Importing MotorCycles / Scooters from India

We have many people coming to us to looking to move motorbikes such as triumphs, scooters such as lambrettas and even tuk tuks from India to the UK, USA, and even Japan. We have put together some basic information you need to be aware of as exporting vehicles from India is not straight forward.

It is important to understand that it is not cheap to ship a vehicle from India, if you think you will be able to achieve it for 100USD then you need to stop and rethink it. Depending on the work that is required from us and our agents the total cost can run over 1000USD. The actual freight part is the simple part the documentation is much more complex.

• India – Who is going to pack the vehicle?
• India – Who is going to handle the paperwork? We need some one to take responsibility
• India – Who is going to deliver to the shipping warehouse?
• India – Who will load the vehicle (packed or not) onto the truck to get it to the warehouse
• India – The shipper will need to supply a police report on the vehicle before it is shipped
• India – Does the shipper have an IEC exporter number? If not then either our agent will have to do this at extra cost or you will have to appoint your own person to complete the paperwork for handing over to the agent
• UK – When importing we will need to know how old the vehicle is to see if it is classed as a classic vehicle
• UK – Be aware that all vehicles even those which are personally owned and not for resale may have to pay Duty and VAT on the vehicle value.
• UK – All imported vehicles will need to be registered on the UK Nova System so the can be used on vehicles
• UK – All imported vehicles will need to have a SUPER MOT to ensure they comply with UK road regulations. You cannot drive them on UK roads until this has been done. The vehicle will be delivered to the importers location by truck.
• UK – If we are delivering the vehicle to you, unless a special vehicle has been specifically asked for it will be the importers responsibility to off load the vehicle for the truck.

The AJF as the freight forwarder does is not responsible for the NOVA registration or the SUPER MOT that is that is the importer’s responsibility. We are often asked by individuals about payment to the buyer in India. We can offer the following guidance:

• Do not pay for anything until you have evidence of the machine which is going to be sold
• Deposit then balance against shipping documents is acceptable payment terms. At least this confirms something has shipped before you pay.
• Has the supplier exported before?
• If it is a new motorbike, you need to check with the dealership they can legally export it. Often new vehicles are restricted in who is allowed to do the exporting

We have shipped many vehicles over the years from India. Most of the have gone smoothly, some we have had issues with. Usually this is down to the UK buyer purchasing the vehicle before thinking how they are shipping it or dealing with shippers who do not or cannot export.

If you are planning to purchase a vehicle or have an existing one you own. Please contact us, with as much information as possible (including the Indian Town and the nearest delivery town) and we will give you a shipping rate.