Not sure how this applies to yours? Get a quote for my motorhome import and we will tell you before you spend anything.
Why do I have to pay UK VAT if I've already paid VAT?
It's one of the most common questions on motorhome forums, so here's the plain version. Think of it as two separate systems. What you paid abroad sits in that country's system; the UK side only looks at what happens when the motorhome enters Great Britain.
On the UK side, the rule is clear. gov.uk's "Paying VAT and customs duty" page has a table for vehicles imported into England, Scotland or Wales from outside the UK. For "Any other reason - if you're not VAT-registered", the answer is "VAT and customs duty". There's no line for "already paid VAT in the EU".
The only gov.uk wording about reclaiming VAT paid in the EU is in the Northern Ireland from the EU section: "If you have to declare VAT to HMRC, you can reclaim any VAT you paid in the EU." That applies to Northern Ireland, not to Great Britain. People sometimes quote it without the heading above it.
How is UK import VAT on a motorhome worked out?
gov.uk says VAT is charged on the total cost of the vehicle, plus any:
- accessories you bought with it
- delivery and extra charges
- customs duty
So VAT is worked out last, on a figure that already includes transport and duty. On a motorhome that doesn't qualify for 0% duty, you pay VAT on the duty as well. Our cost guide runs the numbers, and the duty and origin guide explains when duty is 0%.
gov.uk also says: "You must pay any VAT and customs duty before you can register the vehicle." No payment, no V5C.
Send us the details before you pay. We tell you what the import involves, then handle the customs, the NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.
Can I get the German (or Dutch, or French) VAT back?
That depends on the seller and on the rules of the country you're buying in, and no UK official guidance covers it. We only deal with the UK side, so we won't guess at another country's procedure.
What we can tell you is the right question to ask, before you pay: ask the seller whether they can sell the motorhome to you as an export, and what they need from you to do that. Some sellers can, some can't, and a private seller is in a very different position from a VAT-registered dealer. Get the answer in writing, and make sure the invoice shows what you actually paid.
If the seller charges foreign VAT and can't refund it, you should budget for both. It's not a pleasant sum, but it's better to know at the negotiating stage than on the day the UK VAT is due.
One more thing: some sellers suggest writing a lower price on the bill of sale to "save tax". Don't. UK VAT and duty are based on what the vehicle actually cost, and the NOVA notification to HMRC needs the invoice (or a UK valuation if you bought it more than 6 months ago).
What about the "6 months and 6,000 km" rule?
You may still find old forum threads saying that a used motorhome is VAT-free once it's over 6 months old and has done 6,000 km. That comes from the rules for "new means of transport". HMRC's current notice on new means of transport applies to supplies "on or after 1 January 2021" and covers movements between Northern Ireland and the EU. It doesn't take a motorhome coming into Great Britain out of import VAT.
The same goes for old threads telling you to fill in forms VAT 413 or VAT 415 for a vehicle: that belongs to the old system you'll read about in old forum posts, not to importing into Great Britain today.
When is UK import VAT not due?
There are legal ways a motorhome can come in without VAT and duty. gov.uk lists them in the same table:
- Moving to the UK with your motorhome: no VAT or duty if you qualify for Transfer of Residence relief. The conditions are strict (for example, at least 12 consecutive months living outside the UK and at least 6 months owning the vehicle). See moving to the UK with a motorhome.
- Returning a UK vehicle you exported: Returned Goods Relief, if the conditions are met. See bringing a motorhome back to the UK.
- Visiting on foreign plates: temporary admission, if you're not UK resident and re-export within 6 months. See foreign-registered motorhomes visiting the UK.
If none of those fits, VAT is due.
What we do for you
We make the customs import declaration, work out the import VAT and any duty, and pay them so the motorhome can be registered. Before you buy, we look at the invoice and the seller's paperwork and tell you what the UK side will cost. We then do the NOVA notification and prepare your DVLA registration pack. If you're visiting rather than importing, we handle temporary admission instead.
Quick answers
I'm VAT-registered. Does that change anything?
gov.uk says VAT-registered importers still pay VAT and customs duty on import, and "you can claim back the VAT on your next VAT Return". Whether that fits a motorhome you'll use privately is a question for your accountant.
Is a used motorhome from a private seller VAT-free?
Not on import into Great Britain. The gov.uk table doesn't distinguish between dealer and private sales: if you're not VAT-registered and no relief applies, it's VAT and customs duty.
I'm buying in Switzerland, which isn't in the EU. Is that different?
On the UK side, no: import VAT applies to vehicles imported into Great Britain from anywhere outside the UK. Duty depends on where the motorhome was made.
Would importing through Northern Ireland first help?
gov.uk has a separate section with different rules for Northern Ireland. It's a route that needs its own check, so ask us before planning 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/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/telling-hmrc; gov.uk/guidance/account-for-vat-on-a-new-means-of-transport; gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-to-great-britain; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/making-import-declaration; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/temporary-imports.