How much does it cost to import a motorcycle to the UK?

What government charges come first, at the border?

Two, and they are the big ones. Customs duty is a percentage of the customs value, and import VAT is charged on top. The UK Trade Tariff (read 10/10/2026) shows 8% duty for bikes up to 250cc and scooters, and 6% for bikes over 250cc and electric ones. The 0% rate needs proof the bike was made in a country with a trade deal, such as the EU or Japan: where it was made, not where you bought it. Our guide to motorcycle import duty and VAT has the full table and a worked example.

gov.uk says VAT is charged at 20% on the total cost of the vehicle, plus accessories bought with it, delivery and extra charges, and the customs duty. Duty therefore raises the VAT bill, and shipping is taxed as well as the bike.

Is there a fee for telling HMRC (NOVA)?

gov.uk does not list a fee for NOVA, the notice you give HMRC that the bike has arrived. It must be done within 14 days, and a private importer does it through a shipping company, a customs agent or HMRC's CARS team. gov.uk says the shipping company or agent may charge an extra fee, which is theirs to set, not the government's. See our NOVA guide, and who files NOVA and on which form for a private importer. Late is a different story: gov.uk says you may be fined, and does not give an amount.

What does the approval test cost?

Not every bike needs one. The DVSA manual and the VCA form say vehicles over ten years old are exempt, and DVLA may still inspect. For a bike that does need approval, the official fees (updated 20/08/2026 and read 10/10/2026) are:

A paid re-inspection after a fail is £17 in working hours or £41 outside. With a European bike, which of the first two routes DVLA prefers is not spelled out in the official pages, so ask before you pay for either. Details are in our approval guide. Note that you cannot ride the bike to a Partial MSVA: it must be transported.

What does DVLA charge to register an imported bike?

gov.uk says you pay a £55 registration fee and tax the vehicle when you register it. The V5C registration certificate can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. Vehicle tax for a motorcycle is a separate yearly figure that depends on engine size (gov.uk, updated 09/09/2026, single 12 month payment):

Some old bikes qualify for the historic exemptions, so see importing a classic motorcycle if yours was built before 1986.

Do I need an MOT, and what does it cost?

A bike needs an MOT from the third anniversary of its registration, and gov.uk caps the fee at £29.65 for a standard motorcycle (updated 09/09/2026). It is a ceiling, so garages may charge less. Gov.uk says you can be prosecuted for using the bike on a public road before the import steps are done, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or approval test.

What are the costs that are not government fees?

Shipping, the export paperwork abroad, a garage's work on lights or a speedometer, and any transport to a test station. These vary by country and carrier, so they are outside this list. For a London bike, the ULEZ charge can also matter: see our ULEZ guide.

What we do for you

We make the customs import declaration for the bike, work out and pay the import VAT and duty, submit NOVA and prepare every DVLA form, the V55/5 included: you just sign and post. Before you buy, send us the make, model, year and where the bike was built and we will tell you which duty rate and which approval route we expect, so the numbers above are real numbers for your bike. Deregistration in the export country, 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 DVLA registration paperwork.

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