How to Tax when Abroad

1. DVLA Guide
2. DVLA and Vehicles
3. Car Tax
4. How to Tax when Abroad

What happens if you're due to be out of the country around the time your tax expires? Don't worry - you can tax your vehicle up to two months before its tax runs out, or you can take advantage of DVLA's online and telephone services.

On this page:
Online and Phone Vehicle Taxation Services
Taxing your Vehicle in Advance
Someone Taxing the Vehicle on Your Behalf

Online and Phone Vehicle Taxation Services

You can tax your vehicle in the usual way via the online and telephone services. This can be done from the fifth day of the month. Remember that the tax disc can only be posted to the address on your documentation so you may need to ask someone to post this to you at an address abroad.

Taxing your Vehicle in Advance

The DVLA offers a special service whereby drivers can renew their tax up to two months in advance. This can be done via post or in person at designated Post Offices branches, or at your local DVLA office.

You will need the following documentation:

• Your vehicle's registration certificate
• The completed V10 vehicle licence application
• Valid insurance certificate or cover note
• Valid MOT certificate (if needed)
• Payment
• A covering letter which gives the reasons for taxing in advance

Send Tax Disc Abroad

If you would like DVLA to send your new tax disc to an address abroad, give them the address in your covering letter along with the application.

Someone Taxing the Vehicle on Your Behalf

Someone else can tax the vehicle for you using the V11 reminder or V10 and the vehicle registration certificate in the normal way that you would tax the vehicle yourself.

See Taxing Your Vehicle with a Reminder.

Last updated: Monday 25th July 2011