Department For Transport
Vehicle tax and registration
If you have been issued a visa under one of the Ukraine visa schemes, you do not need to tax or register your Ukrainian plated vehicle in the UK.
This applies for the first 3 years you are in the UK.
It applies only to personally imported vehicles with Ukrainian number plates, including:
- motorcycles
- cars weighing up to 3,500kg
Your vehicle must remain registered in Ukraine to benefit from this exemption.
You must make sure that you have insurance to drive your vehicle in the UK.
Vehicle tax is also known as vehicle excise duty (VED).
MOT test
You may need to take your vehicle for an MOT test. This depends on the age of the vehicle.
An MOT test makes sure that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards.
You may need to make alterations to your vehicle to pass an MOT test.
Vehicle safety
You are responsible for making sure your vehicle is always safe to drive (roadworthy). A vehicle can be unsafe even if you have a current MOT certificate. There are penalties for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition. Read more information on roadworthiness and penalties.
If you transfer to a different visa
You do not have to tax or register your vehicle for 3 years from when you arrive in the UK if you either:
- have been issued a Ukraine scheme visa, but within 3 years transfer to a different visa, such as a skilled worker visa, or
- entered the UK after February 2022 and you transfer onto a Ukraine scheme visa
If you stay in the UK longer than 3 years
If you stay in the UK for more than 3 years, you will need to tax and register your vehicle with the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) and receive UK licence plates.
Read more information about how to tax and register your vehicle.