Anyone waiting for UK registration on an imported vehicle ?

[Lightweight_911]

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I just thought I'd share my recent experience with the (severely) restricted service that DVLA are operating under ...

The car in this instance is a 1968 Lancia Fulvia 1.3HF that I imported from the Netherlands.

I submitted an application together with all of the supporting documents/paperwork & the appropriate fee on 29th April - sent via 1st Class Recorded Delivery.

Several weeks went past with no response - all telephone/email/messaging services had been disabled by DVLA (apart from essential/key workers) due to Covid-19.

On the 3rd July I received a letter from DVLA saying that my application had been rejected (& returning all of my paperwork & fee because the personal details on my application didn't match my verification ID - I'd applied under the name of 'Andy Boyle' & my driving licence bears the name 'Andrew Boyle' !!

I corrected the application, contacted my insurance company for an updated cover note & included this with the returned application on 4th July - again sent via 1st Class Recorded delivery.

Another 5 weeks went past with no contact - until today.

I finally received notification that my application had been accepted & stating my allocated registration number.

According to the letter, my V5 should arrive in ~ 4 weeks ...






I thought the above might provide some reassurance for anyone who's panicKing/disgruntled because they haven't heard anything from DVLA ...

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[KS]

Hi Andy - I sent mine in on July 1st and got the paperwork through last Saturday, followed by the V5c yesterday, so the R4 is now all legal.

[Lightweight_911]

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Unbelievable !!

- but great news ...

Maybe I submitted my original application at just the wrong time ...

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[KS]

No, they just prefer Renault 4s. Understandable, really.

[dt4]

Having my 914 MOTed on Friday and insuring today, should be able to submit paperwork soon after

[KS]

Having my 914 MOTed on Friday and insuring today, should be able to submit paperwork soon after

Good luck - and here's hoping they don't ask for it to be inspected by SGS - mine did, despite impeccable paperwork and history. That added another three weeks to the process, bringing it to over six in all, and that was last year well before the pandemic. Fingers crossed for you!

[anglophone1]

Glad I’ve asked Greatworth to sort all of this on my inbound 914 - arriving September 1st - my birthday!
Thanks in advance Angus and Amanda!
C

[210bhp]

So, having never done this before, can you tell me the correct procedure and correct order for getting an imported vehicle registered in the UK and the list of documents needed for each stage. Thanks

Regards
Mike

[MikeB]

I've just sent my V5 in to get the Date of First Registration corrected, as the car was originally sold in Belfast in Sept 1980 before being sold to GB the following year, where the V5 records that '81 date as the DoFR. So not expecting anything within the next 6 weeks

[Lightweight_911]

So, having never done this before, can you tell me the correct procedure and correct order for getting an imported vehicle registered in the UK and the list of documents needed for each stage. Thanks

Regards
Mike

These are the documents I submitted Mike - along with an ccompanying letter (I didn't attempt to get an MOT as it was the early stages of 'lockdown'): -

Completed Form V55/5
Dutch Registration Card & paper counterpart
Insurance cover note (using chassis number)
HMRC email communication regarding NOVA submission *
Colour photocopies of Driving Licence
Registration Fee (postal order)

* The NOVA application can be done on-line & was fairly straightforward for my car which was imported from within the EU so no import charges/VAT etc

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[KS]

So, having never done this before, can you tell me the correct procedure and correct order for getting an imported vehicle registered in the UK and the list of documents needed for each stage. Thanks

Regards
Mike

First thing, make sure you have the original title/reg document for the car, which should display the date of first registration or manufacture. Also get a bill of sale ideally showing the chassis number. When the car arrives in the UK, obtain a NOVA (Notice of vehicle arrival) certificate, which the shipping agent can apply for on your behalf – or go online and do it yourself. It's very easy with step by step instructions. Go to the DVLA website and download form V55/5 - it looks complicated but you actually don't have to fill much in when you're importing an older vehicle. In fact you don't need to state much more than tax class (petrol car or historic), make, model etc, wheel plan (2-axle rigid), colour, number of seats, type of fuel, chassis number, engine number, capacity and year of manufacture, date of original registration, etc etc. Get the car MOT'd even if it's a classic (it can help speed things up if they question the authenticity of your claim about historic status), get it insured on the chassis number and you're ready to go. Send ALL of the above to DVLA, along with a cheque or postal order (remember them?) for the first registration fee (£55) and any tax (if it's not historic – my 1987 Renault costs £165pa), a copy of your driving licence and a utility bill, and then sit back and wait...and wait...and wait. If there is any doubt on DVLA's part of the authenticity of any aspect of your application, or doubt over the age of the vehicle, they may request an inspection from SGS, the independent inspection company – they come to your home to do it.

Hope that gives you a rough idea of what's involved.

[210bhp]

So, I can do all this process completely except the mot (not required) with my 73 targa shell?

Regards
Mike

[Lightweight_911]

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Yes Mike - you should be able to.

I'm sure there's an element of exactly 'who processes your application' as to whether they will ask to inspect your car or not ...

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[KS]

In theory... An interesting point. Are you saying it's just a shell with nothing else? What about the engine number? The problem that would arise is if they request inspection – then they'd tell you to come back when it's a complete car and will almost certainly not allow it to be registered as a historic.

I've just asked the question of a friend who has an inside line at DVLA. Let's see what he comes back with...

[210bhp]

Thanks for all your help chaps. I’ve always thought I couldn’t do this until the car was roadworthy but an eminent ddker told me to get the shell on the nova system, dvla registered ASAP because he anticipates a hard brexit which would make it more difficult to drive abroad (which is the whole point of the car) if all this was attempted post December 2020.

Regards
Mike