Not sure how this applies to yours? Get a quote for my motorhome import and we will tell you before you spend anything.
How much duty and VAT will I pay on an American RV?
The UK Trade Tariff sets a 10% third-country duty on motor caravans and the used vehicle codes they fall under. Many countries have a 0% preferential rate with the UK. The USA does not, so a US-built RV pays 10%.
Import VAT is 20%. gov.uk says VAT is charged on the total cost of the vehicle plus any accessories you bought with it, delivery and extra charges, and the customs duty. So the shipping bill and the duty both sit inside the VAT calculation. gov.uk also says you must pay any VAT and duty before you can register the vehicle.
Duty follows where the RV was built, not where you bought it. gov.uk's rules of origin guidance says origin is where the goods were produced or manufactured, and may not be the country they were shipped or bought from. A US-built RV bought from a dealer in Germany is still a US-built RV.
One more thing: some US sellers suggest a lower price on the bill of sale to cut your import taxes. Do not. VAT is charged on the total cost of the vehicle, and the NOVA to HMRC needs the invoice, or, if you bought it more than 6 months ago, a current valuation carried out in person in the UK. Declare what you paid.
Isn't an American RV duty free?
You may read online that American RVs are exempt from tax and duty on arrival. That is only true under Transfer of Residence relief, which is for people moving their home to the UK. According to gov.uk, to claim it you must have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, have had the vehicle for at least 6 months before moving, and import it within 12 months of coming to live here, with approval from HMRC on form ToR1. If you are buying an RV to bring over, you pay duty and VAT. Our guide on moving to the UK with a motorhome covers the relief.
Send us the details before you pay. We tell you what the import involves, then handle the customs, the NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.
What about an older RV and the 5% VAT rate?
Collectors' vehicles under tariff heading 9705 pay 0% duty and an effective 5% VAT. The legally binding tariff note sets three conditions, all at once: at least 30 years old, in their original state without substantial changes to chassis, body, engine and other main parts, and of a model no longer in production. Age alone is not enough. For an old bus or van converted into a camper, no official guidance says whether the conversion counts as a substantial change to the body, so do not budget on 5% for one until it has been checked. HMRC recommends an Advance Tariff Ruling before importing a vehicle like this.
Does an American RV need an IVA test?
If it is under 10 years old, usually yes. VCA's own motorhome form says a vehicle first registered outside Europe goes to DVSA for Individual Vehicle Approval, not to VCA. gov.uk lists left hand drive vehicles and motor caravans among the vehicles that qualify for Basic IVA.
For American vehicles, the DVSA IVA guide says evidence that the vehicle meets US or Canadian federal safety standards (FMVSS or CMVSS) can be shown by the qualifying standards being displayed on the original manufacturer's plate.
Over 10 years old, the Road Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2020 treat an M1 vehicle as an "old vehicle", and a motor caravan is M1 whatever its weight. If the RV's papers show it as something other than a motor caravan, talk to us first.
What has to change on a US RV?
Lights. The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 say no lamp may show any light to the rear other than red, with exceptions including amber from a direction indicator. Schedule 7 says direction indicators must be amber on vehicles first used from 1 September 1965. If the RV's rear indicators flash red, they need changing. A garage or specialist converter does that work.
Size. The Construction and Use Regulations set 2.55 metres maximum width and 12 metres maximum length. Width counts almost everything fitted, so read our guide to American RV width before you buy.
Weight. If the plate shows more than 3,500kg, you need C1 on your licence, and the tax class changes too. The guide to motorhomes over 3,500kg explains each one.
110V electrics and US gas fittings. We found no official rule that a privately imported motorhome must have its habitation electrics or gas converted. In practice UK campsite hook-ups supply 230V, and gas fittings can differ, so it is worth having both checked, and converted where needed, by a qualified engineer before you use the RV here. That is advice, not law.
What dates and documents will DVLA want?
A US title can show only the model year. DVLA's INF106 says that if the foreign registration document does not show the full date of first registration, you need evidence of the month and year of manufacture, and if you cannot prove the age DVLA will allocate a Q registration number. Our guide on proving the age of an imported motorhome explains the evidence that works.
Can I drive it from the port once it lands?
You may read that you are allowed "one trip home or to a converter". gov.uk says you can be prosecuted for using an imported vehicle on a public road before the import steps are complete, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. Plan for transport.
What we do for you
We handle the paperwork: the customs import declaration, working out and paying the import VAT and duty, the NOVA to HMRC, and the DVLA first registration pack, with the V55/5 filled in for you to sign and post. We obtain dating letters where DVLA needs proof of age. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK. We do not do IVA tests or modifications such as indicators, electrics or gas: a garage or converter does that, and we handle the paperwork around it. Export paperwork in the USA is handled by the seller.
Planning to bring the tow car over from the States as well? That's a car import, and our colleagues at Cars Import UK handle those.
Quick answers
Is it cheaper to buy an American RV in Europe?
It may be, but the duty does not change: origin is where the RV was made, so a US-built RV pays 10% wherever you bought it.
Can a US-built RV pay the 0% duty rate?
Not as a US-built vehicle. The USA has no preferential duty rate with the UK in the tariff.
How long does DVSA take to offer an IVA test?
gov.uk says DVSA usually offers an inspection within 20 working days. That is not a guarantee, so do not book a holiday around it.
Official sources, checked on 27 September 2026: trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/headings/8703; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/paying-vat-and-duty; gov.uk/guidance/check-your-goods-meet-the-rules-of-origin; gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-to-great-britain; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk; trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/chapters/97; gov.uk/guidance/how-to-value-goods-for-import-vat; gov.uk/guidance/classifying-vehicles; assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61f7d351e90e0768a3523237/application-for-gb-conversion-iva-motor-homes.pdf; gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval; assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65fc443765ca2f00117da7f2/individual-vehicle-approval-scheme-guide.pdf; legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/818; legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11; legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/7; legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/8; gov.uk/driving-licence-categories; assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6911cb91bda892e068aa6400/inf106-how-to-import-a-vehicle-into-the-united-kingdom.pdf; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/telling-hmrc.