Temporary or Permanent Export?
When planning on exporting a car outside of the UK you will firstly need to determine if this is going to be on a temporary or a permanent arrangement. Depending on the amount of time that you are expecting to keep the vehicle out of the UK will determine the amount of paperwork needed along with the information required by the government at your chosen destination. For temporary imports we would advise to consider the option of shipping your vehicle on an ATA Carnet. To permanently import your vehicle you will need to have the original V5C (not copies) so that you can re-register the vehicle in your new country.
Shipping Your Car on a Permanent Export
If you are planning to import the vehicle permanently in to your new country, you must first make sure that you notify the DVLA about your intentions. If you have the Registration Document (V5C) for the vehicle, then you can fill in section 11 to show the intended date of export. This section would be the only part of the V5C that would need to be posted direct to the DVLA in Swansea. Most countries will require to see the original V5C when a vehicle has been imported as this will be required to re-register the vehicle at your chosen destination.
As your vehicle is to be imported permanently, you will need to pay for customs, duty and taxes. Some countries will allow duty free if you’re a returning resident for example. It is always advisable to source a reliable freight forwarding agent at your country of arrival who will be able to discuss your options with you prior to shipping your vehicle overseas.
Shipping Your Car on a Temporary Export
When planning to only temporarily import your vehicle for less than 12 months, you must make sure that you have your Registration Certificate (V5C) with you at all times as this may be required by the overseas customs when collecting your vehicle. If you don’t have the V5C, you will be required to apply for it at the DVLA or at a local DVLA office with a form titled V62. You must make sure that you apply for these documents in advance as the Registration Certificate can take up to 28 days to arrive.
You must also make sure that your vehicle meets all National or International requirements for the country that you are exporting to prior to booking your shipment. You can check with your local customs website or speak to a knowledgeable Customs Clearing Agent at your point of arrival.
ATA Carnet’s for Temporary Exports
If you’re only looking to ship your vehicle temporarily, it may be worth you considering an ATA Carnet. You can apply for this online. This ATA Carnet will allow you transit through many countries without the need to pay duties and taxes at each destination. This document will need to be surrendered back to the issuer of the ATA Carnet once the vehicle has arrived at its final destination in the UK in order to reclaim your bond that would have been paid prior to receiving
