- Shipping
- Together, as one job
- ToR
- Each car on its own
- TD184
- One per car
- Test
- By each car's age
Two cars is common in Hong Kong households. A family MPV and a smaller car, or one each for two people working in different parts of the territory. When the family moves to the UK, the question is whether both come, and what changes when there are two.
The short answer is that the import itself barely changes. Two cars can travel together and be handled by us as one job. What you need to think about is the tax and the paperwork, because each car is judged on its own.
Deciding which cars to bring
It’s worth deciding car by car. A practical family MPV that’s hard to replace in the UK may well be worth shipping. A small, high-mileage runabout might be better sold in Hong Kong, where buyers know the model.
Our ship or sell guide works through the factors for one car at a time. Run through it for each car, because the answer can easily be different.
Shipping them together
Most cars travel in shared containers with other cars. Two cars from the same family can be collected together, loaded together and shipped together, and you’ll see both in the customer portal.
If one of them is special, a dedicated 20ft container is available for that car on its own. Some families send the everyday car in a shared container and give the precious one its own. Our guide to shared or dedicated containers explains the difference.
Transfer of Residence, car by car
This is where two cars need the most thought.
Transfer of Residence relief can remove the import duty and VAT on each car, but each one has to meet every condition on its own. Broadly:
- the person claiming has lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months
- the car has been in their possession for at least 6 months before the move
- it’s for private use
- it’s imported within 12 months of them coming to live in the UK
- it isn’t sold, lent, hired out or pledged for 12 months after the move
The second condition is the one that catches families out. If one car was bought only a few months before the move, it may not qualify even if the other does. The relief is also personal, so check whose name each car is in. A car belonging to someone who isn’t moving, or to a company, won’t qualify.
Our ToR checker is quick to run for each car. HMRC makes the final decision on each one, and you apply for ToR1, with approval, before the cars ship.
If one car pays tax
If one car qualifies and the other doesn’t, the one that doesn’t pays the standard tax: 10% import duty on its value, then 20% VAT on the value plus shipping plus the duty. Our duty and VAT calculator will give you the figure, so you can decide whether that car is still worth bringing.
If either car is over thirty years old and in original condition, it may qualify for the historic rate instead, with no duty and 5% VAT.
Paperwork in Hong Kong
Each car has its own Hong Kong paperwork. Each needs its own original Vehicle Registration Document, and each needs its registration cancelled with a TD184 within 15 days of being shipped out. If both ship together, you can do both at the same Licensing Office visit.
If there’s finance on either car, it needs settling before that car ships. Our guide to moving with a car on finance explains why.
Testing and registration
At our end, each car follows its own route depending on its age. A car under ten years old takes an IVA test, which we carry out on our own lane. A car ten and over takes an MOT. Both are prepared in our own workshop, usually with the same jobs: the speedometer converted to mph and the rear fog light sorted.
We then register each car through our dealer-level DVLA account, and each gets its own UK registration number and V5C.
Delivery
Both cars can be delivered to your new address together, or one can be delivered while the other waits in storage. If you’ve only got space for one at a short let, that’s a common arrangement.
Next steps
Get a quote and tell us about every car you’re thinking of bringing. We’ll price them as one job and go through how each one is likely to be treated for tax. We’d be more than happy to help should you need it.
Questions
People also ask
Can both cars come in the same container?
Yes. Most cars travel in shared containers with other cars, and two cars from the same family can be loaded together and handled as one job.
Do both cars qualify for Transfer of Residence?
Each car has to meet every condition on its own, including being in the possession of someone who is moving for at least six months before the move. HMRC decides each one. A car bought recently, for example, may not qualify even if the other does.
Do I need a TD184 for each car?
Yes. Each car's Hong Kong registration is cancelled separately, within 15 days of that car being shipped out.
Will both cars need the same test?
Not necessarily. The test depends on each car's age: IVA under ten years old, MOT at ten and over, and no MOT over forty if it hasn't been substantially changed.
