Customs releasing a car is not the end of an import. Until the car is registered in your country it generally cannot be driven on public roads, and a buyer will expect it to be on your plates. Registration has its own sequence, and each step needs a document from the one before.
The short version
- Registration follows clearance, approval and any roadworthiness test, in that order.
- Some countries set a deadline: Ireland, 30 days from entry; the UK, NOVA within 14 days of arrival.
- Approval rules can turn on age: in the UK, a car under 10 years old needs vehicle approval.
- Describe an import accurately when you sell it, including its history abroad.
Registration, in one paragraph
After customs releases the car, assemble proof that duty and taxes were paid, the foreign registration or export certificate, and any approval or roadworthiness certificate your country requires. Present them to the national registration authority with its application and fee. The authority registers the car and issues the registration document and number.
The sequence from port to plates
- Customs clearance, with duty and taxes paid.
- Any notification the country requires — in the UK, NOVA to HMRC within 14 days of arrival.
- Any vehicle approval or roadworthiness inspection.
- Any periodic roadworthiness test, such as the UK's MOT for a car over three years old.
- Registration with the national authority.
- Number plates and road tax, then insurance before the car is driven.
GOV.UK states that an imported car may not be driven on a public road until it is registered, except to a pre-booked MOT or approval test. In Ireland, the NCTS registers vehicles for Revenue and collects VRT.
Approval and roadworthiness tests
- Type or individual approval checks the car meets the country's construction standards. In the UK, a car under 10 years old needs vehicle approval, usually an Individual Vehicle Approval test; the IVA guide explains it.
- Single Vehicle Approval is required in Malta for a used car from outside the EU, and in Cyprus for a left-hand-drive car.
- Destination roadworthiness inspection applies in countries such as Tanzania, where TRA registers a car only after the standards bureau's certificate.
How registration works in your country
| Country | Registration |
|---|---|
| The car is registered with DVLA on form V55/5 once NOVA, approval and any MOT are complete. | |
| An imported car must be registered within 30 days of entering the State, through the NCTS, which registers vehicles for Revenue and collects VRT. | |
| Registration and licensing are done with Transport Malta, which also assesses the registration tax. | |
| The Road Transport Department registers the car; the government's business portal gives the registration fee as €150. | |
| Once customs has released it, the car is registered with the National Transport and Safety Authority. | |
| TRA registers vehicles through its Central Motor Vehicle Registration System once the car is cleared and certified. | |
| URA registers motor vehicles in Uganda once duties are paid. | |
| Vehicles are registered and licensed through the National Land Transport Authority. | |
| Once cleared, the car is registered and licensed for the road in Jamaica. | |
| Once cleared, the car is registered with the Licensing Division. | |
| After entry certification the car is registered and licensed for the road. | |
| Vehicles are registered with the Department of Motor Traffic; a licensed import must be registered within two weeks of release from the port. |
Choose a country for its full rules and the official sources, checked 27 October 2026.
Registration · United Kingdom
The car is registered with DVLA on form V55/5 once NOVA, approval and any MOT are complete.
- The registration fee is £55, and DVLA keeps the original foreign registration document.
- The V5C registration certificate can take up to six weeks to arrive.
- The car may not be driven on a public road until it is registered, except to a pre-booked MOT or approval test.
Sources for United Kingdom, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importing vehicles into the UK — GOV.UK
- Vehicle registration: new registrations — GOV.UK (DVLA)
Registration · Ireland
An imported car must be registered within 30 days of entering the State, through the NCTS, which registers vehicles for Revenue and collects VRT.
- Revenue's VRT manual describes booking an NCTS appointment within 7 days of the car entering the State, with registration completed within 30 days.
Sources for Ireland, checked 27 October 2026:
Registration · Malta
Registration and licensing are done with Transport Malta, which also assesses the registration tax.
Sources for Malta, checked 27 October 2026:
- SOPV 02 — Registering and licensing of new and used motor vehicles (January 2026) — Transport Malta
- Registering a vehicle — documents required — Transport Malta
Registration · Cyprus
The Road Transport Department registers the car; the government's business portal gives the registration fee as €150.
Sources for Cyprus, checked 27 October 2026:
- Running and growing your business — registering a vehicle — Business in Cyprus (Government of Cyprus)
- Road Transport Department — Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works
Registration · Kenya
Once customs has released it, the car is registered with the National Transport and Safety Authority.
Sources for Kenya, checked 27 October 2026:
Registration · Tanzania
TRA registers vehicles through its Central Motor Vehicle Registration System once the car is cleared and certified.
Sources for Tanzania, checked 27 October 2026:
- Central Motor Vehicle Registration System — guide — Tanzania Revenue Authority
Registration · Uganda
URA registers motor vehicles in Uganda once duties are paid.
Sources for Uganda, checked 27 October 2026:
- Uganda Revenue Authority — URA
Registration · Mauritius
Vehicles are registered and licensed through the National Land Transport Authority.
Sources for Mauritius, checked 27 October 2026:
Registration · Jamaica
Once cleared, the car is registered and licensed for the road in Jamaica.
Sources for Jamaica, checked 27 October 2026:
- Motor vehicle — general information — Trade Board Limited
Registration · Trinidad and Tobago
Once cleared, the car is registered with the Licensing Division.
Sources for Trinidad and Tobago, checked 27 October 2026:
- Trade Licence Unit — Ministry of Trade, Investment & Tourism
Registration · New Zealand
After entry certification the car is registered and licensed for the road.
Sources for New Zealand, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importing a used vehicle — NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
- Step 4: Entry certification — NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Registration · Sri Lanka
Vehicles are registered with the Department of Motor Traffic; a licensed import must be registered within two weeks of release from the port.
Sources for Sri Lanka, checked 27 October 2026:
- Department of Motor Traffic — DMT
- Importation of a used motor vehicle under import control licence — Department of Import and Export Control
Describing an imported car to a buyer
Consumer law in most countries requires a car sold by a trader to be as described. For an import, that means stating that it is an import, its age and first-registration date abroad, and a mileage you can support with records — see checking mileage on imported cars. In the UK, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a consumer a short-term right to reject goods that do not conform, running to the end of 30 days.
Registration closes the import timeline, and needs the documents gathered at every step before it. With cars to bring in, you can send a dealer inquiry. The full process is in the dealer's guide to sourcing cars overseas.