Guide · Estonia

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

Two things changed for anyone bringing a UK car to Estonia: Brexit made it a non-EU import, and the 2025 motor vehicle tax added a registration fee at first registration. This guide sets out the rules, the 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. An Estonian resident must register the car in Estonia; the UK registration cannot be kept up from abroad in any case, 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 Estonia. The technical inspection (tehnoülevaatus) will require headlamps suited to driving on the right and adequate mirrors, and buyers pay less for right-hand drive.

What registering it involves

Customs clearance as a non-EU import (through a customs broker), paying duty and VAT.
Payment of the registration fee to the Tax and Customs Board before first registration.
Technical inspection (tehnoülevaatus).
Registration with Transpordiamet: Estonian plates and registration certificate.
Compulsory traffic insurance.

What it costs

Customs duty: 10% of the customs value unless UK origin is documented under the EU–UK agreement.
VAT: 24% on the value plus duty (rate from July 2025).
Registration fee: calculated from CO2, mass and age; Transpordiamet expects it to average under 10% of the car's value, then an annual motor vehicle tax.
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 to Estonia. The registration fee and inspection 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 Estonia 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 kept one.

Get a free valuation for your car in Estonia

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

Value my UK car

Common questions

Is the registration fee charged even on an old car?

Yes, though it reduces with age. It is charged before first registration in Estonia, and again at a change of ownership if it was never paid.

What if the MOT has expired?

Not a problem for us — we collect cars with expired MOT or SORN by transporter.

How long does collection take?

Estonia is a longer run, so allow one to two weeks from acceptance; we confirm a date before the transporter is booked.

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.

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