How do you import a motorcycle to the UK?

What are the steps, in the order gov.uk gives them?

gov.uk lists them like this for a bike shipped to the UK:

1. Import declaration. A shipping company or customs agent makes it, before the bike arrives or at the UK border.
2. VAT and customs duty. Paid at the border, usually arranged by the same agent.
3. NOVA. Tell HMRC within 14 days that the bike has arrived.
4. Approval. For a bike this means MSVA (Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval) if it is not already approved for use here.
5. DVLA. Register and tax the bike. DVLA gives you a registration number so you can have plates made.
6. Insurance. Insure the bike before you ride it on UK roads.

After that, the bike needs an MOT from its third anniversary of registration. The maximum fee for a standard motorcycle MOT is £29.65 (gov.uk, updated 09/09/2026).

Does the order change if I bring the bike in myself?

Yes. If you bring the bike in through the Channel Tunnel or by ferry, gov.uk says you tell HMRC within 14 days that it has arrived, and you only need an import declaration if HMRC tells you there is VAT or duty to pay. A shipping company or customs agent has to make that declaration for you. Approval, DVLA registration and insurance follow as before.

One small exception: if the engine is 48cc or less (7.2kW or less if electric), gov.uk says you can register the bike without telling HMRC first.

Can I ride the bike before it is registered?

Not on the road. gov.uk says you can be prosecuted if you use your vehicle on a public road before you complete the steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. If you take a voluntary Partial MSVA test, which costs £12 (DVSA, updated 20/08/2026), you cannot ride the bike there. DVSA says you must transport it.

What does DVLA want?

DVLA registration costs £55, plus vehicle tax. DVLA wants original documents only: proof of approval, evidence of the date the bike was collected, such as the supplier's invoice, and the original foreign registration certificate, which you will not get back. DVLA might inspect the bike. It will not register one that is seriously damaged: gov.uk says seriously damaged vehicles cannot be registered or taxed. Check this before you buy.

Vehicle tax for 12 months on a motorcycle is £27 up to 150cc, £59 for 151cc to 400cc, £90 for 401cc to 600cc and £125 over 600cc (gov.uk, updated 09/09/2026).

Who does what?

Many importers blur this line, so here it is plainly:

• We prepare the customs import declaration, work out and pay the import VAT and duty, submit NOVA and prepare the DVLA forms.
• A DVSA test station carries out any MSVA or Partial MSVA test and decides whether the bike passes.
• A garage makes any modification the bike needs, such as a headlamp or speedometer change, and gives you the evidence.
• DVLA decides on registration. It never guarantees an outcome or a date: up to 6 weeks is the official wording for the V5C.

Detail on each step sits in our guides to duty and VAT, MSVA, NOVA and DVLA registration. The Japan-specific points are in importing a motorbike from Japan. For other origins see the USA and Europe.

Which order should I follow if I am unsure?

Follow the order above and do not skip ahead. NOVA cannot be left until after registration, because gov.uk says you cannot register with DVLA until NOVA is processed and VAT and duty are paid. DVLA also wants proof of approval, so that has to be in hand first. We agree the order with you before the bike is shipped or collected.

What we do for you

Send us the listing or the registration papers and we tell you which steps apply to your bike before you pay. We make the customs import declaration, work out and pay the VAT and duty, submit NOVA and prepare every DVLA form: you just sign and post. If you need it, we arrange transport to the UK through partners. We do not test, approve or modify bikes, buy, sell or inspect them, pay your road tax, or arrange insurance.

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