Import a car from Singapore to the UK

Let us look at the steps to importing a car from Singapore to the UK.

On UK arrival your car will be customs cleared by your shipping agent and NOVA applied for. Tax and duty is then paid directly to HMRC. You will then receive a NOVA letter confirming taxes and duty have been paid. Your vehicle can then be registered.

Car Import – Tax and Duty

Customs duty and VAT will both be due unless you are relocating to the UK permanently from Singapore. These are likely to be:

Car being imported over thirty years of age: 5% of vehicle value

Standard car: 10% Duty and 20% VAT

Vehicle originally built in the EU: £50 duty and 20% VAT

Commercial vehicle: 22% duty and 20% VAT

The DVLA will require an MOT certificate and the original Singapore registration certificate in order to register and tax your vehicle. Vehicles under 10 years will also require an IVA Test. To apply for the IVA Test simply complete the form (IVA 1C). As cars from Singapore are right hand drive as in the UK you will need to prove that you have lived in Singapore for at least 12 months and owned the vehicle for at least 6 months. It is extremely difficult to IVA a vehicle under 10 years old if you have not met the above criteria. A statement of compliance / conformity can be requested from the manufacturer and this may be accepted if the vehicle meets EU requirements for safety and emissions.

To pass the IVA Test some Modifications may need to be made to the vehicle. For example, speedometer and rear fog lights.

Source: ShipMyCar