Bringing a Ukrainian vehicle into the UK – tax and registration
Vehicle tax and registration rules for people with a Ukrainian plated vehicle who have been issued a visa on the Family, Sponsor or Extension Ukraine visa schemes, or the Ukraine Permission Extension visa scheme.
Exemption from vehicle tax and registration
If you have been issued a visa under one of the Ukraine visa schemes, you do not need to tax or register your Ukrainian plated vehicle in the UK.
This exemption only applies to the following personally imported vehicles (vehicles used for private or personal use) with Ukrainian number plates:
- motorcycles
- cars weighing up to 3,500kg
Your vehicle must remain registered in Ukraine to benefit from this exemption.
You must make sure that you have insurance to drive your vehicle in the UK.
Vehicle tax is also known as Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).
How long you can use this exemption
The exemption applies for up to the first 3 years (36 months) from your entry into the UK if you were:
- issued a visa under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship (HFUS) Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme
- initially granted an 18-month stay under the HFUS Scheme and were granted a further 18-month visa extension under the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme
If you have an 18-month UPE scheme visa
You do not need to tax and register your vehicle for up to 4 years and 6 months (54 months) from the date you entered the UK if:
- you were initially granted a 36-month stay under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the HFUS Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme
- following this, you were granted an 18-month visa under the UPE scheme
You will only be eligible for the extended exemption of up to 4 years and 6 months (54 months), if you applied for the UPE scheme before the expiry of your previous Ukrainian scheme visa.
You can continue to use this exemption while your UPE application is being considered. The exemption will no longer apply if your application is refused, withdrawn or rejected.
If your UPE application is not processed within 18 months, the exemption period is capped at 4 years and 6 months (54 months) from the date you entered the UK.
Further exemptions if you have a 24-month UPE scheme visa extension
If you receive a further 24-month extension under UPE, you may qualify for a longer exemption depending on the visa you were initially granted.
Up to 6 years and 6 months (78 months)
You qualify for this exemption if:
- you were initially granted a 36 month visa under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the HFUS Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme
- following this, you successfully applied for the UPE scheme before the expiry of your previous Ukraine visa scheme leave and were granted a further 18-month visa
- following that, you were granted a 24 month visa extension under the UPE scheme
Up to 5 years (60 months)
You qualify for this exemption if:
- you were initially granted an 18 month visa under the HFUS Scheme
- following this, you successfully applied for the UPE scheme before the expiry of your HFUS Scheme visa and were granted a further 18-month visa
- following that, you were granted a 24 month visa extension under the UPE scheme
You will only be eligible for the extended exemption of up to 6 years and 6 months (78 months) or 5 years (60 months) if you applied for the 24-month extension to your UPE scheme visa before the expiry of your initial UPE scheme visa.
You can continue to use this exemption while your UPE extension application is being considered. The exemption will no longer apply if your application is refused, withdrawn or rejected.
If your UPE extension application is not processed within 24 months, the exemption period is capped at 6 years and 6 months (78 months) or 5 years (60 months) from the date you entered the UK.
MOT test
You may need to take your vehicle for an MOT test. This depends on the age of the vehicle.
An MOT test makes sure that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards.
You may need to make alterations to your vehicle to pass an MOT test.
Vehicle safety
You are responsible for making sure your vehicle is always safe to drive (‘roadworthy’). A vehicle can be unsafe even if you have a current MOT certificate. There are penalties for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition. Read more information on roadworthiness and penalties.
If you transfer to a different visa
You do not need to tax or register your vehicle for 3 years from when you entered the UK if either of the following applies:
- you were issued a Ukraine scheme visa, but transferred to a different visa within 3 years, such as a Skilled Worker visa
- you entered the UK through an alternative route to the Ukraine scheme visa and later transferred to a Ukraine scheme visa
This exemption will apply for up to 4 years and 6 months (54 months) from the date you entered the UK if you were initially granted a 36-month stay under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the HFUS Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme and have been granted a further 18-month visa under the UPE scheme.
This exemption will apply up to either 5 years (60 months) or 6 years and 6 months (78 months) if you have been granted a 24-month extension under the UPE scheme.
If you stay in the UK longer than 3 years
If you stay in the UK for more than 3 years and are not eligible for the extended exemptions from tax and registration, you will need to tax and register your vehicle with DVLA and receive UK number plates.
Updates to this page
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Updated exemption periods for Ukrainian plated vehicles to reflect further extensions under the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme.
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Updated information on the vehicle tax and registration rules for a Ukrainian plated vehicle brought into the UK by people on a Ukraine visa scheme.
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First published.