How do you insure an imported motorhome in the UK?

Not sure how this applies to yours? Get a quote for my motorhome import and we will tell you before you spend anything.

Do you need insurance before the motorhome is registered?

Yes, if you are going to use it on a road, and the law does not wait for the V5C. Section 143 says a person "must not use a motor vehicle on a road or other public place" unless a policy is in force for that use, and that acting against it is an offence. DVLA's leaflet INF106 goes further for imports: after notifying HMRC, "you must register, tax and insure your vehicle before using it on UK roads", and for the period before a UK registration exists it says to insure using the VIN or chassis number.

Two things to separate. Cover for the vehicle while it is stored, or on its way to a booked test, is one question. Whether you are allowed on the road at all is another, and gov.uk answers it: not before the import steps are complete, apart from the pre-booked test. Our guide on driving an imported motorhome before registration covers that line in full, including why the "insured for 28 days" idea is not in the official guidance.

Who insures an imported motorhome on its VIN?

DVLA does not name insurers. It points to BIBA, the trade body for insurance brokers, for more information, and that is the official starting point. Some owners have found that not every insurer will quote on a VIN, so it is worth arranging cover before the motorhome lands, not the morning you need it. Ask what the policy covers until a UK registration number exists, and what changes when it arrives.

How does an insurer value an imported motorhome?

Most policies pay "market value" if the motorhome is stolen or written off, and the Financial Ombudsman Service has a page on how it checks that figure. It says insurers mainly use specialist motor valuation guides, and that there are vehicles the guides do not cover: vehicles over 20 years old, less common or unusual vehicles, and "conversions, such as ice-cream vans or campers". When it cannot use the guides, it says it asks for other information, such as an engineer's report, and it now typically considers adverts, which need to be as close to the specification of your vehicle as possible.

That matters for an import. The same page says insurers might deduct from the market value of a left hand drive vehicle, because those are usually worth less in the UK, and that the same can apply to an imported right hand drive vehicle. It adds that if an insurer makes either deduction, the Ombudsman would ask for supporting evidence that the deduction is fair. So the paperwork from the purchase is part of your protection: the invoice, the foreign registration, the specification and the date of first registration.

What happens when the guides do not list the camper?

An Ombudsman decision shows the pattern. In DRN-5596018, a campervan converted less than a year earlier was stolen, and the insurer valued it at £24,000, partly by taking account of what the conversion had cost. The owner had adverts for similar converted vans and thought it was worth at least £35,000. The ombudsman said the normal valuation guides do not list a converted van the way they list an ordinary car, that adding the cost of the conversion was not a fair or reasonable method, and valued the van at £30,000 from adverts for similar conversions.

For an imported camper the lesson is the same: keep the evidence of what you bought and what it had when you bought it. A Japanese import with a pop-top conversion is exactly the sort of vehicle that guides may not list.

Is an agreed value policy worth asking about?

The Ombudsman describes agreed-value policies as ones where the insurer pays a previously agreed amount, and says they are not very common and are normally used for valuable or classic vehicles. If your motorhome is a classic that qualifies for the 5% VAT route, or something rare, it is a reasonable question to put to a broker before you ship. Whether an insurer offers one, and on what evidence, is the insurer's decision. Our guide to importing a classic motorhome at 5% VAT explains what makes a motorhome count as historic.

What to keep for the insurer

• The invoice or bill of sale, and the foreign registration certificate (photograph both sides before it goes to DVLA, which does not return it).
• The VIN or chassis number, the date of first registration and the mileage when you bought it.
• A list of what the motorhome includes, with receipts for any conversion work.
• Adverts for similar motorhomes at the time you buy: the Ombudsman says adverts need to match the specification as closely as possible.

What we do for you

Insurance is not something we arrange, and we do not choose a broker for you. Send us the advert before you buy and we explain the UK import side. Our part is the customs import declaration, the VAT and duty worked out and paid, the NOVA notification and every DVLA form prepared for you to sign and post. If you need transport from abroad we arrange it, so the motorhome arrives without anyone driving it on foreign plates.

Quick answers

Official sources, checked on 15 October 2026: legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/143; 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; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/registering-an-imported-vehicle.