Selling EU moto in the UK
 

G'Day HUBBers

I just had a quick query that I was needing some help with.

I am an Australian citizen and I have recently purchased a 1990 XT600 in Cyprus (Southern) and the Cyprus registration is in my name. I plan to ride this to the UK and sell it mid-way through 2014.

If I find a private buyer in the UK, is the transfer of ownership as simple as heading down to the Motoring Authority with some ID disposing of the rego in my name and registering the bike in the buyers name?

Is it easy to buy a moto in one EU state and sell it in another?
Will I face any complications with the sale because I am not a citizen of an EU state?

Thanks for your help.

Cheers
Baz

Ownership and registration for the road are separate in the UK. You can sell the bike and the only people who will be interested will be the customs (HMRC) who will want any import duty. As an EU passport holder buying a bike in any EU country this is easy for me. You would need to talk to HMRC to see if your passport makes any difference and if Cyprus and the UK have indeed signed up to the all the various treaties.

Once you have the bike here the fun begins unless you only want to use it as lawn ornament. There is nothing as simple and efficient as REGO with local offices. Instead, someone with a UK address has to approach the bureaucratic behemoth that is DVLA Swansea via forms from the Post office (who know nothing useful about the process) and try to get it registered. A 1990 XT should be on their database so with a chassis and engine number and garage letter and credit card they will issue the age related registration number and V5 document. With the V5 and insurance you can then join the lottery that is the MOT road worthiness test. You book in at a local garage who will then asses you for liquid wealth and fail the bike on what they think they can sell you plus any damage they've caused during the inspection. The new V5 will have them looking for headlights that dip the wrong way, reflectors and exhausts to the wrong standard etc. Having paid enough to get past that lot you are then able to go back to the DVLA website and buy your Road Fund license, the annual fee to go on the road.

As you need a UK address to do all this and it takes weeks you can of course just flog it on e-bay and let the new owner do the paperwork. The value you will get will of course reflect the amount of work needed to get it on the road. If you are staying at a private address in the UK and want to do the work DVLA and HMRC will take credit card details from anyone regardless of nationality.

DVLA Double speak begins here https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk

Swansea want a hundred quid to read your forms, the MOT will be over thirty quid and road tax thirty five. A 1990 XT ready to ride on UK roads will sell for under a grand. If you need a headlight and tyres to pass the MOT and the garage charges fifty or a hundred quid to look at the bike and write the letter you will be close to making a loss on the deal.

Andy

Here is the information about when duty is payable and it looks like it wouldn't be on an older bike.

HM Revenue & Customs: How VAT applies if you import or export a personal vehicle

I have done it once with a bike from Germany and the process was not too bad. As Andy has said the most important thing is a UK address.

I think you may find this document useful, especially the bit about ''Mutual Recognition'' of motorcycles over 10 years old.

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk