Car Import Sales on the Rise

With the economies of many European nations still struggling with the after effects of the global recession, people are looking for deals wherever they can find them. This is especially true of big ticket items like cars and even homes, as more and more consumers are willing to travel overseas to get a good deal. In this article we are going to discuss buying a vehicle in a foreign country and importing it into the UK.

There is a good reason why car import sales have been steadily rising in the UK. In a word: savings. Not surprisingly, it is far cheaper to buy a car directly from a foreign manufacturer than to have them ship it over and be forced to pay the excessive import and local dealer fees.

We know what you’re thinking… then why doesn’t everybody do it? Well, the fact is that most folks make the mistake of thinking that it is simply too difficult or time-consuming to try. And while it is true that there is a lot of paperwork involved, if you are buying a car in a nearby country like Germany, it may be worth it.

What to do? First you have to tell the dealer that you are planning to import the car into the UK and ask him if he will help you with the requisite paperwork. Most of the time a dealer won’t have a problem with this, especially if you are paying via money order or bank cheque.

After you have paid for the vehicle and acquired all of the necessary documents, including temporary insurance from the dealership, you can drive the car back to the UK. Once you are home, you will need to contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and request the appropriate forms for importing vehicles into the UK.

But before you fill out any forms, you will need to obtain a European Certificate for Conformity from the manufacturer. All you need is the vehicle identification number (VIN number) and the engine number. After that you must obtain a Mutual Recognition Certificate from the Ministry of Transport.

At this point you can fill out all of the forms and take your documents back to the DVLA. There you will have to pay a nominal fee for the vehicle registration, which you will receive in the mail in about a week. When you do receive it, you must take all of the documents back to the DVLA where they will issue you UK license plates. That’s all there is to it!