Moved to France six months ago. Find it’s more trouble than it’s worth to register my ageing car here and can’t face the long drive back to UK to sell it so have costed having it transported to a UK relative.
But now it seems that I have to subscribe to the UK Gov’s Custom Declaration Service, probably through an agent. It seems that I am “importing” my car into the UK, even though I drove it into France and am merely sending it back to where it belongs! Anyone had any experience of this?
If you declared it as exported to DVLA then that sounds right. If you didn’t declare it exported and it’s on UK plates then it shouldn’t be necessary though the fact you’re having it transported might complicate matters but I would be speculating.
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Thanks. I didn’t declare it as exported from the UK and it is on UK plates. I assume I could drive it home and do what I like with it in the UK so, yes, I suspect it is my laziness in potentially having it transported which would be the problem. It is the transporter who says I need to use the CDS and probably do so through an agent. Looking at this system online seems to open up questions of vat and duty because it would be classed as an “import.”
Why not ask HMRC directly, they’re quite helpful once you actually get through.
That’s a thought. Will update if I get any kind of answer.
Couldn’t you get a breakdown truck to “recover” it to the UK? 
Not if its of low value and you have to break it first as it could be repaired locally.
Did you declare it SORN when you departed the UK?
No. Hadn’t thought about anything but getting the heck to France.
Are you technically resident here or the Uk?
best of luck getting this sorted…
I’m resident here since I arrived in September as I’m on a renewable one-year visa and in the health system.
But I imagined that my car was still resident of the UK since I have not registered it in or exported it to France!
Thanks. I have a simple fallback plan. Scrap it here and buy a French car!
Ha Ha. Creative thinking!
Herein lies your issue.
You are resident here therefore you cannot drive a foreign car here. You should have immediately regidtered the car here upon its arrival. But it does not matter now.
Your transporter is correct. You are sending the car as a French resident to someone in the Uk. That person will be responsible to pay duty and VAT on receipt of car.
Couldn’t the relative come over and drive it back? That assumes it’s all UK road legal of course.
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There will be many questions and hoops for a French resident to scrap a car on a foreign plate. In your case though, it might be possible - talk to your local Duane.
Thanks. That makes sense. Yes, I should have started the process when I arrived. Should have, could have, didnae.
Oh, another Scot?
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Not the end of the world. As John suggests, have the intended recipient to take the car back.
Or talk with the Duane saying you were a bit lazy and want to scrap it. They are actually very helpful. I am trying to bring a car in that might have issues preventing registration and it is they urging me not to take ownership until the issue is resolved giving me an easy way out.