- UK number
- Matches its age
- Rear plate
- Yellow, black text
- First tax
- Paid at registration
- Plate fine
- Up to £1,000
Registration is the last big step of an import, and it is the one that turns a Hong Kong car into a UK one. We register cars through our dealer-level DVLA account, usually in around 10 working days once the car has passed its test.
After that, a few things are yours to look after: the plates, the tax and the next MOT. None of them is complicated, but each has rules worth knowing before the car is in your drive.
The registration number it gets
The DVLA gives an imported car a registration number that is appropriate to its age, based on the evidence it is sent. For a used car, the date of first registration counts wherever in the world that was, so a car first registered in Hong Kong is dated from then, not from the day it arrived here.
That is why the paperwork matters. The DVLA asks for the original foreign registration certificate, which for a Hong Kong car is the Vehicle Registration Document. If the car’s age or identity cannot be proven, the DVLA issues a Q registration number instead. Q plates are perfectly legal, but most owners would rather have a normal, age-related number, so we make sure the evidence is in order before we apply.
One more rule from the DVLA: it cannot register an imported car that has been classed as seriously damaged in another country. If you are buying in Hong Kong, check the car’s history before you commit. Our guide to buying a used car in Hong Kong covers what to look for.
Once the car is registered, the registered keeper is sent the V5C, the UK log book. Keep it safe. You will need it for the plates, and whenever you sell the car.
UK number plates
Hong Kong plates are white on the front and yellow on the back with black characters, the same colours as UK plates. The format and the rules are different, though, so the car needs proper UK plates showing its new registration number.
GOV.UK sets out what a UK plate must be:
- made from a reflective material
- black characters on a white background at the front, and on a yellow background at the rear
- no background pattern, and characters that are not removable or reflective
- marked with the British Standard BS AU 145e if fitted after 1 September 2021
- marked to show who supplied it
Plates have to be made by a registered number plate supplier. They will need to see proof of your name and address, such as a driving licence, a council tax bill or a bank statement from the last six months, and proof that you are entitled to the number, such as the V5C or its green new keeper slip.
Get them right. GOV.UK says you could be fined up to £1,000, and the car will fail its MOT, if the plates are displayed incorrectly. If you would like us to supply the plates with the car, ask when you get your quote.
Vehicle tax
The first vehicle tax is paid as part of the DVLA registration application, so the car is taxed from the moment it is registered. After that, renewing it is down to the keeper.
How much it costs depends on the car and when it was first registered. Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate based on their CO2 emissions, then a standard yearly rate, and cars above a set list price pay an extra amount for five years. Older cars are taxed under earlier rules. The rates change from time to time, so check GOV.UK’s vehicle tax rate tables for the current figures, or ask us about yours.
The next MOT
Every car on UK roads needs a valid MOT once it is old enough, and the DVLA asks for proof of a valid MOT when registering a used car over three years old. Cars ten years old and over take an MOT as part of the import instead of an IVA test, and we arrange it.
From there, the easiest way to stay on top of it is GOV.UK’s free MOT status checker. Put in the new registration number and it shows when the current MOT runs out. Cars over forty years old do not need an MOT, as long as they have not been substantially changed, but they must still be kept roadworthy.
Insurance
The car needs UK insurance before it is driven, and insurers will want the new registration number. We let you know through the customer portal when registration is complete, so you can finalise cover before the car is ready. Our guide to driving licence and insurance after the move goes into more detail.
Handing it over
Once it is registered, you collect the car from our site in Castle Donington, or we deliver it to your door on an open or enclosed trailer. Plates on, tax paid, MOT date noted, and it is just another car on a UK road. Get a quote and we’ll take care of everything up to that point.
Questions
People also ask
What registration number will my Hong Kong car get?
The DVLA gives the car a registration number that is appropriate to its age, based on the evidence provided. If the car's age or identity cannot be proven, it gets a Q registration number instead.
Can I keep driving on my Hong Kong plates?
No. On UK roads the car has to display its UK registration number, on plates that meet UK rules.
What do I need to get UK number plates made?
A registered number plate supplier has to see proof of your name and address, such as a driving licence or a recent bank statement, and proof you are entitled to the number, such as the V5C log book.
When is the car's next MOT due?
Use GOV.UK's free MOT status checker with the car's new registration number. It shows when the current MOT runs out.
