Left Hand Drive Car Insurance
Compare Left Hand Drive Car Insurance Quotes
Compare left hand drive car cover from a panel of specialist UK insurers, for European and American imports.
Get Multiple QuotesSpecialist cover for left-hand drive vehicles
Compare quotes from insurers who understand European imports, American vehicles and LHD conversions.
- European imports, American vehicles and LHD imports
- Left-hand drive declared correctly from the start
- Agreed value available for rare and high-value models
- Personal imports and dealer-sourced vehicles welcome
- Access to a panel of specialist brokers
- One quick form, multiple quotes, no obligation
What Is Left Hand Drive Car Insurance?
Left hand drive car insurance covers vehicles built to be driven from the left, typically European imports, American cars and other vehicles brought into the UK. Because they sit outside standard UK specification, they need an insurer who understands how to rate them.
Insurers treat left-hand drive as an added risk on UK roads, and many mainstream comparison journeys won’t return a quote for an import at all, so cover often has to be arranged through a specialist.
MultiQuoteTime can provide access to a panel of specialist brokers who cover left-hand drive vehicles. You can also browse import car insurance by make and model, or see our guide to car insurers not on comparison sites.
What Left Hand Drive Cover Can Include
Depending on the vehicle and how you use it, a left hand drive policy can include:
American Imports
US muscle cars, pickups and other left-hand drive American models.
European and Worldwide Imports
Cars brought in from across Europe, plus imports from the rest of the world.
Supercars and LHD-only Models
Supercars and models only built in left-hand drive, such as the DeLorean or BMW E30 M3.
Limited Mileage Cover
Policies that reflect low annual mileage on weekend, show or occasional-use imports.
Re-registered Cars
Cover for imported vehicles that have been re-registered in the UK.
Club Members and Foreign NCB
A foreign no claims bonus may be accepted, and owners’ club or forum members may be viewed favourably.
Why Left Hand Drive Car Insurance Costs More
Parts and repairs are harder to source
Left-hand drive and imported vehicles often use parts that are not held by UK suppliers, so repairs can take longer and cost more. Insurers price that added expense into the premium, which is one reason mainstream cover can be hard to find.
Left-hand drive is treated as added risk
Driving a left-hand drive car on UK roads changes the driver’s view when overtaking and at junctions, and insurers treat that as a higher risk. Declaring the drive side correctly from the start avoids problems at claim stage.
Rare and non-standard vehicles are harder to value
Many left-hand drive cars are imports with non-UK specification, so there is no simple book value to fall back on. An agreed value policy, arranged through a specialist, sets the figure up front rather than leaving it disputed after a total loss. Many of these are also high-performance vehicles that overlap with performance car insurance.
Fewer comparable vehicles means less data
Standard insurers rely on large volumes of claims data to price a risk. Left-hand drive imports are relatively few, so many insurers simply decline to quote, and cover moves to specialists who understand the segment. This is the same reason so many imports need specialist import cover by make and model.
What Affects Your Left Hand Drive Insurance Premium
A handful of factors decide what you pay for left hand drive cover, and knowing them helps you compare on a fair footing.
Because so few insurers will quote on a left hand drive import, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive quote for the same car can be wider than it is for a standard model. Comparing across specialist brokers is the most reliable way to avoid paying more than you need to.
The car and its specification
Value, engine size and how rare the model is all matter. Many left hand drive imports are high-performance or hard to replace, which pushes the premium up compared with a standard UK car.
How and where you drive
Annual mileage, whether the car is a daily driver or a weekend vehicle, and where it is kept overnight all feed into the price. If you cover only a few miles a year, a pay as you go car insurance policy can reflect that lower use.
Your driving history
Age, years of experience, any claims and any motoring convictions all shape the quote, exactly as they would on a standard policy.
Owners’ club membership
Belonging to a recognised owners’ or enthusiasts’ club can work in your favour. Specialist insurers often see it as a sign of a careful, invested owner who looks after the car, and it may be reflected in a lower premium.
Declaring the vehicle correctly
Left-hand drive, import status and any modifications must all be declared up front. Getting this right from the start avoids a claim being reduced or refused later, and it is why import cover is best arranged through a specialist.
Policy Features for Left Hand Drive Car Insurance
Your left hand drive policy could include the following features:
Left Hand Drive Cover
Cover written to reflect that your car is left-hand drive, declared correctly from the start so there are no surprises at claim stage.
Grey and Parallel Imports
Cover for imported vehicles from Japan, the EU and the US. You can browse import cover by make and model to find the right fit.
Specialist Repairs and Parts
Imported cars often use parts that are harder to source, so a policy can be geared to specialist repairers who can get them.
Agreed Value for Rare Imports
For rare or high-value imports, an agreed value policy sets the figure up front rather than leaving it disputed after a total loss.
Cover Before Registration
If your import is still on its chassis number awaiting UK plates, chassis number insurance can cover you in the meantime.
Q-Plated Imports
A Q registration is issued when a vehicle’s exact age or identity cannot be confirmed, common on rebuilt or heavily modified imports. Specialist cover can still be arranged for Q-plated cars.
Performance and Modified Cover
Many left hand drive imports are high-performance, so cover can extend to modifications and overlap with performance car insurance.
Importing and Registering a Left Hand Drive Car
Getting a left hand drive import road-legal in the UK takes a few steps, and where you are in that process affects how you insure it.
Registering an imported vehicle
After you bring a car into the country you need to tell HMRC, pay any VAT or duty, get the vehicle approved, then register and tax it with the DVLA. The full process is set out in the government guidance on importing vehicles into the UK.
Vehicle approval and the IVA test
Many personal imports need to pass Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) to confirm they meet UK safety and environmental standards before they can be registered. Left hand drive cars built to a different specification are exactly the sort of vehicle this applies to.
Insurance before your car is registered
You may need cover before the car has UK plates, for example to move it or while it waits for approval. In that situation chassis number insurance lets you insure the vehicle on its VIN in the meantime. Once it is on the road, remember that third party cover is the legal minimum required to drive.
Left Hand Drive Insurance FAQs
Yes. Left hand drive cars are legal to drive and insure in the UK, but fewer insurers cover them, so cover is usually arranged through a specialist rather than a mainstream comparison journey.
Insurers treat left-hand drive as an added risk on UK roads, imported parts can be harder to source, and rarer models are harder to value. Because so few insurers quote on these cars, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive quote for the same car can be wide, so comparing across specialist brokers is the most reliable way to avoid paying more than you need to.
Yes, always. Declaring left-hand drive, import status and any modifications up front is what stops a claim being reduced or refused later. Getting it right from the start is one of the main reasons import cover is best arranged through a specialist.
Yes. If your import is still on its original chassis number while it waits for registration, chassis number insurance lets you insure it on its VIN in the meantime. Once it is on the road, third party cover is the legal minimum required to drive.
For rare or high-value imports, many specialist policies offer agreed value, which sets the figure up front rather than leaving it disputed after a total loss. It is worth asking about when you compare, particularly on models that are hard to value.
Yes. American imports such as muscle cars and pickups are commonly covered by specialist brokers. You can browse import cover by make and model to find the right page for your vehicle.
A no claims bonus earned abroad may be accepted by some specialist insurers, often if you can provide proof from your previous insurer. Whether it applies varies between providers, so it is worth checking when you compare.
Those are different vehicles with their own cover. See our left hand drive motorhome insurance and American RV insurance pages instead.
