What is involved in importing a car?
A sequence of customs, safety, tax and registration steps that must happen in the right order — and the cost is routinely underestimated because the purchase price is frequently the smaller part.
The steps, broadly:
Notify the customs authority of the import, generally within a short window of arrival.
Pay duty and VAT where applicable. Rates depend on the vehicle's origin and age, and classic vehicles over a certain age frequently attract reduced rates — which is a genuine and significant relief.
Establish approval. A vehicle must meet the destination's construction and use standards. Depending on where it came from, this means mutual recognition, an Individual Vehicle Approval inspection, or — for older vehicles — an exemption.
Modify as required. Common items include headlights, which must dip the correct way and be the right colour; rear fog lights on the correct side; speedometer units; and sometimes glass markings and mirrors.
Obtain an MOT where the age requires it.
Insure it, which must be in place before registration.
Register it, receiving a registration number and V5C.
Pay vehicle tax, and note that emissions data may be unavailable for imports, which can place the vehicle in a higher tax band than an equivalent domestic model.
Where the costs actually accumulate: shipping and marine insurance, port and handling charges, customs clearance agent fees, duty and VAT, approval testing, modification work, and transport from the port.
The specific traps:
Vehicles that cannot be approved. Some models were never sold in the destination market and cannot economically be made compliant. Check before buying, not after.
Parts availability and servicing, which can be poor for a model never sold locally.
Insurance, which is frequently more expensive and sometimes requires a specialist.
Resale value, which is usually lower for an import than for an equivalent domestic car.
Left-hand drive in a right-hand-drive country, which affects both.
Personal imports on relocation may qualify for relief if the vehicle was owned and used abroad for a qualifying period.
General information, not legal or tax advice.