Exporting a Family Car to the UK

JonathanCD

Hi there, hope someone can help me with this as I am struggling to find clear info.
Currently in the Netherlands with a NL register car.   Moving back to the UK at the end of Jan and wish to drive home in the car, which is LHD.
Eventually I want to sell the car but that's for another day.
There is a process here whereby I am required to de-register the car and get approval for export from the Dutch.  Then I get temporary plates and can drive it on Dutch roads for 14 days.  
What worries me is whether I can drive it through France and the UK.  Obviously it isn't registered in the UK currently.
If anyone has any experience of this situation some advice would be wonderful.
Jonathan

AdrianC

You can bring it here on the NL export plates, yes.
What you can't do is drive it on them once you become a UK resident, until it's registered here.

Get a V55/5 pack from DVLA.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-a-used-vehicle-for-the-first-time-v555
Once it's here, get a NOVA declaration from HMRC - must be within 14 days. *Tell us what happens with this bit, post-Brexit*
https://www.gov.uk/nova-log-in
Get it insured on the VIN.
If it's 3yo+, get it MOTd on the VIN.
If it's <10yo, get the certificate of compliance from the manufacturer.
Send the entire wall of paperwork to DVLA, along with payment for the reg fee and tax.
Wait.
Decide this was more hassle than you needed, and wish you'd sold it in NL.
Wait some more.
Finally get the certificate of entitlement to the UK reg and/or V5C.
Tell insurance the new reg.
Get plates made.
Drive!

Herzlos

Bear in mind that especially post Brexit, you're going to have a fairly hard time selling a LHD car in the UK. Your target audience would be those who are based in the UK but visit Europe by car often (ex-pats and migrant workers) and that's a shrinking market.
You may find it less hassle to just sell the car in Netherlands and hire something on arrival in the UK.

Ditzy_Mitzy

I can't imagine it's going to be worthwhile, unless the car is something particularly rare or special that's going to appeal to UK collectors.  Left hand drive in a 'normal' car isn't any sort of selling point and makes life difficult for any subsequent owners.  Things like left hand drive specific trim parts and so on are more difficult to come by over here.  Also bear in mind (I think) that you'll need to convert the speedometer to read in mph and that the lighting setup must be compliant with UK regulations.  Usually this means it needs a rear foglight, which may already be present if the law in Holland requires, and that the headlights need to dip to the left rather than straight down as they do in other climes.  It really isn't worth the hassle if it's a fairly basic sort of car that's available over here in UK spec.  Everything changes if it's a rare classic or an American car or similar.