Imported Car Check: Was This Car Registered Abroad?

An imported car check tells you whether a car was first registered in another country before it came to the UK. Enter the registration in the search box above: the free check compares the date the car was first registered with the month it was first registered with the DVLA, and flags it when they differ: the car was very likely registered abroad first. The full report shows the import record itself, together with the car's finance, write-off, stolen, keeper and plate history in the UK.

How to check if a car is imported

1. Run the free check above. If the car's first UK registration came later than its first registration, the check shows a "First UK registration" line with the month. A car first registered in, say, 2015 that was first registered with the DVLA in 2019 spent its first years abroad.
2. Look at the plate. An imported car gets a UK plate for the year it was made or first registered, so the plate doesn't give it away. A Q plate means the DVLA couldn't confirm the vehicle's age or identity.
3. Read the MOT history. It starts when the car's first UK MOT was due, so an imported car often has a shorter MOT history than its age suggests, and the first mileage reading can already be high.
4. Get the full report for the import record, and ask the seller for the import papers (the HMRC NOVA reference and any approval certificate).

How common are imported cars?

Of the 4,402 cars our customers checked with a full report between March 2023 and October 2026, 3.1% (about 1 in 32) were recorded as imported. They range from nearly new cars bought in Ireland or Europe to older Japanese models such as sports cars and people carriers that were never sold new in the UK.

Source: CarCheckUp full reports, March 2023 to October 2026, import records from Experian. These are cars buyers chose to check, not every car on UK roads.

Why it matters if a car is imported

• History abroad isn't on UK records. Finance, write-offs and stolen reports from before the car came to the UK may not show on any UK check. Ask for the paperwork from the country it came from.
• Mileage. Many imports had a speedometer in kilometres. Check whether the readings in the MOT history are in miles and whether the instrument cluster was changed.
• Insurance. Some insurers charge more for imports, or ask for the exact specification. Tell your insurer the car is an import, or a claim could be refused.
• Parts and servicing. Models never sold in the UK can have parts that take longer to get.
• Value. An imported version of a UK model is often worth less than the UK car; a rare import can be worth more. Price it against cars of the same origin.

Grey imports and parallel imports

A grey import is a car built for another market, such as Japan, and brought to the UK privately; it was not sold new here. A parallel import is a UK-market model bought new in another country, often in Europe, and brought here. Both are legal once registered with the DVLA. Grey imports need approval to UK standards before registration, which is why speedometers, lights and fog lights may have been changed.

What happens when a car is imported

When someone brings a car into the UK, they must tell HMRC within 14 days (a NOVA notification), pay any VAT and duty due, get the car approved to UK standards where needed, and then register it with the DVLA, which issues a V5C and a UK registration. Our check reads the DVLA and history records made from then on.

Imported car check FAQs

The import record is one line of the full report, which also covers outstanding finance, write-offs, stolen markers and the rest of the car history check. To see whether a car has left the UK, use the exported car check.