How do you import a motorbike from Europe to the UK?

Is there duty on a motorbike from Europe?

Only if the bike was not made in the EU, or if you cannot prove where it was made. The UK Trade Tariff (heading 8711, motorcycles) lists a 0% preference for the European Union, against 8% for bikes up to 250cc and 6% above 250cc.

The 0% follows where the bike was made, not where you bought it. A bike bought in Germany but built elsewhere gets no EU preference. gov.uk says a claim can be made if the importer has either a statement on origin made out by the exporter or the importer's knowledge that the product is originating. A claim can also be made after the import, within 3 years, with valid proof, and any duty is repaid.

Which paperwork counts for a second-hand bike is worth checking before you pay, not after. Send us the frame number and the listing and we look at it first.

I already paid VAT abroad. Do I pay UK VAT too?

Yes. UK import VAT of 20% is charged on a bike you import, whatever the seller charged. gov.uk says that if you are not VAT registered you pay VAT and customs duty, charged on the total cost of the vehicle plus delivery, extra charges and duty. We only deal with the UK side, so how the seller's country treats its own VAT is a question for the seller.

Riders have debated whether buying in Germany or Italy saves money since the early forum threads of 2003 and 2012. Those were written years ago, so check them against today's gov.uk pages. Compare the price with UK VAT, any duty, transport and the conversion work, not the sticker price alone.

What approval does an EU bike need?

If it was first registered in the EU and is under 10 years old, gov.uk says you need a European Certificate of Conformity. If the bike is set up only for right-hand traffic, the headlamp dips to the right and the speedometer may show only km/h, so there are two official routes.

On the VCA form a speedometer can be a dual-marked dial, a permanently reprogrammed digital display, a replacement unit or a professional overlay. Partial MSVA is voluntary. If there is no Certificate of Conformity, a full MSVA is needed instead.

Both are official routes. Which one DVLA prefers is not stated on the official pages, so ask us before you buy. The garage does the headlamp and speedometer work and the test station does the test. We handle the paperwork around them.

What if the bike is over 10 years old?

The VCA form MR-002 says a bike over 10 years old since first registration is exempt from the VCA procedure and tells you to contact DVLA. Treat that as the start of a conversation, not the end: gov.uk says DVLA might inspect, and DVLA still wants proof of the date of manufacture. The original foreign registration certificate is the first thing it asks for, and you will not get it back.

What happens after the bike lands?

You have 14 days to tell HMRC through NOVA, and gov.uk says you may be fined if you are late. DVLA will not register the bike until NOVA is processed and the VAT and duty are paid. DVLA's registration fee is £55 plus vehicle tax (gov.uk import guide, updated 30 September 2026). The V5C can take up to 6 weeks to arrive.

Deregistration, any export plates and the export paperwork in the country you buy in, Germany, Italy or Spain say, 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 paperwork.

What we do for you

Before you pay, send us the listing, the make, model, year and frame number, and tell us what documents come with the bike. We tell you what the UK side involves. We make the customs import declaration, work out and pay the VAT and duty, and submit NOVA. We prepare every DVLA form: you just sign and post. We do not test or modify bikes, we do not buy, sell or inspect them, and we do not say which bike to buy.

Quick answers