Buying a Campervan Abroad: Costs, Pitfalls and Import Rules

A left-hand-drive van from Europe can look like a bargain, and sometimes it genuinely is. But importing a campervan into the UK brings a stack of costs and paperwork that many first-time importers underestimate. If you are tempted by continental prices, here is the reality of the process.

The costs most people forget

The headline price abroad is only the start. When you bring a vehicle into the UK you generally pay import VAT at 20%, and if the van is not from the EU or has no proof of EU VAT paid, import duty on top. You also pay a NOVA notification fee to HMRC, registration fees to the DVLA and the cost of a UK MOT before you can tax it. On a £20,000 van, those add-ons can comfortably reach £4,000 before you factor in transport, insurance and any parts needed to pass an MOT. Compare prices carefully — a van needs to be thousands cheaper abroad for the sums to work.

Right-hand vs left-hand drive

This is the decision that shapes everything. A right-hand-drive van already converted for the UK market is the low-hassle option: it registers and insures like a home-market van. A left-hand-drive van is legal to use in the UK, but it changes your daily experience — overtaking, toll booths and campsite gates are all awkward — and it can be harder to insure and slower to sell on. Plenty of buyers love an LHD van for continental touring, but if your trips are mostly UK-based, think twice.

Registration and paperwork

To register an imported van you need proof of purchase, proof of VAT paid, the original registration document and a valid UK MOT, plus the NOVA reference from HMRC. The DVLA issues the V5C once everything is in order. Imported vehicles are also subject to a vehicle identity check at an approved centre, where the VIN is verified against the paperwork. Get any part of this chain wrong and the process drags on for weeks.

Never buy abroad without a written contract, a receipt and proof of ownership. Importing a van you cannot prove you own is an expensive way to learn about the process.

The pitfalls that cost real money

Clocked mileage is more common in imported vans, so obtain the vehicle's full history from the seller country if you can, and verify the odometer against the documents. Check that any write-off status is disclosed, and be aware that a "new" van from abroad may have been flooded or previously written off in its home market. Finally, confirm the van will actually pass a UK MOT — some continental vans have non-standard lighting, side repeaters or headlight patterns that need adjustment before they test.

When it is worth it

Importing pays off when you buy a rare or high-value van that the UK market simply doesn't stock, or when the price difference after all costs is genuinely substantial. For most buyers, a clean UK-market van remains the smarter, less stressful choice. Whatever you buy, the same pre-purchase discipline applies — our history check guide and damp check guide work just as well for a van that has crossed the channel.