed when we quote
- Price
- Priced per job
- Steering
- Left-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT, duty depends on the car
How the car gets here
Cars from Ukraine can come by RoRo or in a container, and road transport across Europe is another option. As a general guide, RoRo takes around 10 to 14 days and a container 2 to 6 weeks, before the inland legs, customs and the season are added in.
Which method and which crossing make sense depends on where the car is and what is practical at the time. That is a question we answer for your car rather than in general. Our guide to container, RoRo or air explains the differences between the shipping options.
Already here with a Ukrainian-plated car
If you came to the UK on one of the Ukraine schemes, you may not need to register your car here yet. Government guidance lets holders of the Ukraine Family, Homes for Ukraine and Extension scheme visas, and the Ukraine Permission Extension, drive a Ukrainian-plated car or motorbike without UK tax or registration for a set period.
That period runs from when you entered the UK. It is up to 36 months on the main visas, and longer if you have gone on to the Ukraine Permission Extension. The car has to stay registered in Ukraine and be insured to drive here. The exact limit depends on your visa history, so check it against the government guidance on bringing a Ukrainian vehicle into the UK.
Once your period ends, the car has to be taxed and registered with the DVLA and given UK number plates. That is the part we do. We look at the car, tell you what it needs, confirm the customs position and take it through test and registration. Our guide to driving a foreign-registered car in the UK covers the general rules for everyone else.
Import tax from Ukraine
Import VAT is 20%, 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.
Duty needs more care. Ukraine is not in the EU, and My Car Import's standard rate for a car from outside the EU is 10% duty on top of the VAT. The UK does have a free trade agreement with Ukraine, and in 2024 the government extended tariff-free trade on most goods until at least 2029.
The catch is that trade preferences follow where a car was made, not where it was bought or registered. A car only gets the Ukraine preference if it counts as Ukrainian under the agreement's rules of origin, with the proof to show it. A car built elsewhere is judged on where it was built. We work out which applies to your car and confirm it on the quote. Until we have, 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 can mean no import tax or duty at all. The application goes to HMRC with supporting documents, and an approval gives you a reference number for the customs declaration. A car that was UK-registered before may come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C.
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car through UK customs ourselves as HMRC CDS authorised agents. HMRC needs to be told that the car has arrived through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals, or NOVA, within 14 days, and the DVLA will not register a car without it. We submit it as part of clearance. Our customs clearance guide walks through the whole step.
Making it UK road legal
Ukrainian cars are left-hand drive and set up for driving on the right, so the usual changes are:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph
- A rear fog light where needed
We do this on our own site. Our guide to speedometer and headlight conversions explains how, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers living with one.
Testing and registration
- Under 10 years old: an IVA test
- 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 and test on site every week. Once the car passes, our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. The IVA test explained guide covers 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 Ukraine paperwork
0 of 6 done
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for Ukraine. European routes are priced per job, and from Ukraine the route itself is part of the quote. The estimator below uses the standard non-EU rate, so treat its tax figure as the cautious one. Our guide to what affects the cost of shipping a car explains the other moving parts.
Questions people ask
Do I pay import duty on a car from Ukraine?
It depends on the car. Our standard rate for a non-EU car is 20% VAT plus 10% duty. The UK-Ukraine trade agreement can remove duty on goods that count as Ukrainian under its rules of origin, but that follows where the car was made. We confirm which applies on your quote.
Can I keep driving my Ukrainian-plated car in the UK?
If you hold a Ukraine scheme visa, government guidance lets you use it without UK tax or registration for a set period from when you entered the UK, up to 36 months on the main visas and longer with the Ukraine Permission Extension. It must stay registered in Ukraine and be insured. After that it needs registering with the DVLA.
How long does it take to bring a car from Ukraine?
As a general guide, RoRo takes around 10 to 14 days and a container 2 to 6 weeks, plus inland transport and customs. We confirm the route and timing for your car when we quote.
Does a Ukrainian 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 from Ukraine tax free?
If you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months living abroad and have owned the car for more than 6 months, Transfer of Residence can mean no import tax or duty. Apply to HMRC before the car is cleared.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will confirm the route, the duty position and the price.
