Our own IVA testing lane
We were the first privately owned IVA testing centre for passenger vehicles in the UK. It means your car is tested on our site, on a date we book, instead of waiting weeks for a government slot.
Hong Kong 香港 to the UK
Your car's moving too.
We collect it from your street in Hong Kong, ship it, clear UK customs, test it on our own lane and put it on UK plates. One company, one quote, every step in-house.
- 4.8 from 1,000+ reviews
- 20,000+ cars imported
- 3 to 6 weeks at sea
Where you're starting from
Three ways people come to us
Start with whichever sounds like you. The quote form asks the rest.
Moving
I'm moving to the UK
Relocating, returning home, or settling here on a BN(O) visa, and the car is coming with you. Transfer of Residence relief can mean no duty and no VAT.
Moving with your car BuyingI'm buying a car in Hong Kong
Right-hand drive, often low mileage and usually well looked after. We'll tell you what it costs to land before you commit.
Buying from Hong Kong Already hereIt's already in the UK
Shipped it yourself, or it's sat at a port? We clear customs, convert, test and register it from where it is.
Car already in the UKWhy Hong Kong cars are easier than most
Left-hand traffic. Right-hand wheel. Half the job's done.
Hong Kong drives on the left, so its cars are built for UK roads before they even leave. No steering conversion, no lights that dazzle oncoming traffic. Hong Kong cars are no longer scrutinised for headlight compliance at all.
What's left is usually small: the speedometer needs to read in miles per hour, and the rear fog light may need fitting or moving. We do both in-house, before the test, so the car doesn't leave our site between jobs.
The plates are the same colours too: white on the front, yellow on the back. Only the numbers change.
IVA, MOT and registration explained
- At sea
- 3 to 6 weeksTypical crossing time
- Door to plates
- 12 to 14 weeksPaperwork to registration
- DVLA
- 10 daysWorking days, dealer-level account
- Our site
- 300 carsCastle Donington, Derbyshire
The route
Six steps from your street to UK plates
Every one of them is handled by us or by agents we've worked with for years. You get a portal to follow along and a person to ring when you'd rather ask.
- 01
Collection in Hong Kong
We arrange collection from your address, anywhere from Central to the New Territories, and take the car to the container-loading warehouse.
- 02
Loading and export
The car is strapped into a shared container (or its own 20ft box if you prefer) and the export paperwork is done before it sails.
- 03
3 to 6 weeks at sea
Marine insurance covers it for the voyage. You can follow progress in the customer portal while you get on with the move.
- 04
Customs clearance
Our in-house CDS customs team has the paperwork ready before the ship docks, so the car does not sit at the port racking up storage.
- 05
Unloading, conversion and testing
We unload the container ourselves, convert the speedo and fog light, and test the car on our own IVA lane, or book the MOT if it is ten or over.
- 06
DVLA registration and handover
Our dealer-level DVLA account registers it in around 10 working days. Collect it, or we deliver it to your door.
Handled in-house
We own the bits that usually go wrong
Most delays happen at the hand-offs: port to customs, customs to test centre, test centre to DVLA. We removed the hand-offs.
Customs, done by our own team
We are fully authorised HMRC CDS customs agents. The paperwork is prepared before the ship arrives, which keeps the car out of port storage and keeps the bill to what it should be.
Unloaded and prepared on our site
Containers come straight to our facility, and our team takes the cars out with as much time and care as they need. Speedo and fog light work happens here too, before the test.
A dealer-level DVLA account
Registration usually takes around 10 working days with us. Then you collect the car, or we deliver it to your door on an open or enclosed trailer.
Worked example Buying, not moving
| Car | £20,000 |
|---|---|
| Shipping and insurance | £1,500 |
| Import duty at 10% | £2,000 |
| VAT at 20% on £23,500 | £4,700 |
| Tax to pay | £6,700 |
Moving here with Transfer of Residence relief? That line could read £0.
What it costs
No surprises at the port
Your quote lists every line: collection in Hong Kong, the container, marine insurance, customs clearance, duty and VAT, any conversion work, the test and registration. If something isn't on it, you don't pay for it.
Tax is the part that varies most, so we built a calculator that uses exactly the same maths as our quotes.
Free tools
Work it out before you ring
Duty and VAT calculator Standard, Transfer of Residence and classic rates. Moving-date planner Your move date in, a dated plan out. Flags the TD184 deadline too. Transfer of Residence checker Do your dates qualify for tax-free import? Documents checklist Tick off the paperwork, print it, take it to the TD.
Quick answers
What people ask first
How long does it take to bring a car from Hong Kong to the UK?
The sea crossing is usually 3 to 6 weeks. From the first bit of paperwork to UK plates, allow around 12 to 14 weeks. Your quote gives you dates for your car, not an average.
Is a Hong Kong car right-hand drive?
Yes. Hong Kong drives on the left, like the UK, so the steering wheel is already on the right side. Most cars only need the speedometer showing miles per hour and a rear fog light that suits UK rules.
Will I pay import duty and VAT?
On a car you are buying, yes: 10% import duty and 20% VAT. If you are moving to the UK and have owned the car for more than six months, Transfer of Residence relief can take both to zero. Cars over thirty years old in original condition pay no duty and 5% VAT.
Do I need to cancel the Hong Kong registration?
Yes. Once the car has been shipped out permanently, the registered owner sends form TD184 with the shipping document to a Transport Department licensing office within 15 days. We send you the shipping document you need.
Can you collect the car from my home in Hong Kong?
Yes. Tell us the district when you ask for a quote and we will price collection from there to the container-loading warehouse.
Tell us about the car.
Make, model, year and where it is. A real person writes your quote, itemised line by line, usually the same working day.