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Confirm where the vehicle has been taken
If the police seized your car while you’re visiting the UK, the first step is to confirm which pound is holding it. A seizure notice is usually given at the roadside. If you did not receive one, contact the relevant police force’s non-emergency line and they can direct you to the correct site. Pounds work to fixed time limits, so establishing the location quickly avoids unnecessary storage charges.
Proving your identity and entitlement
You must attend with strong photo ID and the vehicle’s registration certificate from your home country. Pounds cannot check foreign documents through the DVLA system, so they rely on what you provide. If the document is not in English, a simple translation helps staff understand the essentials. If someone else owns the car, the pound will usually require a clear letter of authority and may still insist on verifying details directly with the owner.
Insurance suitable for road release
Your foreign insurance policy cannot be used to drive the car out of the pound. UK pounds only accept a UK-issued insurance certificate that specifically allows impound release. Temporary cover lasting one to twenty-eight days is also rejected because it excludes seized vehicles. The type normally accepted is a thirty-day impound-ready policy that names the person collecting the vehicle and matches the registration number.
If you hold a foreign driving licence, most impound-release insurers can accommodate it as long as it is valid for use in the UK. The pound still checks that your identity and licence match the insurance certificate.
If the car has been in the UK for a long time
Pounds may ask how long the vehicle has been in the UK. Foreign-registered cars can drive in the country legally for a limited period before UK registration, MOT requirements and tax become relevant. If the vehicle appears to have been in regular domestic use for longer than allowed, the pound may refer the case back to police checks before it is released by road.
Paying the release and storage fees
You must settle the statutory removal fee and storage charges before the vehicle can leave the pound. Storage is counted in twenty-four-hour periods or part periods, so the total can increase quickly. Most pounds accept card payments, though exact methods vary.
If driving out is not possible
If arranging impound-valid insurance is difficult, or the vehicle is unroadworthy, you can use a specialist vehicle recovery company to remove it on a transporter. This avoids the need for a driving policy, but the pound still requires ID, proof of entitlement and full payment of fees before release.
When you cannot attend personally
Pounds normally require the keeper or lawful owner to attend in person. If you are elsewhere in the UK or have travel constraints, a properly authorised representative may attend, but only if the pound can verify their identity and authority. They must still have appropriate impound-release insurance if the vehicle is to be driven out.
A practical route to recovery
Recovering an impounded car as a non-resident visitor follows the same core rules as any UK impound: strong ID, proof of ownership, a UK-issued thirty-day impound-valid policy and payment of all fees. Foreign documents make verification slower, so contacting the pound before travelling and bringing every available document usually results in the quickest release.
Impound processes, time limits and costs vary widely across the UK, and authorities can amend their rules at any time. Information on this site is intended as a general overview and should not be relied on as definitive for any specific impound location.