23 Years Old, Learners Permit, Importing First Motor From UK?

Imperial Destruction X · 03-09-2015 9:07am #1

Hi all,

So i literally just passed my drivers theory roughly 15 days ago and received my provisional license/learners permit yesterday. I am 23 years old, male, Crane Engineer I'm legally a learner driver but i work with cars and machinery everyday and drive vehicles in my place of work and would consider myself an inept driver.

I came into a sum of money recently (God Bless Paddy Power for financing my first car

!! So i have decided to import a car from the uk. I have sent my mother the money who lives in London and she has purchased the vehicle for me. Now i was either going to chance it and drive it over myself, or wait for a friend with a full license to go over with me and drive it back... But thats the least of my worries.

The car is a BMW 1 SERIES COUPE M SPORT 2.0 LITER 2010 PLATE. I have been quoted by AXA 2300e but can also take an axa specific test to reduce it by 400e. Will i find it hard insuring English reg in ireland for the few days before the VRT is to be taken? Will i get a lot of hassle from the Gaurds aswell driving english plates to and from work everyday? (I know i should have a full licensed driver with me whilst on learners permit but this 6 month rule will break my soul down and i do need transportation for work purposes)

Any tips or help would be amazing! Thank you all very much in advance.

Tow · 03-09-2015 9:12am

Windup?

03-09-2015 9:13am

Imperial Destruction X wrote: »

Hi all,

So i literally just passed my drivers theory roughly 15 days ago and received my provisional license/learners permit yesterday. I am 23 years old, male, Crane Engineer I'm legally a learner driver but i work with cars and machinery everyday and drive vehicles in my place of work and would consider myself an inept driver.

I came into a sum of money recently (God Bless Paddy Power for financing my first car !! So i have decided to import a car from the uk. I have sent my mother the money who lives in London and she has purchased the vehicle for me. Now i was either going to chance it and drive it over myself, or wait for a friend with a full license to go over with me and drive it back... But thats the least of my worries.

The car is a BMW 1 SERIES COUPE M SPORT 2.0 LITER 2010 PLATE. I have been quoted by AXA 2300e but can also take an axa specific test to reduce it by 400e. Will i find it hard insuring English reg in ireland for the few days before the VRT is to be taken? Will i get a lot of hassle from the Gaurds aswell driving english plates to and from work everyday? (I know i should have a full licensed driver with me whilst on learners permit but this 6 month rule will break my soul down and i do need transportation for work purposes)

Any tips or help would be amazing! Thank you all very much in advance.

If you are an inept driver, you shouldn't be on the road at all.
Don't even consider driving in the UK without a full licence. You will need the car taxed AND insured before you can drive in the UK.
Have you had an actual confirmed quote from AXA? A learner driver under 25 driving a car like that would find it very difficult to get insured in their own right.
Yes, driving that car every day would attract the attention of the Gardai.
Get your full licence and then get car.

mickdw · 03-09-2015 9:19am

I don't think you can drive at all in another country on your learner permit so that is a problem.
You will be able to insure it on uk reg for a week or 2 til you get vrt.
Nobody can hassle you re the uk plate it you follow the rules re getting it vrt.
driving Without licenced driver is now a big issue unlike a few years back and pretty much all insurers has specifically added condition stating you will not be insured.
Finally, paddy power you say has financed your car. I can guarantee you now that you will be paying for that car longer than if you had taken out a bank loan, a life time most likely.

Imperial Destruction X · 03-09-2015 9:35am

Deleted User wrote: »

If you are an inept driver, you shouldn't be on the road at all.
Don't even consider driving in the UK without a full licence. You will need the car taxed AND insured before you can drive in the UK.
Have you had an actual confirmed quote from AXA? A learner driver under 25 driving a car like that would find it very difficult to get insured in their own right.
Yes, driving that car every day would attract the attention of the Gardai.
Get your full licence and then get car.

Pardon me Mary, auto correct! I meant ADEPT. I have a confirmed quote from AXA through a broker! My commute to and from work is wholly backroads and have never once encountered a Gardai vehicle on my commute to and from work. I am aware of the legalities and problems that may arise. If the Gardai do appear and stop me. What is the worst that can happen? Beginning to think this is a terribly silly idea.

Imperial Destruction X · 03-09-2015 9:37am

mickdw wrote: »

I don't think you can drive at all in another country on your learner permit so that is a problem.
You will be able to insure it on uk reg for a week or 2 til you get vrt.
Nobody can hassle you re the uk plate it you follow the rules re getting it vrt.
driving Without licenced driver is now a big issue unlike a few years back and pretty much all insurers has specifically added condition stating you will not be insured.
Finally, paddy power you say has financed your car. I can guarantee you now that you will be paying for that car longer than if you had taken out a bank loan, a life time most likely.

Hi Mick, Thanks for the advise. When i said paddy power 'financed' my car i actually meant an accumulator came in for me in the footie haha

Alanstrainor · 03-09-2015 9:48am

Your learner permit is only valid in the republic. You are an unlicensed driver in the UK. Your quote sounds pretty good all considered.

And also, are there really savings to be had in the UK at the moment? The euro:sterling is so bad I'd think not...

mickdw · 03-09-2015 9:56am

Imperial Destruction X wrote: »

Hi Mick, Thanks for the advise. When i said paddy power 'financed' my car i actually meant an accumulator came in for me in the footie haha

I realise that but my point was paddy power will win in the end

Imperial Destruction X · 03-09-2015 10:00am

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Your learner permit is only valid in the republic. You are an unlicensed driver in the UK. Your quote sounds pretty good all considered.

And also, are there really savings to be had in the UK at the moment? The euro:sterling is so bad I'd think not...

Yeah that quote is amazing! Im assuming it must be my occupation as nothing else seems to be benefiting me. I know the rate is terrible at the moment, but there is still a huge saving to be made. The car itself is £7350 which is 9975e at the moment... was cheaper when i paid for the motor. then the vrt on it is around 1600e give or take 11575 total plus say 150e for travel. The same car over here is selling up an around the 20,000e mark so its a huge saving. (Plus, used UK vehicles seem to have a higher spec as apposed to the used cars in the R.O.I.

Alanstrainor · 03-09-2015 10:01am

Very true about the spec. You'd get far better in the UK! Well wear anyway.

Imperial Destruction X · 03-09-2015 10:02am

mickdw wrote: »

I realise that but my point was paddy power will win in the end

Oh i'm not a serial gambler by any stretch of the imagination so they wont be winning from me. Id do a few footie acca's a year, (maybe 5 - 10) for a fiver a pop with 15 teams or so. Very rarely comes in but when it does.......IT DOES!!

Alanstrainor · 03-09-2015 10:10am

In short. You're going to have to talk to your insurance company with regard to driving the car on it's UK plates when it lands in the country.

As for driving it unaccompanied, I'd wager you've been getting to work without a car for long enough now, so this should be no different.

Make sure your insurance is in order is all I'll say. You don't want to be stopped by the gards, driving on UK plates, with a Learner Permit and driving unaccompanied. That's a right mess.

Squidgy Black · 03-09-2015 4:19pm

Imperial Destruction X wrote: »

Pardon me Mary, auto correct! I meant ADEPT. I have a confirmed quote from AXA through a broker! My commute to and from work is wholly backroads and have never once encountered a Gardai vehicle on my commute to and from work. I am aware of the legalities and problems that may arise. If the Gardai do appear and stop me. What is the worst that can happen? Beginning to think this is a terribly silly idea.

Usually what happens, if the car is taxed and insured properly, it's 2 points and an 80 euro fine.

Stephenc66 · 03-09-2015 5:09pm

If I read your first post correctly your mother has already purchased the car on your behalf. All you need to do now is get it home and enjoy it.

Have your broker talk to the insurance company and see will they insure it pending VRT and provide cover in the UK (I have done this before but not with AXA). You will also need to add a fully qualified driver to the policy who is willing to drive the car home from the UK for you.

Under no circumstances should you drive the car in the UK on an Irish learner permit insured or not or have anyone else drive it uninsured if stopped the car will be subject to seizure.

I am not sure what the situation with having no road tax would be if stopped driving to the boat as to what a police officer might do. But the chances of getting stopped are higher than normal.

Both road tax and insurance are checked by automatic number plate recognition cameras from centralized data bases. So if flashed at a Blitz check in a Motorway Services or by a police car equipped with a camera it would show with no tax or insurance increasing the chances of being stopped.

Under UK legislation you can only drive a UK registered car on foreign insurance if it is being exported, Have the car insured (documents in the car with you), your ferry ticket with you and a fully licensed driver who is insured to drive the car and all should be well.

23 Years Old, Learners Permit, Importing First Motor From UK?

Comments