Importing from the UK - definitive guide (Q&A)

billy3sheets · 01-12-2004 11:08pm

Thanks.
I plan to bring a car back for my brother next week. He's made a contact with someone in his local VRT office. He's hoping to hold off until Jan 05 before registering it, when hopefully the OMV will have dropped a bit because of the year.

I plugged in different reg dates into the ros system. It did not seem to matter which month of the year the car was registered in - no effect on the OMV. If you cross over a year though there is a significant change in value.

cheapthrills · 03-12-2004 12:31am

hi,
i've been looking at a car which is for sale in the uk, it was originally registered in ireland and then re registered in the uk. if i bought it and landed it back in ireland is it liable to vrt again. or could i simply change the plates back to the irish ones.
in other words do u have to pay vrt twice on the same car?

Robertr · 03-12-2004 1:17am

Don't know. I guess you'd have to have the Irish registration cert. If you don't then you would have to prove that it was registered in Ireland and that VRT was paid.

If it was bought new in Ireland for the purpose of being imported into the UK then they would probably not have paid the VRT.

cheapthrills · 03-12-2004 1:30am

the car was used in ireland for several years and apparently the irish reg plate is still with the car. dont know about the cert. though.

i'll ring the vrt office and find out.

magpie · 13-12-2004 4:19pm

OK, but what are the ways around this?

I understood that if you had the car registered in your name in the UK for 6 months prior to importing you didn't have to pay VRT?

Also, if you have it registered in your name at a UK address presumably you can drive it around on UK/NI plates?

Seth Brundle · 13-12-2004 4:27pm

magpie wrote:

I understood that if you had the car registered in your name in the UK for 6 months prior to importing you didn't have to pay VRT?

as long as you can prove that you were 'permanently' living there.

magpie wrote:

Also, if you have it registered in your name at a UK address presumably you can drive it around on UK/NI plates?

if you move here 'permanently' then it must be registered here - no exceptions.
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/importing_car_into_ireland.html

magpie · 13-12-2004 6:32pm

What if the car is registered in the name of a mate/family member in the UK and he 'loans' it to you to drive around in Ireland?

EDIT: What about all these new cars with Polish / Lithuanian / Latvian plates. How are they dodging registering their cars and paying VRT?

MrPudding · 16-12-2004 2:10pm

magpie wrote:

What if the car is registered in the name of a mate/family member in the UK and he 'loans' it to you to drive around in Ireland?

QUOTE]

Still doesn't work. You are technically not allowed to drive it.

MrP

magpie · 16-12-2004 3:45pm

Would an old Land Rover count as "small vans and some jeeps" or would it count as "tractors, large vans, lorries, etc. "?

shagman · 16-12-2004 9:34pm

Campervans over 3 ton only pay registration fee €40 I think. Get an american van small but heavy with a high top (converted dayvan perhaps). It must have a 6ft standing height inside a cooker and sink (fixed). Bring it in and if you don't want the camper gear switch it back to dayvan mode. Cheaper insurnce and road tax if you leave it as a camper but thats up to you. These have big engines so an lpg converted or diesel unit might be good. 4x4 versions are out there but rare enough unless you want to go to the US. Then you might as well get a Chummer .....chinook RV / Hummer 4wd
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You can get camper units that would go in a dayvan and make it legal as a motorhome as far as vrt goes. So look for a ford econoline / dodge ram / or chevy g10/20/30 4x4 dayvan with camper unit. The 4x4 bit will be tough I think thhis was only available as an aftermarket addition.

steeo · 04-01-2005 2:37pm

Robertr wrote:

1. When you buy in the UK, what do you do with the log book? Is it filled in with your address in Ireland & sent to the DVLA?

Their logbook is classed as a V5 cert and when you buy a car in the UK you take the V5 with you as you can not re-register the car here without it. The revenue will not accept a photo copy of the V5 only the original and the DVLA in the UK will not forward a V5 onto you with an Irish address, they will however forward you a permanent export cert but this will take upto 5 weeks to come out to you and the car you imported will be sitting in your driveway or garage till this cert is posted to you.

RicardoSmith · 04-01-2005 2:59pm

That calculator on https://www.ros.ie/VRTEnquiryServlet/showCarCalculator doesn't work for me. Says no car exists???

Someone in the UK has offered us their old 95 Golf for free. How do they work the VRT on that? I assume it would have a value of around 2000. Last time I enquired about a UK car I got a different rate everytime I rang.

Our man in Havana · 04-01-2005 3:39pm

RicardoSmith wrote:

That calculator on https://www.ros.ie/VRTEnquiryServlet/showCarCalculator doesn't work for me. Says no car exists???

Someone in the UK has offered us their old 95 Golf for free. How do they work the VRT on that? I assume it would have a value of around 2000. Last time I enquired about a UK car I got a different rate everytime I rang.

Even if the car is free, they will value on the book price here. The actual rate depends on the condition etc so they only real quote will be when you turn up to pay the tax.

RicardoSmith · 04-01-2005 4:09pm

Bond-007 wrote:

Even if the car is free, they will value on the book price here. The actual rate depends on the condition etc so they only real quote will be when you turn up to pay the tax.

So valet AFTER they inspect it then....

steeo · 05-01-2005 12:37pm

You can strip out leather interior and put in cloth, take off alloy wheels and put on steel wheels it doesn't matter they will value the car on the make and model of that car here in Ireland at the time you bring it to them so there is no need to go to all that trouble before you bring the car to them.

mad_martian · 06-01-2005 4:30pm

re. the vrt & insurance rip-off...I used to live in north and work in south pre-celtic tiger (paid high tax in south but "perm" address and licence in NI.

I insured NI car through IRISH ins company and paid in sterling which covered whole island fully comp (GTI 205, then williams clio, then golf gti 150bhp, then 1.8MX5 - since age 21). Never paid more than £450sterling for premium. Drove and kept car down here for years - no problem. Had one accident in Dublin not my fault - Garda took licence details etc no question asked and insurance paid out in full.....happy days. (helps with gardai if you have n'orn iron accent!!)

But made mistake of getting company car for past few years, lost no-claims etc and moved perm to south to set up home. Now I am living in Dublin and want to buy runabout (current wheels commercial jeep - no use to soon to be family man) but cant afford overpriced cars and VRT and Ins in rip-off post tiger ireland.

Also have been tagged twice for speeding in last two months (bad luck - first time in 15 years) paid 80euro fine each time and gave my valid NI licence details but have heard nothing re points. Both times in 40mph zone of 4 lane dual c/ways that should be 60mph!!! you all know where I mean.

My point is (yes I have one)..... I would rather risk "breaking law" with regard to VRT than pay it to a government that is reaping rewards of booming economy while doing little to support it.....

I know lots of people who drive NI cars down here - as long as its insured and you have a valid licence - who is getting hurt - the government and the dealers down here Boo Hoo??!!!
:eek:

RicardoSmith · 06-01-2005 4:35pm

Friend of mine tried doing that and someone in the Office park he worked at reported him. Had to pay up, as they were waiting for him when he went in one morning. That said he lasted about 2 yrs before that caught him.

magpie · 06-01-2005 5:27pm

**** it, If I had a valid NI address there's no way in hell I'd pay VRT. Plus the old 'no penalty points' thing with the NI licence is pretty handy.

mad_martian · 06-01-2005 5:33pm

yeah the penalty points seems to be a winner but what happens if Irish and UK get together and share info...I am screwed.

Plus little known (maybe) "fact" that NI points are separate from UK (England) points also. In effect you can have Irish, English and NIrish points without any cumalitive effect.

Thinking of buying car in NI regestering it at parents house in Belfast and then driving straight down here (if I can get insurance that is?)

mad_martian · 08-01-2005 8:59pm

on the penalty points - appears that NI and GB now recognise each others points since Oct04. Hope NI and ROI don't do same.....

Seth Brundle · 08-01-2005 9:13pm

Mentioned in another thread - Ireland retains the details of offences by foreign cars and will apply all the points onto those licences when there is shared points info accross Europe

mad_martian · 08-01-2005 9:22pm

yeah sorry just saw thread there - can't wait!!! I am just hoping to muddy the waters....comitted offence in company car (irish reg) - gave them NI licence details and paid fine using UK credit card as my Irish residency is "temporary" - but they'll get me in the end one way or t'other.

Silvera · 10-01-2005 10:49pm

Robertr,

Good info in your original post.

But why not buy from a 'private buyer' ?
Surely this is the best place to get a bargain (if you check the car carefully ofcourse!) ?

ambro25 · 11-01-2005 9:18am

Re. private buy in UK instead of dealer (Silvera) -

You can get AA/RAC inspection & HPI check (over the mobile phone) on a private buy just the same as at a dealer. It's just a matter of timing logistics well.

Offer a small (I mean small, e.g. £50 - enough to cover his re-advertising costs) non-refundable deposit to the seller to 'secure' the car while you arrange AA/RAC from afar - if the guy's legit, there shouldn't be any problems whatsoever.

The RAC inspection 'on the roadside' (i.e. at the private seller's place) is just as good as at any garage, and the post-purchase / post-inspection RAC warranty that attaches to the car is just as valid.

Had RAC inspection done on last 3 cars (2 of which were private buys) in UK, HPI check done over the mobile for the last one (Scooby, have to be careful with these

).

I'vge no doubt buying from a UK dealer must feel 'safer' - however, what happens if there's a prob with the car once repatriated, during the warranty period? ship it back to the UK dealer? what if it can't move? So, IMHO, for people looking to import UK cars, private is just as valid as dealer - especially for cheapos (i.e. 5+ yrs old cars).

Gatster · 29-01-2005 3:26pm

You wouldn't be able to sell the car in Ireland for 12 months after you re-register it. You might be better off selling in the UK rather than waiting a year.

Where does it state this in the VRT stuff on revenue.ie? If RobertR is keeping cars for a few months then selling them, I'm presuming this isn't a fact. I am going to buy a car in the UK as 'stop-gap' until I can get what I want over here (probably about 3-4 months) and then sell it.

I don't see how, when you've paid VRT and everything, that the government can dicate what you do with your property? So what I'm asking is whether this is definitely the case?

Seth Brundle · 29-01-2005 8:31pm

Gatster wrote:

Where does it state this in the VRT stuff on revenue.ie? If RobertR is keeping cars for a few months then selling them, I'm presuming this isn't a fact. I am going to buy a car in the UK as 'stop-gap' until I can get what I want over here (probably about 3-4 months) and then sell it.

I don't see how, when you've paid VRT and everything, that the government can dicate what you do with your property? So what I'm asking is whether this is definitely the case?

see www.oasis.gov.ie/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/importing_car_into_ireland.html

Government rip off wrote:

NOTE: If you are moving to Ireland and are among those exempt from paying VRT you cannot sell your vehicle for more than 12 months after the vehicle is registered.

Gatster · 29-01-2005 9:42pm

Cheers. Didn't think it was true, or more accurately doesn't apply to what I'm doing, seeing as I live here and will have paid the VRT...

ondafly · 12-02-2005 9:14pm

What actually happens when you drive off the ferry in Dublin, with your new pride and joy ? Do you have to register the car there and then with customs ? and then pay the VRT the following day ?

Ruatha · 13-02-2005 2:15am

No, I think you are "obliged" to register the car ASAP, but plenty of people put it off as long as possible.
If you have a UK address and UK licence you can get away with driving a UK car in Ireland until you're busted and told to go and pay the VRT! I'll be bringing a car over this Summer - I haven't bought it yet. I've been living in the UK for four years now and I want to bring a decent car back that hasn't cost me the earth. I'll drive it on UK plates for as long as I can get away with it, and hopefully after 6 months I can register it without paying the dreaded VRT since I'll have owned it long enough. I plan to keep a bank account and permanent address in the UK anyway, so hopefully I can beat the system!!

Seth Brundle · 13-02-2005 12:57pm

@ Ruatha - having a UK address and bank account is not enough. Is there much activity on the bank account? Where are your mobile phone bills going to & where are the calls made? What about utility bills?
The revenue will take a lot of persuasion and are not easily beaten!

Importing from the UK - definitive guide (Q&A)

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