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Why Brexit Will Not Change Your LHD Car Purchase
This document is designed to help you understand our order process, including how Brexit affects your Left-Hand Drive (LHD) car purchase.
Q: I have decided on the LHD car I want and wish to register it in the UK. What do I need to do?
A: We handle the import of the Left-Hand Drive car. When Brexit applies, the car will be purchased inside the EU, and an extra 10% will be due on the total price as a customs tax.
Q: If I choose UK registration, will my Left-Hand Drive car become more expensive?
A: Not significantly. The 10% customs tax for countries outside the EU is generally not a large amount compared to the CO2 import tax that countries like France and Spain apply to vehicles with over 110 CO2/g emissions.
Q: How do I pay my final balance?
A: We will send you a reminder and bank account details once we know when your car will be ready for collection from the supplier.
Q: What happens if I choose a Spanish or French Left-Hand Drive car?
A: We already source 90% of our vehicles in Spain and France. Nothing changes for these cars, as they will not be subject to import tax in the UK.
Q: Should I forget about UK registration?
A: No, we will study all options. It will still be more cost-effective to register in the UK rather than import to another EU country and register there.
Q: Will it take longer to register in the UK?
A: It is possible that your vehicle may have foreign tourist plates upon arrival. However, in most instances, your vehicle will not be plated upon arrival in the UK. Therefore, your vehicle must be stored off-road until the registration formalities have been completed. The registration process itself will not take longer.
Q: What documentation do you require to register my vehicle in the UK?
A: The documentation required to register a Left-Hand Drive vehicle in the UK is as follows: (N.B. Photocopies and fax copies are NOT acceptable).
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From the supplier:
- Certificate of Conformity (COC)
- Original Foreign Registration Document
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From the VCA (Vehicle Certification Agency):
- Mutual Recognition Certificate (can only be obtained by providing COC and Original Foreign Registration Document)
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From you:
- Copy of identification
- Copy of utility bill (also foreign utility if the car is being used abroad).
Q: How soon will you be able to register my car?
A: The documents that we require from the supplier (COC and Original Foreign Registration Document) invariably arrive after your vehicle has arrived in the UK.
Any Left-Hand Drive vehicle, new or otherwise, needs approval by the VCA, regardless of any Type Approval Certificate/Certificate of Conformity it may have. Once we receive the COC and Original Foreign Registration Document for your vehicle, they are sent to the VCA. The VCA will issue a Mutual Recognition Certificate. Upon receipt of this and all of your documentation, as detailed above, the relevant forms (V55/5 and VAT 414) will be completed by us and sent, along with all of the documentation listed above, to the local DVLA office for registration.
As you can tell, the registration process for an LHD vehicle can be lengthy. We therefore advise you that you may not be able to drive your vehicle as soon as it arrives in the UK. Please bear this in mind! The whole process can take up to 4-6 weeks to complete.
Q: Do I need to get plates made up?
A: This is dependent upon whether you have agreed in your contract that you wish for us to register the vehicle. It may be supplied on export plates (temporary registration). If you are having UK registration, the plates will be provided by us as soon as we know the UK registration number of your vehicle, i.e., once the vehicle has been registered by the local DVLA office.
For any further queries not answered in this document, please view the FAQ section on our website or email us. For other useful links, click below:
