Car Import Check

A Car Import Check reveals whether the vehicle you are buying is imported or marked as an export. If you find a vehicle, "Exported" by DVLA, It is recommended to not buy that vehicle. Obtaining a car import check can help, since a vehicle marked as exported is deemed ‘unregistered in the UK by DVLA’, details are removed from the database to prevent fraud.

Why get a DVLA car import check?

Imported vehicles cost more compared to vehicles bought at your home country. It is advisable to get a car import check before buying. Spare parts are hard to find and replacing spares with substitutes bring compatibility problems. It makes a huge impact in terms of vehicle value and adds to the depreciation. Sometimes spares can cost you more than the vehicle’s lifetime cost. Knowing if the vehicle is imported could save you more than expected, imports are hard to sell, they have a very low resale value.

What about a DVLA export check?

Once the vehicle has been marked exported by DVLA, the vehicle should not be in the country. Data about that vehicle registration is erased by the DVLA, so no one can clone the original vehicle’s identity. Perform a dvla export check, since a car may be exported from the home country and brought back, so you would need to register it again with the DVLA and sign up for atleast a third party insurance.

Is imported car insurance more expensive?

Insurers have to be cautious of insuring imported cars, as most import cars fail to comply with EU standards, car insurance providers increase the interest rates for such DVLA imported cars. While buying a used imported car, get a car import check and ask an import car insurance expert's advice on how to import better. Insurance rates may vary depending on the vehicle’s origin and how it was imported, there are different types of import that need to be considered...

Grey Imported Vehicles

Vehicles that are not as accessible as standard car brands in the UK, usually don’t fit in with EU benchmarks. The most mainstream autos from the grey import market are high-detail American or Japanese models. Grey import vehicles are hardest to insure, and cost more to fix as parts are difficult to get hold of. There's also a high danger of robbery, performing an import check can keep you aware of the issues you could face while getting a used car.

Parallel Imported Vehicles

Parallel imports are vehicles that likewise have a comparable UK model. These vehicles are commonly imported from the EU, so they conform to UK guidelines, effect on insurance rates is negligible. They may have some non-standard specifications that trigger insurance agencies to exceed your base rates.

Personal Imported Vehicles

Purchasing an imported vehicle through a vendor, you may import a vehicle yourself — regardless of whether it’s a grey import or parallel import. You will be in charge of enrolling, taxing and insuring the vehicle before it is driven in the UK. This is one of a kind issue with insuring a personally imported vehicle

If you are a non-UK occupant and wish to carry a vehicle to the UK when you come here to visit, live or study, you should be protected to drive on UK streets. You should tell your insurance agency if your vehicle is an imported model — in case you don’t know, look at the V5 record to discover your vehicle’s origin.

Car Import/Export Check at CarDotCheck

Buy a used car to verify the details beforehand. Performing a DVLA Car Import Check can improve your knowledge base while cost-cutting in the long run, imported cars are more expensive to insure than UK cars. Our Prime Check reveals the Import or Export status of the vehicle at a small cost.

We recommend other Used Vehicle History Checks to perform before buying such a vehicle