Website of the UK government

Registering your vehicle in the UK

Before you can successfully register a vehicle in the UK, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) needs to be sure that the vehicle in question is suitable for use on UK roads. Further information can be found in ‘Registering an imported vehicle’.

• Registering an imported vehicle

The Mutual Recognition process

The process (which is also sometimes known as the Commission Notice Procedure), is a process that will ask you to make a number of declarations about the suitability of the vehicle for use in the UK.

As part of the process, you may need to make some alterations to the vehicle in order to ensure it meets UK Construction and Use legislation, and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations. You will also be asked to provide garage receipts as evidence of having made these alterations.

Once we have all the paperwork we need from you, along with the appropriate administration fee, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) will issue a certificate that you can present to the DVLA in support of your application for UK registration.

You can download an application form that includes guidance notes on the various requirements and procedures involved.

• Download CARS - An application form and associated guidance under the Mutual Recognition / Commission Notice Procedures (PDF, 840K)
• Download MOTORCYCLES - An application form and associated guidance under the Mutual Recognition / Commission Notice procedures (PDF, 862K)
• Download GOODS VEHICLES 1 – An application form and associated guidance for vehicles less than one year old under the Mutual Recognition / Commission Notice Procedures (PDF, 757K)
• Download GOODS VEHICLES 2 – An application form and associated guidance for vehicles more than one year old under the Mutual Recognition / Commission Notice Procedures (PDF, 846K)

If you would like to find out whether your vehicle qualifies for treatment under the Mutual Recognition scheme, please contact the VCA legislation team on 0117 952 4119 (if phoning from outside the UK, telephone +44 117 952 4119).