You bought a bike in Japan through a buying agent: what do you do on the UK side?
You become the importer. The agent in Japan buys the bike and ships it, but the customs declaration, the 20% UK import VAT and any duty, NOVA within 14 days of arrival, any approval test and the DVLA registration are all yours to arrange. Ask the agent for an invoice that shows the bike price, the agent's fee and the shipping as separate lines, because that split decides what customs duty is worked out on.
- From the agent: a bill of sale or invoice in your name, split into bike price, agent fee and shipping, plus the original registration documents for the bike.
- Duty: 0% only with proof the bike was made in Japan, otherwise 6% (over 250cc) or 8% (up to 250cc). VAT 20%.
- NOVA within 14 days of arrival, then approval if the bike needs it, then DVLA registration for £55.
- You cannot ride it on the road first, except to a pre-booked MOT or approval test.
Not sure how this applies to your bike? Get a price for your bike and we tell you what applies.
Deregistration in Japan, any export plates and the export paperwork are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK, and we handle the customs declaration, NOVA and the registration paperwork for DVLA.
Who is the importer when an agent buys the bike?
You are. A buying agent represents you in Japan, finds the bike and arranges the purchase and shipping, but the bike is coming into the UK for you, so the UK steps fall to you. GOV.UK says a private importer has to pay a shipping company or customs agent to make the import declaration, and that the VAT and duty are paid at the UK border. Get the agent's invoice and the shipping details before the bike leaves Japan, not after it lands.
What should the agent's invoice show?
Three separate lines: the price of the bike, the agent's fee, and the shipping and insurance to the UK. HMRC's guidance explains why. Buying commission, which is the fee you pay your agent for representing you outside the UK, may be left out of the customs value if it is shown separately from the price paid for the goods, for example on an invoice. Delivery costs up to the UK border are included. HMRC may ask for the contract between you and the agent as evidence. We use these lines to work out the value on your declaration.
The separate amount has to appear on the documents that go with the import, so ask for the lines before you pay. If the fee is shown separately, the duty is worked out on a smaller figure. In the example below the difference is small, but a clean invoice also makes the declaration and NOVA simpler. The same invoice or bill of sale is what HMRC asks for when you tell it the bike has arrived, if you bought the bike in the last 6 months.
GOV.UK treats buying commission differently for VAT: it says the commission can be included in the value for VAT only if the buyer is not registered for UK VAT. So do not assume the fee drops out of the VAT as well. We work out both values for your declaration.
Send the make, model and year and we start from there.
How does the yen price become a duty figure?
HMRC converts at its monthly rate. For October 2026 it is £1 = ¥208.5932. The example below shows the duty only, at the 6% rate for a bike over 250cc without proof of Japanese origin, to show what the invoice split does.
Worked example: a 600cc bike for ¥900,000, a ¥70,000 agent fee and £650 for shipping and insurance (October 2026 rate)
| Invoice | Value for duty | Duty at 6% |
|---|---|---|
| Fee shown separately | £4,964.62 | £297.88 |
| One total, fee not separated | £5,300.20 | £318.01 |
The bike is £4,314.62 and the fee £335.58 at that rate. The £650 for shipping and insurance is an example, not a typical price. VAT at 20% is charged on top, on the value plus the duty and any other costs gov.uk includes, and the DVLA's £55 registration fee and any test fee come after that.
Is the duty 0% on a bike from Japan?
Only if the bike was made in Japan and you can prove it. The UK Trade Tariff shows a 0% preference for Japan, and it follows where the bike was made, not where it was bought or exported from. Which document HMRC accepts as proof for a used Japanese bike is not spelled out in the sources we have read, so treat 0% as a claim that needs proof. The standard rates are 8% up to 250cc, including scooters, and 6% above, never the 10% that applies to cars. Our Japan guide goes through the duty and VAT in more detail.
What papers do you need from the agent?
The original registration documents for the bike. DVLA asks for "the original foreign registration certificate to show when the vehicle was manufactured", you will not get it back, so ask the agent to send it to you or ship it with the bike, and photograph it first. DVLA also asks for evidence showing the date the vehicle was collected, for example the invoice from the supplier. When the NOVA is made, HMRC asks for an official document confirming the frame number, such as a registration or title document, or an export certificate. If the registration certificate is missing, read bikes with no papers.
What happens when the bike arrives in the UK?
In this order: the import declaration with the VAT and duty paid, then NOVA within 14 days of arrival (gov.uk says you may be fined if you are late, and gives no amount), then approval if it needs it, then DVLA. A bike under 10 years old with no European or UK type approval needs the MSVA test, which a DVSA test station carries out: see the MSVA guide. Then the V55/5 goes to DVLA with the original documents and the £55 fee, and the V5C can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. Gov.uk says you can be prosecuted for using the bike on a public road before you finish these steps, unless you are riding it to a pre-booked MOT or approval test. The NOVA guide and the DVLA registration guide have the steps.
What we do for you
Send us the agent's quote, the invoice and a photo of the registration document before you pay, and we tell you what the UK side involves. We make the customs import declaration, work out and pay the VAT and duty, submit the NOVA notice to HMRC and prepare every DVLA form: you just sign and post. We obtain the Certificate of Conformity or dating letter if your bike needs one, and we arrange transport to the UK if you want us to. A DVSA test station carries out any approval test and a garage makes any changes. We do not buy, sell, source or inspect bikes, and we are not a buying agent: that part stays with the agent in Japan.
Quick answers
Do I still pay UK VAT on a bike bought in Japan?
Yes. UK import VAT of 20% is charged when the bike is imported, on the value plus delivery, extra charges and any duty.
Can the agent's fee be left out of the customs value?
Buying commission may be left out of the customs value if it is shown separately from the price paid for the bike, and HMRC may ask for evidence of the arrangement. For VAT the position is different, so ask us before you pay.
Who makes the import declaration?
For a private importer, a shipping company or customs agent, which GOV.UK says you must pay to do it. We make it for you.
Can I ride the bike as soon as it arrives?
No. Not on a public road before the registration steps are done, except to a pre-booked MOT or approval test.
Official sources, checked on 28 October 2026: gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk · gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/telling-hmrc · gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/registering-an-imported-vehicle · gov.uk/guidance/valuing-imported-goods-using-method-1-transaction-value · gov.uk/guidance/accounting-for-buying-commission-in-the-customs-value · gov.uk/guidance/working-out-the-vat-value-using-the-customs-value-of-th… · trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/uk/api/exchange_rates/files/monthly_csv_202…