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Moving to the UK? Bring the car.

If you are relocating from Australia with a car you already own, you can usually bring it in with no import duty and no VAT.

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A red MINI John Cooper Works on New South Wales plates in our yard, shortly after arriving from Sydney

Do you qualify?

Four questions. The answer is a guide, not HMRC’s decision, but it will tell you where you stand.

If you are unsure about any of these, ring us and we will talk it through. Your circumstances matter more than any checklist.

1 Have you lived outside the UK for more than 12 months?
2 Have you owned and used the car yourself for more than 6 months?
3 Are you moving your main home to the UK, rather than visiting?
4 Are you happy to keep the car for at least a year after it arrives?

Answer all four to see where you stand.

How to apply, start to finish

  1. Check you qualify

    Use the checker above, or ask us and we will tell you plainly whether you do.

  2. Apply online

    Apply to HMRC through GOV.UK before the car ships, with proof of your address in Australia, your move to the UK and your ownership of the car. We are more than happy to talk you through it.

  3. Get your reference

    Once approved, HMRC issues a Transfer of Residence reference number. Send it to us.

  4. We clear it

    When the car lands, our customs team presents the reference with the rest of the paperwork. No duty, no VAT.

Packing the car

A car in a container is a good way to bring some of your life with you. As a transferring resident you can pack your own belongings inside it.

Everything inside has to be declared, so we ask for a valued inventory before it ships. Keep it honest and specific: “box of kitchen things” is not much use to customs. Some items cannot travel by any method, and anything that could shift in transit needs to be secured.

If you are bringing a lot, a dedicated 20ft container gives you room for more than a shared one. We can talk you through which makes sense.

Timing it with your move

The whole job usually takes 10 to 16 weeks, with 6 to 10 weeks of that at sea. Book it well ahead of your flight and the gap is as short as it can be, though expect it some weeks after you land.

Leave yourself time to apply for Transfer of Residence before the car goes, and to sort the Australian side: cancelling the rego, settling any finance, and the rest of the jobs in our guide.

Before your car leaves Australia

Moving questions

What is Transfer of Residence relief?

It is an HMRC scheme that lets you bring your belongings, including your car, into the UK without paying import duty or VAT when you move your main home here from outside the UK.

When should I apply?

Before the car ships. You apply online through GOV.UK, and once HMRC approves it you receive a Transfer of Residence reference number. We present that reference to customs when the car arrives.

Can I sell the car once it is here?

Not straight away. One of HMRC’s conditions is that you do not sell, lend, hire out or otherwise hand the car on for 12 months after it is imported. If you do, the duty and VAT become payable.

I bought the car recently. Do I still qualify?

The car needs to have been owned and used by you for more than 6 months before the move. A car bought a few weeks before you leave will not qualify, but we can still import it; it is simply taxed like a purchase.

Can I pack the car with our belongings?

Yes, as a transferring resident you can. Everything has to be declared, so we ask for a valued inventory of what is inside, and it is cleared through customs alongside the car.

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Moving soon? Let us plan the car.

Tell us the car, where it is and roughly when you move. We will quote it and tell you exactly what HMRC needs.

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