Not sure how this applies to yours? Get a quote for my motorhome import and we will tell you before you spend anything.
Can I drive it on Spanish plates?
Not if you live in the UK. DVLA's leaflet INF106 says: "If you're a UK resident you must not drive a vehicle displaying foreign number plates." gov.uk allows foreign plates for visitors who do not plan to live here, with the motorhome registered and taxed at home, for up to 6 months in total. That is the rule in our guide to visiting the UK with a foreign registered motorhome, and it is not a route for someone who has bought one to keep.
gov.uk also says you can be prosecuted for using the vehicle on a public road before you complete the import steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. You must insure it before you drive it on UK roads, and DVLA says to insure a vehicle that is not yet registered using its VIN or chassis number.
Why is this one for sale in the UK on Spanish plates?
There are several reasons, and it matters because of one gov.uk rule. A visitor can bring a vehicle in without paying VAT or duty under temporary import relief only if, among other conditions, they "do not sell, lend or hire it within the UK" and re-export it within 6 months. A sale in the UK is outside the conditions of that relief.
We cannot tell from the plates which route a particular motorhome took. So before you pay, ask the seller what customs paperwork exists and what was paid. HMRC's NOVA process asks for the customs documents (the C88 and E2, or a Movement Reference Number) if an import declaration was made. If you cannot get an answer, send us the listing and the papers before you hand over any money.
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 papers should I get from the seller?
Two Spanish documents. The Spanish traffic authority, the DGT, says every vehicle must have a Permiso de Circulación and a Ficha Técnica, also called the Tarjeta ITV. The Permiso de Circulación is the document that "identifies the ownership" of the vehicle. The Ficha Técnica is the document showing that the vehicle is approved to run on Spain's roads, issued by the ITV stations. In English these are the registration permit and the technical data sheet.
Why it matters on the UK side: DVLA wants "the original foreign registration certificate to show when the vehicle was manufactured", and you will not get it back. Which Spanish document it keeps is not spelled out on the official pages, so send us photos of both before you pay and do not let the seller keep either one.
Alongside those you need an invoice or bill of sale. HMRC asks for it if you bought the motorhome in the last 6 months. If you bought it earlier, HMRC asks for a current valuation carried out in person in the UK by a garage, dealership or other recognised business.
What tax is due on a Spanish motorhome?
UK import VAT of 20% is due on the total cost of the vehicle plus any delivery, extra charges and duty, whatever VAT was charged in Spain. Duty is 0% only with proof that the motorhome was made in the EU, either a statement on origin from the exporter or the importer's knowledge, and otherwise 10%. Where the motorhome was built, not where it was bought, decides it: see our origin and duty guide.
gov.uk says you must pay any VAT and customs duty before you can register the vehicle, and that you must tell HMRC within 14 days of the vehicle arriving. If that window has already passed, tell us now: gov.uk says you may be fined if you are late, so do not wait.
Does it need an approval test?
A motorhome registered in the EU needs a European Certificate of Conformity if it is under 10 years old. If it is left hand drive, as vehicles made for the Spanish market are, gov.uk adds a certificate of GB conversion IVA, with a £100 fee: the Vehicle Certification Agency's motorhome form covers the headlamps, the speedometer in mph and the rear fog lamp, and a garage does the work. Our left hand drive guide has the detail.
If it is over 10 years old from first registration, the VCA form says it is exempt from that procedure. Check the 1 March 2001 rule on gov.uk for a motorhome that falls under it. The Spanish ITV is Spain's roadworthiness inspection, not a UK MOT. A UK MOT is needed if the motorhome is over 3 years old: motor caravans are class 4 with a maximum fee of £54.85.
What happens next?
In order: the import declaration with VAT and duty paid, NOVA, approval and MOT where they apply, then DVLA registration on form V55/5 with the £55 fee and the first vehicle tax. The V5C can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. Our guide to driving before registration covers what you may and may not do in the meantime.
What we do for you
Before you pay, send us the listing, the Spanish papers and your invoice. We tell you what the UK side involves. 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 if you need one and arrange transport if you want it. We do not test or modify motorhomes: the garage does the left hand drive work and the test station does the test.
Quick answers
Can I use a Spanish registered motorhome in the UK if I live here?
No. DVLA says UK residents must not drive a vehicle displaying foreign number plates. It has to be registered, taxed and insured in the UK first.
What Spanish documents do I need to register it?
The Permiso de Circulación and the Ficha Técnica (Tarjeta ITV), plus the invoice. DVLA wants the original foreign registration certificate and does not return it, so send us photos of both documents before you pay.
Is VAT due if the seller already paid Spanish VAT?
Yes. UK import VAT of 20% is due when the motorhome is imported, charged on the price plus delivery, extra charges and any duty. gov.uk lists no exception for VAT paid abroad.
Do I need a UK MOT on a Spanish motorhome?
If it is over 3 years old, yes. The Spanish ITV is not a UK MOT. Motor caravans are MOT class 4 with a maximum fee of £54.85 on gov.uk.
Official sources, checked on 5 October 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/temporary-imports; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/registering-an-imported-vehicle; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/telling-hmrc; gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/paying-vat-and-duty; trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/headings/8703; gov.uk/guidance/proving-originating-status-and-claiming-a-reduced-rate-of-customs-duty-for-trade-between-the-uk-and-eu; 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/getting-an-mot/mot-test-fees.