Bringing your car from the UK to Italy

Can you take your UK car to Italy when you move?

Yes. But once you are resident, the car must be re-registered on Italian plates. GOV.UK warns that you cannot keep driving a foreign-registered car after a set period of residence, and that cars can be impounded. Re-registration means customs clearance, an Italian roadworthiness test and paperwork at the Motorizzazione Civile.

Visitors are different. If you are still resident in the UK and in Italy for a holiday, you can drive your UK car on UK plates with the usual insurance and documents. The rules change when you move your home.

The process is called immatricolazione, which simply means registration. Your UK V5C is replaced by an Italian carta di circolazione (registration document), and your UK plates by Italian ones.

Is it worth bringing your British car?

Sometimes. It makes most sense for a newer car you love, a classic, or a car you could not easily replace. It makes least sense for an older everyday car, because Italian registration costs, ongoing vehicle tax and right-hand drive can outweigh its value. Get a view before you commit.

Right-hand drive is legal in Italy. But overtaking on narrow country roads is harder, toll booths are on the wrong side and resale value is lower. Headlights must also be adjusted for driving on the right.

Think about where you are moving. A small car suits hill towns and old centres. A large car that was easy in the UK can be a daily headache on a Ligurian coast road or in a Tuscan borgo (village).

• Bring it: a newer car, a classic, or something hard to replace
• Think twice: an older everyday car with low resale value
• Consider: right-hand drive, parking and access at your new home
• Ask: your Italian insurer what cover a re-registered UK car will need

How does the car get to Italy?

You can drive it yourself or have it transported. Many households drive the car down while the furniture travels by lorry. Others put the car on a transporter or in a container, especially for a classic or when nobody wants to drive. Either way, the customs status of the car is the same.

If you drive, carry the V5C, your insurance details and the documents GOV.UK lists for driving abroad. You will need the right equipment for France and Italy, and winter equipment if you cross the Alps in the cold season.

If we transport it, the car is listed on the customs paperwork separately from the household goods. We need the V5C, the keys and a note of any existing marks or damage.

Does your car pay import duty in Italy?

Often not. A car can qualify for the EU transfer-of-residence relief if it is yours, for personal use, and you have owned and used it for the minimum period the rules set. Then it enters without import duty or import VAT. Italian customs, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, decide.

Customs issue a document confirming the car has been cleared. You will need it for registration, so keep it safe.

If the car does not qualify, for example because you bought it recently, duty and VAT may be payable. That can change the maths on whether it is worth bringing.

Before the car leaves, tell the DVLA it is being exported permanently using the right section of the V5C. Keep the part you are told to keep.

How do you get Italian plates for a UK car?

You clear customs, pass the revisione (Italian roadworthiness test), get a certificate of conformity, then apply to the Motorizzazione Civile. Most people use an agenzia di pratiche auto, a local agency that handles vehicle paperwork. They submit the file through the Portale dell’Automobilista and collect your plates.

You need to be registered as resident in your comune first, because the car is registered to your Italian address. You will also need your codice fiscale (Italian tax code).

The certificate of conformity, often called a COC, confirms the car meets EU type-approval. Most manufacturers can issue one. Some older or modified cars need a separate technical inspection instead.

Once registered, you pay the bollo auto (annual vehicle tax) and need Italian insurance. Your UK policy will not cover a car on Italian plates.

• Register as resident at your comune
• Clear the car through Italian customs
• Obtain a certificate of conformity
• Pass the revisione at an authorised centre
• Submit the immatricolazione via a pratiche auto agency
• Fit Italian plates, arrange Italian insurance, pay the bollo

What documents do you need to register a UK car in Italy?

Gather the UK registration, proof of ownership, customs clearance, a certificate of conformity, the revisione result and your Italian identity documents. Requirements vary slightly by province, so your pratiche auto agency will confirm the final list. Starting with this set saves repeat visits.

Make copies of everything. Italian offices often keep the originals of some UK papers.

• UK V5C registration certificate
• Proof of ownership, such as the purchase invoice
• Italian customs clearance document for the car
• Certificate of conformity (COC) or technical inspection result
• Revisione (roadworthiness test) certificate
• Passport and codice fiscale
• Proof of residence in your comune
• Italian insurance confirmation before the car goes on the road

What is a ZTL, and why does it matter?

A ZTL, or zona a traffico limitato, is a restricted traffic zone in a historic centre. Cameras record every car that enters. Unless you hold a permit, you get a fine by post, sometimes long after the trip. Florence, Rome, Bologna, Pisa and many small towns have them.

Residents inside a ZTL can usually apply for a permit through the comune. If your new home is inside one, ask about the permit as soon as your residence is registered.

ZTLs matter on move day too. A removal lorry cannot simply drive in. We apply for access permits in advance or transfer to a smaller vehicle. That is part of the survey, not a surprise on the day.

Some cities also restrict cars by emissions class. Older diesels can be barred from parts of town at certain times. Check your destination comune before you choose which car to bring.

Can you keep using your UK driving licence in Italy?

For a while, but residents are expected to exchange it for an Italian licence. A valid UK licence can be exchanged without a driving test under the current arrangement. The terms have changed since Brexit, so check the GOV.UK Living in Italy page for the rules that apply on the day you move.

The exchange is done at the Motorizzazione Civile, again often through a pratiche auto agency. You will need your UK licence, a medical certificate from an authorised doctor, photos and your residence details.

Do not let the licence lapse while you wait. Keep your UK licence valid until the Italian one is in your hand.