Bringing your car to Jersey, Channel Islands: tax, emissions duty and registration

If you have lived outside Jersey for at least 12 months and have owned and used the car for at least six months, you normally pay no GST and no Vehicle Emissions Duty, just the £46.10 inspection and £37.70 registration fees (October 2026). Otherwise expect 5 per cent GST on the car's value plus a one-off emissions duty, from nothing for an electric car to £12,401 for the highest emitters (2026 rates). Swap your licence at the Parish Hall first, because DVS asks to see a Jersey one.

The order is Customs, Parish Hall, insurance, then DVS. Meanwhile, gov.je says a foreign-registered car may only be driven directly from the port to where it will be kept, or to DVS.

Can I take my car to Jersey?

Yes. Gov.je says anyone moving here for more than 12 months must register their vehicle immediately. Two practical points:

• Size. Vehicles over 2.3 metres wide need a P30 permit to use Jersey roads (£218.80 in October 2026). Most family cars are well inside the limit.
• The UK side. GOV.UK says you must tell DVLA if you take a vehicle to Jersey for 12 months or more: send DVLA the "permanent export" section of the V5C and keep the rest, because DVS needs it. DVLA will not post a V5C to a non-UK address, so have the complete document before you sail.

Step one: declare the car to Customs

You declare the car and pay any GST and Vehicle Emissions Duty online through CAESAR, the Customs system at customs.gst.gov.je. Gov.je asks for photo ID, the V5C, an invoice or recent valuation, and your ferry ticket. Relief can be claimed up to six months before you import. DVS cannot register the car until Customs has cleared it.

Is there import tax on a car from the UK?

There is no customs duty on goods from the UK, because Jersey shares a customs union with the UK, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. GST at 5 per cent is charged on the car's value, including freight and insurance. A car shipped from France or elsewhere outside that union can also attract customs duty, so ask Customs before you buy abroad.

GST Direction 2026/03, in force since 11 May 2026, removes the GST if all of these apply:

• you were resident outside Jersey continuously for at least 12 months before you first arrived;
• you owned the car and kept it at your former home for at least six months, and use it the same way here;
• you do not sell, hire, lend, give away or borrow against it within 12 months of arriving. If you do, GST is charged on its value at that point.

The relief covers private vehicles only. A car bought shortly before the move pays the full 5 per cent.

Vehicle Emissions Duty

Vehicle Emissions Duty (VED) is a one-off charge on first registration in Jersey, based on the manufacturer's CO2 figure. These are the standard rates for cars from 1 January 2026, unchanged in the Customs rate sheet of 11 May 2026.

Relief. Gov.je says no VED is payable if you have been resident outside Jersey for at least 12 continuous months, have had the car and used it for six months before registration, and declare to Customs that you will not sell, hire or transfer it for 12 months. A car brought from a second home does not get VED relief.

Cars without a CO2 figure, usually those built before March 2001, are charged by engine size, and vehicles over 50 years old pay nothing. Rates can change on 1 January, and a car not registered by 31 December pays any increase.

Step two: get a Jersey driving licence

Gov.je says you must get a Jersey licence as soon as you move if you are staying more than 12 months, and a UK licence can be exchanged without a test. Apply at the Parish Hall where you live. The fee has been £70 since 1 January 2024, a full licence lasts ten years, and you surrender your UK licence. St Helier asks for a passport-sized colour photo. Do this before DVS, whose document list includes a Jersey licence.

Step three: insure the car

The Motor Traffic (Third-Party Insurance) (Jersey) Law 1948 requires cover from an insurer approved under the Law. Ask your current insurer whether it will cover a Jersey-registered car; if not, arrange a local policy. DVS wants an original certificate or cover note, not a copy.

Step four: inspection and registration at DVS

DVS is at La Collette in St Helier (01534 448600, [email protected], weekdays 8.30am to 4pm). Every previously registered vehicle is inspected first.

1. Book the inspection with form VRD 17. DVS must see the form and the V5C before booking, in person or by email.
2. Pay the inspection fee: £46.10 in October 2026 for a car with UK or EU whole vehicle type approval, which covers most UK-market cars. Without it the fee is £511.50, or £117.80 for a vehicle over 25 years old.
3. Register with form VRD 2 and pay £37.70. Bring originals: the V5C, proof of ownership if you are not named on it, the Customs import declaration, your Jersey licence and your insurance.

J plates

DVS assigns a number on registration. Plates show "J" or "JSY" followed by digits and must meet British Standard BSAU145e. A zero-emission car may carry a green flash at the left; hybrids may not. A number of your choice costs £250 for five or six digits or £3,500 for four, plus £37.70 to assign it to a car being registered (October 2026).

Ferry costs

DFDS runs Jersey's car ferries from Portsmouth, Poole and St Malo. Fares depend on vehicle size, date and demand, so price your exact car, including any roof box or bike rack, on DFDS's booking pages. On 29 October 2026 its Jersey page advertised one-way fares "from" £171 for a car and two people from Portsmouth and from £145 from St Malo, based on 2026 sailings and subject to availability. The Poole route was closed for the winter until April 2027.

Electric cars

Gov.je says no VED is "currently" payable on fully electric vehicles. GST still applies unless you qualify for relief. Plug-in hybrids pay VED on their official CO2 figure. DVS lists a few small electric vehicles, including the Citroën Ami and Renault Twizy, as exempt from certain inspection and licence fees.

What it costs: a worked example

A car emitting 140 g/km and worth £20,000, at October 2026 fees and 2026 VED rates. The GST line leaves out freight and insurance, which add 5 per cent of their cost.

Add the ferry, plates from a plate supplier, insurance and the £70 licence.

Driving here

The island-wide limit is 40 mph, or 30 mph for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes or towing. Built-up areas are generally 30 mph and green lanes 15 mph. Our moving checklist puts every step in order and our cost of living guide covers running costs.

Frequently asked questions