Not sure how this applies to yours? Get a quote for my motorhome import and we will tell you before you spend anything.
Why does the date matter so much?
Because almost every rule in a motorhome import hangs off it. The date of first registration, or of manufacture, decides:
- Whether you need vehicle approval. The law treats an M1 vehicle "which is more than 10 years old" as an "old vehicle" for approval purposes, and motor caravans are M1. The VCA's motorhome form says one over 10 years "based on the date of first registration" is exempt from GB conversion IVA.
- Whether you need an MOT to register. gov.uk asks for "evidence of a current MOT if the vehicle is over 3 years old".
- Which registration number you get. DVLA "will allocate your vehicle a registration number appropriate to its age (based on the evidence you've provided)".
- Whether the historic import rate is even possible. For a motorhome to be classed as a collector's vehicle under tariff heading 9705 (0% duty and an effective 5% import VAT), it must be at least 30 years old, in its original state without substantial changes, and of a model no longer in production. All three, not just the age. HMRC says individuals must provide information showing "the year of manufacture".
- Tax and MOT later on. gov.uk says vehicles built before 1 January 1986 can apply to stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April 2026, and that you don't need an MOT if the vehicle "was built or first registered more than 40 years ago" with no substantial changes.
Get the date wrong by a year and you can land on the wrong side of any of those lines.
What does DVLA accept as proof of age?
In order of preference, going by DVLA's own leaflets:
- The original foreign registration document with the full date of first registration. INF106: "if you've provided a non-UK registration document showing the full date of first registration, we'll use this to allocate the registration number". This document goes to DVLA with your V55/5 and you won't get it back.
- Evidence of the month and year of manufacture, if the foreign document "does not show the full date of first registration". That lets DVLA "allocate the registration number more accurately".
- A dating certificate, if there's no foreign registration document at all. DVLA's V355/5 guide says to send "a letter of explanation if an original non-UK registration document or certificate is not available, together with a dating certificate from the manufacturer or other acceptable source". gov.uk's wording is that "DVLA might accept other proof of the manufacture date, for example a letter from the manufacturer or a vehicle enthusiast club."
Note the "might". A dating letter is evidence DVLA weighs, not a guarantee.
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's the problem with American RVs?
It's a question that comes up on RV owner forums: the American title shows a model year, and the owner worries DVLA will record the wrong date.
INF106 is clear that DVLA needs "the full date of first registration" from the foreign document, and if that's missing, "evidence of the month and year of manufacture". A model year alone gives neither a month nor a date, so an RV whose title only shows a model year is exactly the case where extra evidence of the build date earns its keep. The same goes for motorhomes from countries whose registration papers show a year but no day and month.
On a 10-year-old or 30-year-old RV, the difference between "model year" and "built in" can be the difference between needing approval and not.
What happens if you can't prove the age?
DVLA issues a Q plate. INF106: "if you cannot provide evidence of the vehicle's age, we'll allocate a 'Q' or 'QNI' registration number". gov.uk explains what that means:
- "DVLA issues 'Q' registration numbers to vehicles whose age or identity is in doubt."
- "Any original vehicle registration number will become invalid and you must not display it again."
- "To get a 'Q' registration number, your vehicle has to pass a type approval process."
That last line is the expensive one. A motorhome that is genuinely old enough to be exempt from approval, but can't prove it, still has to go through a type approval process to get its Q plate.
What does a dating letter cost?
It depends on who issues it. As a guide: from about £60 to £90 through an owners' club, or from about £120 to around £300 directly from the manufacturer. Compared with an approval test the motorhome didn't need, it's cheap insurance.
Is the date also a customs question?
Yes, if you're hoping for the historic rate. HMRC's guidance on classifying vehicles says: "Those less than 30 years old are generally not considered to be classic or collectors' cars", and to be eligible individuals must provide information showing "the year of manufacture" and "whether they have made any substantial changes to the vehicle". For a motorhome the "substantial changes" condition matters as much as the age: a van converted into a camper after it left the factory is a real risk. Our guide to importing a classic motorhome at 5% VAT goes into that.
How we help you prove the age
We look at the motorhome's registration document before anything else, because the date on it decides the rest of the route. If the full date of first registration isn't there, or the foreign document is missing, we obtain a dating letter for you and add it to the registration pack with the letter of explanation DVLA asks for. Then we fill in the dates on your V55/5 (boxes 24, 25 and 26) so they match the evidence, and you sign and post it. We also make the customs declaration and the NOVA, so the dates HMRC sees are the same ones DVLA sees.
Quick answers
Does the 10-year rule count from manufacture or first registration?
gov.uk's approval page says "first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago", while the VCA motorhome form says "based on the date of first registration". If the two dates straddle the 10-year line, ask us before you buy.
Will my motorhome keep its foreign number plate?
No. DVLA gives it a UK registration number "appropriate to its age", and you need the V5C to have plates made up.
Can I send a copy of the foreign registration document and keep the original?
No. DVLA wants the original non-UK registration document, and it isn't returned.
My motorhome is 31 years old. Does that mean 5% VAT?
Not by age alone. The tariff's collectors' vehicle heading needs all three: at least 30 years old, original state without substantial changes, and a model no longer in production.
Official sources, checked on 27 September 2026: 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/registering-an-imported-vehicle; assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f62e57e8e4040c38a3d0c8/v355-5-guide-to-filling-application-for-first-vehicle-tax-and-registration-of-used-motor-vehicle.pdf; legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/818; assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65fc443765ca2f00117da7f2/individual-vehicle-approval-scheme-guide.pdf; assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61f7d351e90e0768a3523237/application-for-gb-conversion-iva-motor-homes.pdf; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/getting-vehicle-approval; gov.uk/vehicle-registration/new-registrations; trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/chapters/97; gov.uk/guidance/how-to-value-goods-for-import-vat; gov.uk/guidance/classifying-vehicles; gov.uk/historic-vehicles; gov.uk/vehicle-registration/q-registration-numbers.