Not sure how this applies to yours? Get a quote for my motorhome import and we will tell you before you spend anything.
Can a visitor drive a left hand drive motorhome in the UK?
Yes, for up to 6 months. GOV.UK says you can usually use a vehicle with foreign number plates without registering or taxing it in the UK if you are visiting and do not plan to live here, the vehicle is registered and taxed in its home country, and you use it for no more than 6 months in total, in one visit or several over 12 months. Nothing in those conditions mentions which side the steering wheel is on. To avoid VAT and duty on a vehicle you bring in for private use, you claim relief on form C110 and go through the "nothing to declare" channel. Our guide to touring the UK in a foreign registered motorhome covers the 6 month rule in full.
Can a UK resident drive one on its foreign plates?
No. DVLA's leaflet INF106 says: "If you're a UK resident you must not drive a vehicle displaying foreign number plates." That is the rule that catches people who buy a left hand drive motorhome in Europe and plan to drive it home. DVLA advises you to transport the vehicle from the port rather than drive it, and to keep it off the road until it is registered, taxed and insured. The one exception GOV.UK allows is driving an unregistered import to a pre-booked MOT or approval test. Our guide to driving an imported motorhome before registration explains the options.
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 approval does a left hand drive motorhome need?
It depends on where it was first registered and how old it is. For an EU registered vehicle, GOV.UK asks for a European Certificate of Conformity and says that if it is left hand drive you also need a certificate of GB conversion IVA, with a £100 fee. VCA has a dedicated form for motorhomes (MR-004) and wants the Certificate of Conformity for the final stage of the build.
One detail that is easy to miss: DVLA's INF106 says that if you have the original EU Certificate of Conformity, it must state that the speedometer shows miles per hour and that the vehicle is suitable for driving on the left. If it does not say so, you need additional approval. A motorhome over 10 years old, counted from the date of first registration, is exempt from the VCA procedure and you contact DVLA instead. A motorhome first registered outside Europe is not a VCA case at all: you contact DVSA about Individual Vehicle Approval.
What does VCA accept for the headlamps?
VCA's form accepts four things and no others. UK specification left dipping headlamps fitted in place of the originals; original factory UK specification headlamps; original factory headlamps that a standard feature of the vehicle has switched from right dipping to left dipping; or original factory flat-beam headlamps. A right dipping beam adjusted to flat-beam does not count unless that is a standard feature of the vehicle, for example done by operating a lever. Stickers and beam deflectors are not acceptable. This is where a motorhome bought on the cheap becomes expensive, so get a garage to price the lamps before you agree the price of the vehicle.
What does the speedometer need to show?
Miles per hour as well as kilometres per hour, either at the same time or by operating a switch, marked up to the vehicle's top speed. VCA accepts a factory dual-marked speedometer, a digital speedometer that has been permanently reprogrammed to show mph through a standard feature of the vehicle, a mph speedometer fitted in place of the original, a dual-marked replacement dial, or a professional single mph overlay applied to the face plate, not the glass. It does not accept secondary devices, hand written changes or multiple stickers. So the digital speedometer that flips to mph on a menu is worth checking: the form speaks of a permanent change, and we would check it against the form before you apply.
What about the rear fog lamp?
VCA accepts dual rear fog lamps, one on the rear left and one on the rear right; a single fog lamp on the centre line of the rear; or a fog lamp on the rear right, either standard or changed before UK registration. A single fog lamp on the left, as built for right hand traffic, is the one that fails. VCA also expects side indicators and, where there are rear seats, rear seat belts as part of the original build.
What evidence will VCA accept?
A detailed garage invoice or statement, plus the Certificate of Conformity. The statement must come from an MOT test station, a VAT registered garage or a garage registered with Companies House. It must be on full headed paper with the garage's contact details and its MOT station, VAT or Companies House number, quote the 17 digit VIN, be dated within 3 months of VCA receiving it, and make clear the garage has worked on or inspected the vehicle. VCA does not accept photographs of the features, handbook extracts or parts receipts. Ask the garage for the right letter when you book the work, not afterwards.
What we do for you
If you have found a left hand drive motorhome abroad, send us the listing and the papers before you pay. We tell you which route applies. We make the customs import declaration, work out and pay the VAT and duty, submit NOVA and prepare every DVLA form: you just sign and post. We obtain the Certificate of Conformity where needed. We do not do the headlamp, speedometer or fog lamp changes and we do not do approval tests: a garage does the work and gives you the evidence letter. Deregistration, any export plates and the export paperwork in the country of purchase are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK. For the full list of what has to change and what VCA charges, read our guide to registering a left hand drive motorhome.
Quick answers
Is it legal to drive a left hand drive motorhome in the UK on holiday?
Yes, if you are visiting and it is registered and taxed in its home country. You can use it for up to 6 months in total, in one visit or several over 12 months.
Can I drive my left hand drive motorhome home from Europe if I live in the UK?
No, not on its foreign plates. DVLA's INF106 says a UK resident must not drive a vehicle displaying foreign number plates and advises transporting it from the port.
My motorhome has a digital speedometer that switches to mph. Does that pass?
Possibly. VCA accepts a digital speedometer that has been permanently reprogrammed to show mph through a standard feature of the vehicle, and it must read both mph and km/h. Tell us how yours switches and we will check it against the form before you apply.
Official sources, checked on 8 October 2026: gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/temporary-imports; 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/getting-vehicle-approval; assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61f7d351e90e0768a3523237/application-for-gb-conversion-iva-motor-homes.pdf; gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval.