Temporary UK Import Registration

ballooba

I'm pricing up importing my car from Australia and have got prices as far as Southampton. Does anyone have any experience of transporting an unregistered car from the UK? I understand I can get Q plates but don't know about the costs and timescale involved.

paulmcn

not sure about that, might not be easy when u r not a UK resident. there are a couple transport companies advertising a service for picking up cars in UK and delivering to Ireland. or if they could drop it at a ferry terminal that operates to Ireland. A friend of mine bought a boat cpl yrs ago in the uk and it was dropped at the docks, i picked it up for him at the freight terminal in dublin. just a thought.

ballooba

I know this is possible from Ireland using ZZ plates from AA Ireland and I think the system in the UK is Q plates administered by the RAC. I thought there might be someone here with experience. Southampton is a Ro-Ro port which is a lot cheaper for shipping so I thought those importing from Japan might use it.

paulmcn

if you are registering a car of indeterminable age in the UK eg. a kit car that you've built, or you've reshelled your vehicle with a new bodyshell you get issued a Q plate in the UK or atleast that was the case. haven't seen a ZZ plate here for a few years. If your vehicle was registered and in use in australia with current road licence i cant see why you would have to register it in the UK just because it's passing thru there. If you have valid insurance surley it would cover you to drive it to a ferry port and take it home.

ballooba

Thanks mate. I thought this might be a common enough issue but it seems not. I'll make a few phone calls to UK if I decide to proceed.

Esel

It would benefit you financially to register it in the UK before importing it to this state, as otherwise you will have to pay duty (on car value plus shipping plus insurance), then VAT on the new total, as well as VRT.

Unless, of course, you are importing it under a Transfer of Residence exemption.

ballooba

Thanks Esel. It's a transfer of residency.