1. Purpose of this guide
What this document is for
This guide explains the process a UK entity should follow when exporting an eligible surplus military vehicle under the UK Open General Export Licence, Military Surplus Vehicles.
It is intended for customers who are purchasing a vehicle from a UK entity where the UK entity is not acting as the exporter.
The guide explains the distinction between buying a vehicle and being responsible for its export from the United Kingdom.
The company that owns or sells the vehicle is not automatically the exporter.
The entity responsible for making the export must establish whether the Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL applies and must comply with every condition of the licence.
2. What is an OGEL?
An Open General Export Licence, commonly referred to as an OGEL, is a pre-published UK export licence issued by the Export Control Joint Unit, ECJU.
An OGEL allows eligible exporters to export specified controlled goods to specified destinations, subject to the conditions of that particular licence.
An OGEL is therefore not a general permission to export all military goods or all military vehicles.
- the goods that may be exported
- the destinations to which they may be exported
- the conditions that apply to the export
- the records that must be retained
- the reporting and compliance requirements
ECJU states that exporters must read the terms and conditions of an OGEL before registering to use it.
3. Who is the exporter?
The first step is to establish which entity is responsible for the export from the United Kingdom.
| Party | Possible role | OGEL responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| UK seller | Sells the vehicle | Only responsible for the OGEL if it is also the exporter. |
| Vehicle owner | Owns the vehicle | Ownership alone does not determine who the exporter is. |
| UK exporter | Makes the controlled export | Responsible for complying with the OGEL. |
| Overseas customer | Purchases and receives the vehicle | May have import and local regulatory obligations. It is not automatically the UK exporter. |
| Freight forwarder | Arranges transportation | Not automatically the exporter. |
| Customs agent | Submits customs declarations | Can act on behalf of the exporter but does not automatically become the exporter. |
A freight forwarder or customs agent may handle the physical movement or customs declaration without becoming responsible for the underlying export control licence.
4. Scope of the OGEL
The current Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL is intended for specified surplus military vehicles falling within the permitted goods description.
The licence is subject to specific exclusions.
The vehicle must therefore be assessed against the actual wording of the current licence rather than simply being described as a former military vehicle.
Open General Export Licence, Military Surplus Vehicles.
Current version listed by ECJU: 19 January 2024.
The licence was amended on 19 January 2024 to remove Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger as permissible destinations.
5. Military List classification
The exporter must establish whether the vehicle falls within the relevant Military List entry covered by the OGEL.
The Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL covers eligible goods falling within ML6.a, subject to the exclusions and other conditions in the licence.
A vehicle may fall within ML6.a but still be excluded from the Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL.
The exporter must therefore assess both the Military List classification and the specific wording of the OGEL.
Information the exporter should obtain
- Manufacturer
- Model
- VIN or chassis number
- Registration number where applicable
- Vehicle specification
- Photographs
- Evidence of armour or weapons-related equipment
- Details of any weapon mounting
- Previous military ownership information
- Disposal documentation where available
6. Excluded vehicles
The Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL does not cover every type of military vehicle.
The following categories are specifically excluded by the current licence.
| Vehicle or equipment | OGEL position |
|---|---|
| Tanks | Excluded |
| Self-propelled guns | Excluded |
| Armed vehicles | Excluded |
| Armoured vehicles | Excluded |
| Vehicles fitted with mounting for arms | Excluded |
| Half-tracks | Excluded |
| Gun-carriers | Excluded |
| Vehicles specially designed for transporting ammunition or weapons systems | Excluded |
| Trailers specially designed for transporting ammunition or weapons systems | Excluded |
| Specified specially designed military components associated with excluded vehicles | Excluded |
The exporter must establish whether another export licence or authorisation is required.
7. Previous ownership
The OGEL contains a specific requirement relating to the previous ownership of the vehicle.
The vehicle must have originally been owned by the UK Ministry of Defence or the equivalent organisation in a NATO or EU member country, subject to the precise terms of the licence.
Evidence
The exporter should obtain documentary evidence demonstrating the qualifying previous ownership.
The GOV.UK guidance identifies documentation such as MOD disposal documentation and other acceptable ownership evidence.
The exporter should retain documentary evidence that demonstrates the qualifying previous ownership.
8. Destination requirements
The exporter must check the intended destination against the current version of the OGEL.
The fact that a country is generally permitted for export does not remove the need to comply with the other conditions of the licence.
Current excluded destinations
The current Schedule 2 contains the following excluded destinations.
If the destination is excluded, the exporter must not use the Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL for that shipment.
9. End use and end user
The exporter must establish the intended end use and end user before relying on the OGEL.
The Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL contains conditions concerning the use of the goods.
The current Military Surplus Vehicles OGEL contains restrictions concerning military use.
The exporter must therefore consider the actual intended use rather than relying solely on the fact that the vehicle is unarmed or has been demilitarised.
End-user information
The exporter should obtain sufficient information to identify the final recipient and intended use.
Depending on the transaction, this may include:
- Full legal name of the customer
- Registered address
- Country of destination
- Final consignee
- Final end user
- Intended use of the vehicle
- Details of any onward transfer
- Confirmation that the vehicle will not be diverted to a prohibited use
10. Sanctions
An OGEL does not override UK sanctions legislation.
The exporter must conduct an appropriate sanctions assessment before exporting the vehicle.
- Customer
- End user
- Consignee
- Beneficial owners where relevant
- Intermediaries
- Destination
- Intended use
- Applicable goods restrictions
The exporter should check the current UK sanctions position immediately before export.
11. SPIRE registration
The exporter must use SPIRE to register to use the OGEL.
An OGEL is not normally applied for in the same way as a Standard Individual Export Licence.
The licence already exists. The eligible exporter registers to use it.
12. Export documentation
The OGEL requires official and commercial export documentation accompanying the goods to contain either the required OGEL statement or the exporter's SPIRE reference.
"the goods are being exported under the OGEL (Military Surplus Vehicles)"
Alternatively, the relevant SPIRE registration reference may be used in the form specified by the licence.
The documentation must be capable of being presented to UK Border Force if requested.
13. Customs requirements
The OGEL is an export control authorisation. It does not replace the customs declaration.
The exporter must ensure that the vehicle is correctly declared for export and that the appropriate customs procedure is used.
Where a customs agent makes the declaration, the exporter should still retain sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the export was correctly declared.
Before collection
- Confirm the exporter.
- Confirm the destination.
- Confirm the customs procedure.
- Confirm the commodity classification.
- Confirm the export declaration arrangements.
- Confirm the OGEL registration.
- Confirm that the required OGEL reference will appear on the documentation.
14. Records and compliance
The exporter must maintain the records required by the OGEL and applicable export control legislation.
The records should allow ECJU to establish how the exporter determined that the export complied with the licence.
Recommended compliance file
- Vehicle identification information
- Vehicle photographs
- Technical specification
- Military List classification assessment
- Evidence of previous qualifying ownership
- Purchase documentation
- Sale documentation
- Customer information
- End-user information
- End-use information
- Destination assessment
- Sanctions screening
- SPIRE registration reference
- Export declaration
- Shipping documentation
- OGEL reference
- Evidence of shipment
ECJU has statutory powers to inspect export records and assess whether an exporter has complied with export control legislation and the conditions of the OGEL.
15. Annual returns
OGEL users are subject to reporting requirements.
The exporter must report its use of the OGEL through SPIRE in accordance with the current reporting requirements.
The exporter should therefore maintain an accurate record of every export made under the licence.
Registration permits the exporter to use the OGEL. It does not remove the requirement to check each individual shipment.
16. Export process
The following process should be completed before the vehicle leaves the United Kingdom.
17. Decision process
18. Customer responsibilities
Where our company is not acting as the exporter, the customer must establish its own export responsibilities.
The customer should complete the following checks before arranging collection or shipment.
- I have identified the entity that will act as exporter.
- I have identified the exact vehicle being exported.
- I have assessed the vehicle against ML6.a.
- I have confirmed that the vehicle is not excluded from the OGEL.
- I have obtained evidence of qualifying previous ownership.
- I have checked the current list of excluded destinations.
- I have identified the final consignee and end user.
- I have established the intended end use.
- I have considered the military end-use restrictions.
- I have completed appropriate sanctions checks.
- I have registered to use the OGEL through SPIRE.
- I have obtained and retained my SPIRE registration reference.
- I have arranged the correct customs declaration.
- I have ensured that the required OGEL wording or SPIRE reference will appear on the export documentation.
- I have established the required record keeping arrangements.
- I understand that I am responsible for complying with the OGEL as the exporter.
You may need to apply for a Standard Individual Export Licence or another appropriate authorisation.
19. Official sources
The following sources should be used to check the current position before each export.
- GOV.UK, Open General Export Licence, Military Surplus Vehicles
- GOV.UK, Open General Export Licences
- GOV.UK, Using SPIRE to get an export licence
- SPIRE Export Licensing System
- GOV.UK, UK sanctions
Document: OGEL Military Surplus Vehicles, Customer Guidance
Version: 1.0
Date: 20 August 2026
Licence reference: Open General Export Licence, Military Surplus Vehicles
Current licence version checked: 19 January 2024
This document is guidance only. The exporter must check the current OGEL, UK export control legislation, sanctions requirements and customs requirements before each export.