Guide · Croatia

Driving a UK-registered car in Croatia: how long you can keep UK plates, what registering it costs, and what to do instead

Croatia adds a value-and-CO2-based special tax to the customs duty and VAT that every UK car now attracts. This guide covers how long you can stay on UK plates, the registration steps and costs, and the alternative.

Last reviewed September 2026

How long can I keep it on UK plates?

Non-residents may drive a foreign-registered car while its home registration, inspection and insurance are valid. A Croatian resident must register the car in Croatia; the UK registration cannot be maintained from abroad either, because the V5C needs a UK address and the MOT and UK insurance lapse.

Can a right-hand-drive car be registered?

Right-hand-drive cars can be registered in Croatia. The tehnički pregled will require headlamps adjusted for driving on the right and suitable mirrors, and Croatian buyers discount right-hand drive.

What registering it involves

Customs clearance as a non-EU import (through a customs broker), paying duty and VAT.
Special tax on motor vehicles (PPMV) assessed by the customs administration.
Technical inspection (tehnički pregled) at a station.
Registration with the police / inspection station: Croatian plates and prometna dozvola.
Compulsory motor insurance.

What it costs

Customs duty: 10% of the customs value unless UK origin is documented under the EU–UK agreement.
VAT: 25% on the value plus duty.
PPMV: a percentage of the car's value scaled by CO2 emissions.
Inspection, translations, plates and fees.

Moving home? Transfer-of-residence relief

If you lived in the UK for at least 12 months and owned and used the car for 6 months or more, transfer-of-residence relief normally removes customs duty and VAT when you move back. PPMV and registration costs still apply, and the car cannot be sold for 12 months.

The alternative: sell it back to the UK

Selling back to the UK trade avoids all of it. We buy UK-registered cars in Croatia as they stand, collect free from any address, handle the export paperwork, and pay in pounds sterling on the day — into your UK bank account if you still have one.

Get a free valuation for your car in Croatia

Free collection anywhere in Croatia, all export paperwork handled, paid in pounds sterling (£) on the day.

Value my UK car

Common questions

What if the MOT has expired?

Not a problem — we buy cars with expired MOT or SORN and collect by transporter.

Do you collect from the islands?

From the mainland ports, yes — we will ask you to bring the car across on the ferry or meet the transporter at the port.

How quickly can you collect on the coast?

Usually within a week or two of acceptance; Dalmatia is a longer run than Zagreb.

Rules, rates and thresholds change. This guide is a general summary as of September 2026, not legal or tax advice — check the current position with the registration authority or a customs agent before relying on it.

← Sell your UK car in Croatia