Importing from the USA to the UK? Look here for info how to

[Dwayne Pipe]

You need the following:

If you're using a US shipper (they're a lot cheaper) they'll need the title and bill of sale. They will forward it on to the receiving port on the UK side and you will get it once the Bus goes through customs, etc

*Customs and Excise Form proving that duty has been made.
*MOT Certificate for the Vehicle - the garage use the VIN as the registration mark.
*Completed Form V55/5 (pick it up at the DVLA office when you are there- take another vehicle's log book with you for pointers on how to answer some of the questions).
*Insurance Certificate
*Proof of Identity and Address (passport and utility bills).
*£38.00
*The US Registration Certificate (Pink Slip. It may show a date of first registration on it so no need to contact VW for age related details). If your US registration certificate doesn't show date of first registration, you'll need to obtain one. Write a letter to VW Commercials ,Tongwell, Milton Keynes telling them your chassis no and they'll write back with the date of manufacture then the dvla can issue a reg no.

However, for 15 euros you can get one from Wolfsburg which is much nicer and has details of the original engine number, accessories and original shipping destination etc etc.

Details on dropgates.com http://www.dropgates.com/resto/identitycert.html

You'll need to hand over the form for a tax disc (It may be a historic vehicle so it's free, but needs one all the same).

ANY problems, http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/exptimpt.htm spells it all out!

To get all the relevant paperwork, No need to go to local area office, find yours here;

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/contact/local_office_addresses.htm

Give them a call, they will send you all the relevent paperwork. Complete this, then post it back.

Go to the DVLA office, hand over all the documents, pay your money and get a receipt. A few days later form V948 arrives with your new registration number.

Once in the UK
Anything pre-Sept 65 can have tail-light incorporated or red indicators:
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_150.htm

Seat belt must restrain upper part of body from Jan 65:
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_510.htm

You will also have to change the headlights over to UK spec, due to the dip beam facing to oncoming traffic. Or put some black tape over the headlight glass to direct the beam to the other side.( it is normally shaped in a triangular section)

Hope this helps people

[switch3sixty]

Dude, you rock
Had already done it with the help of my Father, a first for both of us back in June but you've made it sound so very easy.
Good work
A.
_________________
55 Vert, 56 Ghia, 56 Bug, 57 Ghia, 58 Ghia, 59 Bug.
63 Split, 64 SO33, 66 VolksRod, 67 VolksRod.
70 Berry Mini T, 71 Square, 72 Twin Slider bay, 73 1303S.
04 T5 extended flatbed.

75 911 targa

[Dwayne Pipe]

I can't really take all the credit
I basically put this together after rummaging through the forums, reading lots of threads and creating this 'user guide'.

I'd like to see it as a permanent first page fixture as I have no doubt it will be helpful too others as well

[cal'lowrider]

This is good stuff - I've got a 1960 Ragtop on the way from arizona right now - hould be here in early feb 05. I found one or two things out myself along the way, but this will definatley help

Thanks!!!

[bluesplit]

Hi ya Dwayne,

I am looking at importing a bus from USA to UK, and found all of your enteries on the forum site very, very usefull thank you. I want to tie up a few loose ends with regards to shipping companies, and how much i would need to spend to buy a daily runner with little work needed.

Would you mind if i was to send you a couple of questions regarding imports as i am still a little lost, thought i would ask first before i just reel of a load of questions.

I read one text from you saying you imported a bus for £3400, does that include the purchase price????

This is the first time i have used the site so hope i have donw it correctly.

Thank you in advance, hope you can help a VW fan desperate to own a split.

[Dwayne Pipe]

fire away....

[bluesplit]

Hi ya Keith,

Sorry its only Mart, i sent one text from the forum board and one direct to you with regards to importing. Thanks again for replying though.

I have since found a company that will ship from Ramona to the port of Sandiego then over to Derbyshire, not to far from where i live for a sum of £1000. If i can find a nice bus close enough to Ramona then i shall use them as it takes all the hastle of sorting out the importing paperwork away.

Hope you and your VW are well.

Thanks

Mart

[eeastonwest]

so, i'm contemplating buying some parts from a seller in the unted kingdom [NOT a vehicle, just some very hard-to-find-here-in-the-us-parts] and would LOVE some ideas about whom to contact for quotes and such.

i'd REALLY appreciate it. i've found a person with some items i have just about given up ever actually owning for my various vws. thanks!!

[Dwayne Pipe]

I can only assume these are rather large parts?

Is the seller unable to send them direct to you?

[britcay]

I'd just add to that one thing that confused me a little and was difficult to get info on - "Type Approval"

On the DVLA application for registration form (V55/5) there is a constant reference to "Type Approval". Basically the VW will be exempt from this provided it's not less than 10 years old - otherwise you'll need to obtain a cert to prove from VW UK

It's important you can PROVE the age (some US titles dont have this) the VW Owners Club http://www.vwocgb.com/ can do this (and are a DVLA-approved club) - this is also important if you want a proper UK age-related plate
_________________
1969 Beetle Cabriolet
1963 Karmann Ghia coupe

[brian fenn]

my daughter is working in the states and she has bought a bus, she will be coming back to the uk after 6 months, will the bus be classed as a personal vehicle, and will she pay any duties,
many thanks,brian

[britcay]

Brian, she should be ok

I did a similar thing with my Ghia and managed to get zeroed VAT. There is a caveat in that if you do sell within a year of registering you will have to pay back the VAT on your orig purchase price (the V5 log book will have this noted for the first year) - but given the much more expensive UK prices, she'd still be quids-in even if she sold

There's a flat-fee for import duty of about £50 (as the bus was originally built in Germany, it's re-entering the EC and as such doesn't attract regular import tax)

Important that she hangs on to all receipts and things like insurance docs - anything that proves ownership/use for at least 6 months (worth checking with customs & excise in case they've changed the rules or qualifying period of 6 months) - the shipping co can do all this for you, just hand over all the ownership evidence to them - I used Kingstown Shipping http://www.kingstown-shipping.co.uk twice now and they're spot on - they know all the ins and outs of taxation.

Andy
_________________
1969 Beetle Cabriolet
1963 Karmann Ghia coupe

[mook]

is the V55/5 form down loadable?

I guess I have some issues

I'm going to import my bus to the UK from the US

but, I will not be able to provide proof of address as I have not lived there for two years.
does anyone know if there is a way around this?

this is looking like it's going to be a real pain.

[Paddywack0]

Hi all,
We are looking at going the other way i.e. taking our bus to the States for an extended holiday.
We have got a good quote for a Ro-Ro from Southampton to New York (900UKPounds one way in case anyone knows of anything cheaper) and are busy working out how we can take all the personal contents on the plane with us since you can't leave it in the van!

But does anyone know what forms we might need and whether we would need to modify the van for use in the USA and Canada.

It is a UK spec 1972 Bay Dormobile conversion. Pretty much as it came out of the factory nothing fancy.

Any advice at all would be very welcome.

Thanks

Nick

[DAB72]

Can anyone give me a estimated figure for shipping usa to uk ? either roll on roll of or container

[Dans73SuperDub]

I'm U.S. military and will be moving to the U.K. in a few months. Is there anything different from your list that U.S. military service members need to do to get their beloved into the U.K.? My bug is a '73 SB.
_________________
1973 Super Beetle

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
- Mark Twain

[mook]

[ThePirate]

I'm going to be importing a van in to the UK soon from the US, will I need to change the number plate over to a UK one or can I stick with the US plate?

[mook]

I certainly had to change mine to an irish plate, i would assume the same holds for the UK
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'73 transporter, Riviera Top, Later westy interior.

[ThePirate]

How much did it cost to do it and how did you do it? Was it with the DVLA?