Importing A Vehicle
A vehicle which is permanently imported for use in Northern Ireland must be registered and licensed as soon as possible after it arrives in this country. The vehicle should not be used or kept on public roads until the licensing and registration formalities have been completed. However, if the vehicle needs to have an SVA (see section A "Type Approval") or MOT test in order to be registered, the vehicle may be driven to and from the pre-arranged test appointment. Thereafter, the vehicle must be kept off the road until the registration formalities have taken place. Application for registration should be made to your nearest DVLNI Local Office. In line with DVLA, DVLNI no longer offers an over the counter service for imports.
A "brand new" vehicle can be driven to NI and registered as "new" provided the vehicle:
- is registered in NI quickly after collection (this is taken to be 14 days) and
- only has reasonable delivery mileage and
- has not been previously "permanently" registered.
N.B. UK law requires a vehicle to be UK licensed and registered for road use. To avoid difficulties, importers are advised to transport, rather than drive their vehicles from the port to home or first destination and to keep them off the road until they have been properly licensed and registered.
For most new vehicles you must present evidence of Type Approval from the supplier or vehicle manufacturer, usually in the form of a Certificate of Conformity. For a Certificate of Conformity to be valid to register a vehicle in the UK, it must show that the vehicle meets the relevant UK standards, and is set up for Left Hand Traffic, with an Imperial or Dual Measurement speedometer. If the vehicle has not been subject to Type Approval it must pass a Single Approval (SVA) Test.
Vehicle Registration
The following documents will need to be submitted to the DVLNI Local Office.
(N.B. photocopies are NOT acceptable).
- Completed application form V55/4 * (for new vehicles) or V55/5 (for used vehicles) .
- A £55 registration fee (if applicable).
- The required fee for the licence.#
- A current UK certificate of insurance or cover note (insurance should be in the name of the registered keeper).
- Foreign registration document and any other papers you have relating to the vehicle.
- Evidence showing the date the vehicle was collected (normally the invoice from the supplier).
- Evidence of type approval.
- The appropriate HM Revenue and Customs form.
- A current UK MOT test certificate (if applicable).
- A Declaration of Newness (if applicable).
- Documentation confirming your name and address.
* The V55/4 form has been introduced to distinguish between new and used vehicles coming forward for registration.
# Please make cheques, postal orders payable to 'DVLNI'.
Registration and licensing will not take place unless you have the necessary documentation. In some cases the DVLNI Local Office may wish to see the vehicle to check its identity.
