PlymBob Posted May 8, 2023 Share Posted May 8, 2023 I have found a new motorhome that meets my requirements but it is at a dealer in Germany. Can anyone advise as to what I need to do to purchase it in Germany and import and register it in the UK? Preferably avoiding German tax and paying UK tax instead. Or can anyone recommend an agent that could do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Bry Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 12 hours ago, PlymBob said: I have found a new motorhome that meets my requirements but it is at a dealer in Germany. Can anyone advise as to what I need to do to purchase it in Germany and import and register it in the UK? Preferably avoiding German tax and paying UK tax instead. Or can anyone recommend an agent that could do it? My suggestion is contact Brian Kirby - on this forum, as he has had experience of importing a motorhome from Germany. Another person with experience of this is Derek Uzzel, also on this forum.The other way is to look up this topic on previous threads, as it has been discussed before. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 But they imported theirs before ...🤐 Sorry, can't answer without mentioning the forbidden word 😱 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 I 'self-imported' a LHD Hobby motorhome from Germany in 2005, but that was when the £ was strong against the €, the procedure was well understood and well documented and, every year, plenty of UK residents were doing it. Bundesvan Ltd used to 'middle-man' purchase of motorhomes from Germany, but that business was dissolved in 2020 (I'm guessing because demand for their services had fallen off). I'm not aware that there's any equivalent specialised 'agent' nowadays. Brian Kirby may be able to help - otherwise, it would be worth PlymBob asking about this on the MotorHomeFun website https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/ as I know one of their forum members (Lenny HB) used to regularly self-import motorhomes for his own use - though I think he bought from a dealership in Belgium. (I doubt Brexit has made much difference.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 1 hour ago, Derek Uzzell said: that was when the £ was strong against the €.............(I doubt Brexit has made much difference.) Well thats one difference for a start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirou Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 2 hours ago, John52 said: Well thats one difference for a start Quite a big one. Just got mail yesterday from customs asking me to pay import handling fees etc. on a 10£ t-shirt sent as a gift. Took me 30min to understand and fill out the forms. It would almost be simpler and cheaper to fly and get it in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 47 minutes ago, spirou said: It would almost be simpler and cheaper to fly and get it in person. I dunno, suppose it would depend on the length of the queue for non-EU passengers. Its a fact that many import/exporters like Bundesvan have given up since the Brexit vote. And have been quite clear its because of Brexit. Its worse trying to export to the EU, but importing is not easy anymore either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 The DVLA's advice on vehicle importing can be found here (and should be up to date) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf106-how-to-import-a-vehicle-into-the-united-kingdom-uk This UK company also offers motorhome-related guidance and might be worth contacting. https://mycarimport.co.uk/import-process/how-to-import-a-motorhome-into-the-united-kingdom/ Regarding the post-BREXIT situation, this 2021/2022 Out&AbouLive forum thread should be worth referring to. (I don't think there's been importing-related discussion here since.) https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/topic/52461-importing-motorhome-from-germany/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted May 9, 2023 Share Posted May 9, 2023 It is very simple.I sold fife cars to Bulgarian friends,. Paid and than a Transit number plate on it to travel . insured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 I could sell my car to a 'foreign' buyer and the main things that would concern me would be making sure I got paid and informing the appropriate authorities (the UK's DVLA and my insurance provider) that I had done this. But it would be up to the buyer to decide how the car travelled to the buyer's home country and how that country's vehicle importing regulations were to be met. It was never a simple matter for UK private individuals to import motorhomes from abroad and the procedure has not got any easier. If you want to check what is involved nowadays, you can download this document. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1138911/inf106-how-to-import-a-vehicle-into-the-united-kingdom-uk.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 14 hours ago, Hans said: It is very simple. It is if one is in the EU like you Hans. Whether its worth doing is another matter Prices don't vary so much across EU countries because manufacturers can't get away with it. Because everyone can see what it costs in the same currency in the other EU countries and its easy to nip across the border and buy it in another EU country. But they call the UK mainland 'Treasure Island' We call it 'Rip Off Britain' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 Very nice said. But as a former shell engineer on crude and lng tankers i liked the uk very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 10, 2023 Share Posted May 10, 2023 On 5/9/2023 at 7:47 AM, Derek Uzzell said: 1 I 'self-imported' a LHD Hobby motorhome from Germany in 2005, but that was when the £ was strong against the €, the procedure was well understood and well documented and, every year, plenty of UK residents were doing it. 2 Bundesvan Ltd used to 'middle-man' purchase of motorhomes from Germany, but that business was dissolved in 2020 (I'm guessing because demand for their services had fallen off). I'm not aware that there's any equivalent specialised 'agent' nowadays. 3 Brian Kirby may be able to help - otherwise, it would be worth PlymBob asking about this on the MotorHomeFun website ............................................................ 1 So did I, but my source was Calais Caravanes, in Calais, France. The insurance problem was overcome by the proprietor driving the van to the chunnel terminal, which is/was not a public road. We had insurance on the vehicle VIN (I believe no longer possible) for the UK leg once we disembarked and I could park the van off road until I'd completed registration and paid HMRC the UK VAT. 2 Our next three vans were imported via Bundesvan, from three different German dealers. 3 So, regretfully, I'm afraid I have nothing I can suggest on importing now. Also, although our last van was imported after the referendum, in 2017, we were still then technically in the EU. The problem which arose (and may be relevant to importing now) was that the German CoC carried CO2 data, and it was necessary to obtain a duplicate CoC from Knaus (which they obligingly supplied), in the same form as for vans they exported directly to UK (which did not show CO2 data because the UK government - unconnected to Brexit - had decided to base UK VED rates on the CO2 data shown the COCs). Once the correct CoC (as applicable to all motorhomes imported into, or manufactured in, the UK) was supplied to DVLA, the van was registered as, as normal, as PLG. It may be worthwhile pursuing this angle on the van you're interested in, as if VED were charged against CO2 emissions, and your German market CoC shows these (as I would expect it to), you'll end up paying punitively high VED compared to anyone with an identical van bought new in UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 11, 2023 Share Posted May 11, 2023 UK VED ('road tax') rates based on a vehicle's CO2 emissions value could be applied to motorhomes during the period 1 April 2017 through 11 March 2020, if (as Brian has said) the motorhome's Certificate of Conformity carried a CO2 value. Historically, VED for motorhomes had simply been based on the vehicle's gross weight and applying the CO2-based 'cars' system to new motorhomes produced a massive increase in the VED charge. This policy revision produced a LOT of complaints/criticism from motorhome buyers and the motorhome trade, including a NCC-backed campaign. https://www.aboutcampbtob.eu/fair-motorhome-tax-campaign-aims-to-change-705-increase-in-tax-on-new-motorhomes-in-uk/ Eventually it was agreed that new motorhomes UK-registered after 11 March 2020 should be exempted from the CO2-based VED system (though this change was not applied retrospectively to motorhomes already registered under the the VED CO2 system) and a return to the historic weight-related VED system was made. The current position is shown here https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables/rates-for-motorhomes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 Please stay on topic and off politics... I've moved your posting's text to the Chatterbox forum Derek Uzzell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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