So how will this affect car shipping and UK car imports?

Car Import Duty / VAT

A trade agreement was reached meaning you will not have to pay any duty on importing a car into the UK. You will however have to pay VAT on the value of the car you are bringing here.

For example, you are buying a £10,000 Toyota from Germany, you will be liable for £2,000 worth of VAT @ 20%

However, if the vehicle is over thirty years of age, say a nice classic Porsche from Germany. Then there is a reduced rate of VAT at just 5%

It gets even better if you are relocating to the UK from Europe. If you can prove you lived outside the UK at least 12 months and owned the car at least 6 months, then it will be subject to zero VAT and zero duty. This is the HMRC Transfer of Residence scheme

Customs Clearance

Following Brexit customs clearance procedures have changed.

First, you need to ensure the vehicle has been correctly exported from the European country. You will ned the paperwork to prove this on import to the UK.

A proper customs entry must then be carried out (C384 / ToR) and submitted via a customs agent to HMRC

You will then receive confirmation all is good in the way of a NOVA letter, which can be used to register the car with the DVLA.

Car Imports by a Company

From 1st January 2021 (after the transition period), if you are importing the vehicle to the UK as a VAT registered company, you will need to have an EORI number that starts with GB

Vehicle Type Approval

During the Transition Period the EU type approval rules will still apply. In the UK up until 1 January 2021 the existing VCA rules will remain. Therefore, the VCA will continue to act as an EU Technical Service and EU Type Approval Authority. This means that the VCA can continue to issue EU approvals (‘e11’) and they will continue to be accepted in the EU.

UK and EU technical standards will be aligned immediately after 31 December 2020

IVA / MSVA Testing

Following the transition period it is likely type-approvals issued in the UK will no longer be valid for sales or registrations on the EU market.

We would imagine current IVA rules to be continued into 2021

Exchange Rates

A strong GBP will help all stages of purchasing and importing a car into the UK.

From the initial purchase of the vehicle to shipping costs which are billed in USD, the strength of UK currency will make an impact to your car shipping process.

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The Z8 was the production variant of the 1997 Z07 concept car, which was designed by Henrik Fisker at BMW’s Designworks USA in Southern California. The Z07 originally was designed as a styling exercise intended to evoke and celebrate the 1956-’59 BMW 507. The Z07 caused a sensation at the ’97 Tokyo Auto Show. The overwhelming popularity of the concept spurred BMW’s decision to produce a limited production model called the Z8. There were 5,703 Z8s built, approximately half of which were exported to the U.S.

There are many good examples still selling in the USA and it is not a surprise that us Europeans would like to have these fantastic vehicles over here in the UK and EU, but it is not a simple process to get one back and register it for European use. First you have to contend with the car shipping process, including US collection, US customs, export procedures, containerising the car, marine insurance, UK customs, unloading and customs formalities. Be warned, doing this yourself is NOT for the faint hearted.

ShipMyCar.co.uk are the obvious choice to get your Z8 back into the UK/Europe (you can even get an INSTANT, no obligation breakdown of all costs involved using our quote system at www.shipmycar.co.uk), we handle all of the above export/import procedures to the highest of standards and as quickly as humanly possible.

We also ensure that the BMW is imported in the correct way as an EC Returning vehicle which means rather than 10% duty, you just pay £50 and then the VAT. This can save you potentially thousands of pounds….

Next are the modifications needed for MOT, a few Z8’s may still need IVA testing if under ten years old, but essentially, the modifications required in terms of IVA/MOT are the same anyway and include:

• Rear Fog Light – this will be on the wrong side, we supply and fit new lenses and wire them up for you
• New Headlights – these do not comply with UK/EU specification, we supply and fit your new OEM replacements
• BMW ECU recoding – in order to separate the brake feed from the rear indicators we need to recode your BMW’s computer
• New Brake Light Module – this is used in conjunction with recoding to ensure rear lights operate correctly
• Rear Lights Conversion – US lights indicate red in colour which will not get through an IVA, we provide a factory-look solution by removing the neon tubes and replacing with LED, inside of your existing light cluster. This then provides amber indication and looks just how it is meant to.
• Front sidelights – we disable the feed to these as they are not compliant with UK road laws

BMW Z8 Car Shipping

So I think we have made it clear enough that the best option for bringing your new Z8 back to the UK is through the experts at ShipMyCar.co.uk – we ship thousands of cars all over the world and offer a personal and careful approach to bringing your new prized possession back to the UK/Europe and not just delivering it, but delivering it ready to drive….

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