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The short answer
When you send money from the UK to buy a car in Nigeria, keep four sets of records: proof of where the money came from, the transfer receipt showing who received it, a written sale agreement and receipt from the seller, and the vehicle's own papers, including genuine customs documents if it was imported. Pay the seller or dealer directly where you can, not a middleman.
Why the paper trail matters
A car is often the largest single purchase a UK-based Nigerian funds at home, and it creates questions on both sides. Your UK provider may ask about source of funds for a large transfer. In Nigeria, the car must have papers that stand up if the police, a buyer or Customs ever check. Customs officials have warned buyers to verify imported vehicle papers before buying, saying vehicles without genuine papers can be seized, and that unscrupulous agents supply fake documents (reported by TheCable).
UK side: before and when you send
Source of funds
Large transfers prompt checks under regulation 28 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, which requires ongoing monitoring including source of funds where necessary. Have ready:
- Payslips or bank statements showing the savings built up.
- If siblings are chipping in, statements showing their transfers to you and a short note of who paid what.
- If you sold a UK car to fund it, the sale receipt and the credit to your account.
The transfer itself
- Send to the seller's or dealer's own account, in their name, where possible.
- Use a reference that ties it to the purchase, such as the make, model and part of the chassis number.
- Save the provider's receipt as a PDF, and for naira payouts note the reference your provider gives you.
- If you send to a relative who will pay the seller, keep a message from them confirming what they did with it, and their bank's debit record.
Our guide to keeping records of remittances covers storage and how long to keep them.
Nigeria side: what to collect from the seller
- A written sale agreement naming buyer, seller, price, date, and the vehicle's make, model, year, chassis (VIN) and engine numbers.
- A receipt for each payment, signed by the seller, matching the transfer amounts.
- The seller's ID and proof that they own the car: the vehicle's registration papers in their name, or the dealer's purchase documents.
- For an imported car, the customs papers, checked as genuine before payment.
- After purchase, registration papers in the buyer's name from the state licensing authority.
For a template, see vehicle sale agreement template; for checks on imported stock, see customs papers and VIN checks.
If you are importing the car yourself
The Nigeria Trade Information Portal lists the documents for importing a motor vehicle: Form M, proforma invoice, bill of lading or airway bill, a CCVO, packing list and insurance certificate, with Form M mandatory for vehicle imports above $10,000. It says duty varies by type, engine capacity and year, and that duties, VAT and levies are paid at clearance. Age limits for imported used vehicles have been reported differently in different sources in 2026, so check the current Customs position before you buy abroad.
Mistakes that break the trail
- Paying in cash to a seller's agent with no receipt.
- Splitting the price across many small transfers to different people, which looks odd to both your provider and anyone checking later.
- Receipts that show a different amount from the transfers, for example to reduce a stated price.
- Leaving the sale agreement unsigned or undated, or signed only by a relative who is not the named buyer.
- Letting the dealer keep the original papers "for processing" without a written list of what they hold.
Scan everything on the day you receive it and keep the files with your UK transfer receipts. If the car is resold, stolen or involved in a dispute, that single folder is what a buyer, insurer, police officer or court will ask for.
Whose name goes on the papers
Decide this before paying. If the car is for a parent but bought with your money, the registration can be in their name; your transfer records then show it was a gift. If you want to own it, have it registered in your name and keep a written authority for the relative who uses it. Mixed arrangements are where family disputes start, especially after a death.
A worked example
Example only: you and your brother fund a ₦12,000,000 car for your father in Ibadan. You send ₦8,000,000 and your brother ₦4,000,000, both straight to the dealer's company account. File: your payslips and statement; your brother's transfer receipt; the dealer's invoice and two receipts (₦8,000,000 and ₦4,000,000, adding up to the price); the sale agreement naming your father as buyer; the customs papers the dealer supplied, verified; and the registration papers issued in your father's name.
Where Pryme fits
With Pryme you can hold pounds, Swap to naira when you choose, and send to the dealer's account, seeing the rate and fee first. Each payment can produce a verifiable receipt through VerifyDoc.ai, which the dealer, your family or anyone checking later can confirm is genuine and unaltered. See receipts.
Questions people ask
What documents should I get when buying a car in Nigeria from abroad?
A sale agreement with chassis and engine numbers, signed receipts, the seller's ownership papers, genuine customs papers for an import, and registration in the buyer's name.
Should I send car money to my relative or the dealer?
Paying the dealer's own account leaves the cleanest record. If a relative pays, keep their bank record and confirmation.
Will my UK app ask questions about a large car payment?
It may. Firms must check source of funds where necessary, so have payslips or statements ready.
How do I check customs papers on a car in Nigeria?
Verify them before paying; Customs has warned that vehicles without genuine papers can be seized. A licensed customs agent can help.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk: Money Laundering Regulations 2017, regulation 28 (customer due diligence) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Trade Information Portal: Importing motor vehicles · accessed Oct 2026
- TheCable: Customs urges buyers to verify documents of imported vehicles (21 Nov 2017) · accessed Oct 2026
- United Trust Bank: Source of funds guidance (ref 12/25) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.