CPV35 · V35 · HV35 · PV35 · NV35
Nissan Skyline V35 import cost and road tax
What a Nissan Skyline V35 from Japan costs by the time it’s registered here. We’ve filled in a 2004 car with the VQ35DE; change the price, year and engine to match the one you’re looking at.
Estimated cost on the road
£13,448
Car, shipping, 10% duty, 20% VAT, MOT and registration. Before insurance and road tax.
Road tax a year
£375
Age of the car
22 years
| Car (price paid in Japan)Converted | £7,191 |
|---|---|
| Costs in Japan: auction fee, agent, transport to port, export papersOur estimate | £719 |
| Shipping to the UK: Roll-on roll-off (RoRo)Our estimateDriven onto a car carrier. Usually the cheapest. The car must run, and nothing can be left inside. | £1,500 |
| Marine insurance (1.5%)Our estimate | £141 |
| Customs duty (10%)Official rateStandard UK rate for cars from outside the UK. | £955 |
| Import VAT (20%)Official rateCharged on the customs value plus duty. | £2,101 |
| UK port handling and customs entry by an agentOur estimate | £450 |
| UK conversion work: mph speedo, rear fog lightOur estimate | £250 |
| MOT test (maximum fee)Official rateCars over 10 years old don’t need IVA, but need an MOT before registering. | £55 |
| DVLA first registration feeOfficial rate | £55 |
| UK number platesOur estimate | £30 |
| Total | £13,448 |
How the duty choice changes the total
- Standard rates: 10% duty, 20% VAT£13,448
- With proof of Japanese origin: 0% duty, 20% VAT£12,301
- Unmodified car over 30 years old: 0% duty, 5% VATNot for this car: it’s under 30 years old.–
If the car qualifies, proof of Japanese origin would save about £1,146.
Road tax: £375 a year
Taxed on engine size: over 1549cc. With no CO2 figure DVLA accepts, which is usual for a Japanese import, a car registered after February 2001 pays the engine size rate.
2026 to 2027 rate for 12 months, paid in one go. Source: GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates, cars registered before 1 March 2001.
Customs value £9,551: the car, costs in Japan, shipping and insurance, converted at HMRC’s October 2026 rate for customs, ¥209 to £1. Duty rates checked against the UK Trade Tariff today. Lines marked “our estimate” are typical figures, not quotes: get real ones from your agent and shipper. This is a guide for Great Britain, not tax advice; Northern Ireland follows different rules. See sources.
Road tax on each engine
| Engine | Codes | Size | A year, no CO2 figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| VQ35DE | CPV35 PV35 | 3498cc petrol, over 1549cc | £375 |
| VQ25DD | V35 NV35 | 2495cc petrol, over 1549cc | £375 |
| VQ30DD | HV35 | 2987cc petrol, over 1549cc | £375 |
Japanese imports rarely come with a CO2 figure DVLA accepts, so most are taxed on engine size whatever their age. If yours has a UK or European certificate with one, put it in the calculator under “Change the estimates”. None are old enough for the historic tax class yet; that needs a car built more than 40 years ago.
Duty, VAT and the CPV35’s age
Built 2001 to 2007. No CPV35 is 30 years old yet, so it pays the normal duty and VAT. The first ones reach 30 in 2031.
Otherwise duty is 10% of the price plus shipping and insurance, or 0% under the UK-Japan trade deal if the exporter gives you a statement on origin showing the car was made in Japan. VAT is 20% on top of both.
Every CPV35 is over 10 years old, so it doesn’t need IVA, just an MOT before registration.
Before you buy a CPV35
Our Nissan Skyline V35 guide covers its chassis codes, known problems and what to look for on the auction sheet. Ask the seller for the sheet and read it with our auction sheet translator, then check the car’s Japanese recalls.
Questions
How much is road tax on an imported Nissan Skyline V35?
Most imported CPV35s have no CO2 figure DVLA accepts, so they’re taxed on engine size: £375 a year for the VQ35DE, £375 a year for the VQ25DD and £375 a year for the VQ30DD in 2026 to 2027.
How much is import duty on a Nissan Skyline V35?
10% of the price plus shipping and insurance, or 0% with proof that the car was made in Japan under the UK-Japan trade deal. No CPV35 is 30 years old yet, so it pays the normal duty and VAT. The first ones reach 30 in 2031.
Does an imported CPV35 need IVA?
Every CPV35 is over 10 years old, so it doesn’t need IVA, just an MOT before registration.
Import costs for other models
Sources
We checked every official figure against these on 23 October 2026. Shipping, agent, port and conversion costs are our own estimates of typical prices, not quotes.
- GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates, cars registered on or after 1 April 2017
- GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates, cars registered 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017
- GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates, cars registered before 1 March 2001
- GOV.UK: historic (classic) vehicles, MOT and vehicle tax
- GOV.UK: importing vehicles, paying VAT and customs duty
- DVLA INF106: how to import a vehicle into the UK
- UK Trade Tariff (HMRC)
- GOV.UK: summary of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
- HMRC manual IMPS05200: import VAT on collectors’ items (effective 5%)
- HMRC advance tariff ruling 600015906: a 1960s car classed 9705 10 00 45
- GOV.UK: individual vehicle approval test costs, cars (M1)
- HMRC monthly exchange rates (the rates customs use)
- European Central Bank reference rates