Any motorized vehicle being imported into the United Kingdom, including motorcycles shipped in household goods, are considered to be Custom Concession (tax free) vehicles. Customs Concession vehicles are any vehicles imported or purchased free of VAT (value added tax, car tax, and duty/excise tax), which include vehicles purchased from AAFES car sales or any military tax free dealerships.

Only active duty military members and DOD civilian components are authorized to own a concession vehicle and there's a limit on how many concession vehicles a person may own. Single, unaccompanied personnel without dependent spouse are authorized to own and operate one concession vehicle.  Personnel who are married and accompanied by their dependent spouse, irrespective of command sponsorship may own and operate two concession vehicles. (The government will only pay to ship one vehicle.) Dependents are not entitled to concession vehicles and are therefore not authorized to be issued or sign for 941 customs forms to pick up your vehicle from the port, purchase a used tax free vehicle from a military member here or buy a brand new vehicle from AAFES unless they are in a situation of extreme hardship. Any hardship request must go through the legal office prior to being granted. Any member shipping over more than their given amount of Concessions Vehicles should contact the Pass & Registration Office as soon as possible.

You must complete 3 pink copies of Customs and Excise Form 941 at Pass and Registration before your vehicle will be cleared into the United Kingdom by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise. Once the Vehicle Processing Center (VPC) (shipping unit) receives the customs forms, they will hold your vehicle for 24 hrs prior to being released.

If you are a motorcyclist or think you might be interested in motorcycling while stationed in Europe, there are a few things you should know first before making any riding plans or financial obligations. You must complete a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) approved safety course in order to get the required motorcycle endorsement on your 3AF driver's license before you can ride your motorcycle in Europe. A refresher MSF course is required every five years. Additionally, if it's more than five years since the last training, you will not be able to operate a motorcycle until the new training is completed.

The frequency and availability of student slots are limited. You are highly encouraged to attend one of the MSF safety courses offered at your stateside location prior to PCSing here to avoid any unnecessary delays in licensing. Contact the Wing Safety office for details by calling DSN 314-238-2255, or commercial 011-44-1638-54-2255.

Members are also required to have a motorcycle endorsement on their current driver's license.  If you do not have the endorsement you will not be allowed to operate a motorcycle in the U.K.  Many states allow adding the endorsement via mail however you will have to contact your DMV for more information.

Enforcement of Motorcycle Operating Requirements -- To reduce motorcycle related casualties, United States Air Force (USAF) implemented new motorcycle training standards. However, realizing the full benefit of these and existing safety standards requires a concerted effort by all RAF Mildenhall personnel. Commanders, at RAF Mildenhall have implemented a three-phased plan that consists of Education, Enforcement and Engagement.

All military personnel who operate a motorcycle on or off base are required to adhere to the following criteria:

• Regardless of country assigned, all personnel who operate or ride as a passenger on a motorcycle must wear a protective helmet which, at a minimum, meets certification requirements of ECE 22.05.  Department of Transportation (DOT), SNELL, and ANSI helmets do not meet host nation requirements.
• Eye Protection. Goggles, wrap around glasses, or a full-face shield (properly attached to helmet) designed to meet or exceed American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Z87.1 for impact and shatter resistance will be worn.  Host nation equivalent is acceptable if it meets or exceeds ANSI Standard Z87.1 for impact and shatter resistance.
• Protective Clothing. Wear of long sleeved shirt or jacket, long trousers, and full-fingered gloves are required. Gloves should be sturdy, non-slip type to permit a firm grip on the controls. Wear of a motorcycle jacket and pants constructed of abrasion resistant materials such as leather, Kevlar®, and/or Cordura® containing impact absorbing padding are strongly encouraged.
• Foot Protection. Riders will wear sturdy over the ankle footwear that affords protection for the feet and ankles (durable athletic shoes that cover the ankles may be worn).
• Garment and Motorcycle Visibility. Motorcycle riders should wear a brightly colored outer upper garment during the day and a reflective upper garment during the night.

Road tax is a yearly tax paid to the UK government on motor vehicles using public roads. When you buy a vehicle, the vehicle tax will not be transferred with the vehicle. You will need to get a new vehicle road tax before you can use the vehicle. You can tax the vehicle using the New Keeper Supplement (V5C/2) part of the vehicle registration certificate (V5C) online, by using the automated phone service - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or visiting a Post Office branch.

If you bring a vehicle with you to the UK and do not plan on driving it for an extended period of time, you can make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) if you don't use or keep your vehicle on a public road (eg you keep it in a garage, on a drive or on private land). You don't have to pay road tax. To apply for a SORN you can do so by applying online, by phone, or post. 

A minimum of one stateside license plate must be attached to the vehicle when picking it up at the port. Upon arrival of your POV you will be allowed to drive the vehicle to your place of residence and to MOT check locations only, once the full registration process is complete and UK plates have been placed on your vehicle then the vehicle may be freely driven in the UK. The UK plates are the members responsibility to have made and mounted on the vehicle, the plates can be made at the Bob Hope Community Center or the Kodak Store on Lakenheath.

U.K. light conversions are mandatory for every vehicle imported into the U.K.  There is no exception to this regulation. 

Per the 100 ARW/JA newsletter published 04 Jan 2024, the locally agreed policy for a US imported vehicle to drive on local roads for up to 30 days after import has been rescinded.

The new policy for all imported vehicles is as follows:

The vehicle will be allowed 2 total trips on UK roads.
1. To drive from place of origin (VPC or customs entry point if driving from Europe) to place of residence.
2. To travel to the MOT test site for a pre-arranged appointment.

During this time the vehicle must be insured to drive on public roads. The imported vehicles will be Road Tax free for the first year of the vehicle being in country. If the vehicle has been purchased from another service member and has already been in country for more than a year, then the vehicle must be taxed like normal.

The imported vehicle will not be added to the USAFE Form 435 (UK Drivers License/Gas Card) until the full registration process is complete and the vehicle is ready to receive UK plates.

Once you have completed your vehicle registration your first year of road tax is paid for by the military.

When your road tax comes up for renewal you will need to come through Pass and Registration and this process takes around 10-14 days.

Once your vehicle is registered under the tax-free scheme it will remain tax-free and hold Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (customs) restrictions, and hold import taxes regardless of how many times the road tax is paid, until it leaves the country.

Vehicles three years or older must have a Ministry of Transport (MOT) certificate completed. A new requirement for vehicles less than three years old is the Single Vehicle Approval (SVA). The MOT and SVA are similar safety inspections. However, the MOT is an annual requirement for all vehicles over three years old being operated in the United Kingdom; and the SVA is a one-time requirement on concession vehicles imported into the United Kingdom less than three years old. Once the vehicle is greater than three years old a standard MOT will be required annually.

A motorcycle is a vehicle and counts towards the number of tax-free vehicles that a member can have. This is regardless of how the motorcycle enters the country, even if it is transported and imported with the member’s household goods.

It is possible to import more vehicles than is allowed under the legislation through the Transfer of Residence Scheme (ToR). This is done by the member not by Pass and Registration. The ToR must be completed and approved prior to the vehicle being imported into the UK.

Full details of how to apply for a ToR can be found on the gov.uk website.

Please note any damages to your POV while still at the port, on form DD788 during inspection and take to the legal office-claims section. All inquiries on inbound POV's should be routed through TMO Inbound Section.

If you are impacted by a missed delivery date or experienced damage to your vehicle, please contact  International Auto Logistics (IAL).

If you require a rental vehicle due to a missed delivery date, members may make a request for a direct bill rental vehicle arranged by IAL to be considered on a case-by-case basis dependent on the individual need of the service member.  Requests for direct bill rental cars should be directed to Mr. Mike Todd or Ms. Karen Olsen (contact information below) and should include the entitled member's first and last name, shipping instruction number, and the zip code where the rental car is being requested for pick up.

International Auto Logistics

 [email protected]

1-855-389-9499, option 3

Claims Control Department

International Auto Logistics, LLC

1 Joe Frank Harris Blvd

Brunswick, GA 31523

Requests for Inconvenience Claims should be sent to IAL at [email protected]

If you have any questions or concerns, you can also contact:

Mildenhall SDDC Office Contract Office Responsibility

DSN: 314-238-2263

Local: 011-44-1638-54-2263

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA), previously known as Single Vehicle Approval (SVA). 

This test ensures your imported vehicle conforms to UK requirements, including a light conversion.  The IVA is for vehicles under 3 years old. 

Pass & Registration Office can provide details of some garages that offer the IVA conversion and inspection or talk to your co-workers for their suggestions.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) test is an annual safety inspection required on all vehicles over 3 years old.  The MOT certificate is good for 12 months and then must be retested.  You must have a valid MOT test certificate in order to drive on British roads. You may incur additional costs if the vehicle does not meet or pass MOT requirements and requires maintenance or repairs.

If your vehicle is over 3 years old, the first test will include the aspects of the IVA test as well as the more general safety inspection.

However, it is of note that not all MOT testing stations can issue the IVA stamp. So for vehicles over 3 years old, the MOT at import must be done at a testing station that can issue the IVA stamp.

• All vehicles built after 1 April 1981 must have a fog light, mounted at the rear of the vehicle, centered to the right hand side of the vehicle. Also, the light control switch must light up when the fog light is on and must be seen from the driver's seat.
• Parking lights must be white, not amber.
• The headlights in the UK are angled differently than in the States because of driving on the other side of the road. It is suggested that the re-aiming of your lights be done when you arrive in the UK.
• All vehicles built after 1 April 1986 must have a side repeater. A side repeater is a separate turn signal in the fender that can be seen from the driver side door. In most cases this means drilling holes in the fender of approximately 3/4 inch. Wraparound lights may substitute for the side repeater in some models.
• All rear turn signals must flash amber, and must not adversely affect any other light (brake light, parking light).
• Very few American vehicles meet the standards for light requirements in the UK. The price for a light conversion can be very high depending on the vehicle.