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

Katiedaly87 wrote: »

Hi everyone, wondering if I could get a quick answer for this:

I just bought a uk reg car 2weeks ago, if I wait until the new year to VRT, will it be much cheaper to take in??

Also, when I do go to VRT the car, what documentation do they want to see? For example, I'm insured on the car so do they ask to see insurance docs??

Thanks 😊

Doubt it'll be much cheaper. Also VRT is payable from the day the car enters the country. They'll ask for a receipt or ferry receipt to show this. Probably not overly strict on it though. Your also running the risk of being stopped and having the car impounded if stopped which is more likely than usual as your a bit of a target to them unless your living on the borders.

Katiedaly87 wrote: »

Thanks for the speedy reply!

I do live close to the border and have been keeping off main roads..I was going to hold off until the new year but If it's not that big of a saving I might just book it in now. They don't require insurance docs though??

No didn't ask me for them anyway. May be a slight reduction but I would be surprised if it was much. Would depend on the age and value of the car also. What are you importing?

Katiedaly87 wrote: »

if I wait until the new year to VRT, will it be much cheaper to take in??

Your insurance company notify Irish revenue 42 days after you are insured on the car if it still has UK plates from day x so they will know.

You will also need to provide proof of import date and they are sticky on it.
There is a major clampdown over the last 18-24 months for these type of revenue streams, so they are not going to ignore it.

Katiedaly87 wrote: »

Hi everyone, wondering if I could get a quick answer for this:

I just bought a uk reg car 2weeks ago, if I wait until the new year to VRT, will it be much cheaper to take in??

Also, when I do go to VRT the car, what documentation do they want to see? For example, I'm insured on the car so do they ask to see insurance docs??

Thanks 😊

You will need to bring the car with you. You will need to be able to point out where the chassis number is.
You will need to have id as in driving licence
You will need evidence of pps number on official documentation.
You will need a utility bill, bank statement, showing your attachment to your address and that documentation cannot be more than six months old.
You will need a signed dated invoice for the purchase of the car that also shows the purchase price.
You will also need the V5 or a certificate of permanent import.
You will need the VRT payment. If paying in cash they will not accept more than €250.
Credit cards are subject to a surcharge.
You will need shipping details.
Depending what age bracket the car falls into there could be a reasonable saving waiting until the new year but you must get over two issues first
(1) The car has to be notified within seven days of entering the state
(2) The car has to be fully processed within thirty days.
If you bought in Northern Ireland and the date of clearing is outside the thirty days you will have to show evidence of where in the North it was stored.

DieselPowered wrote: »

The reason for the VRT inspection is for them to go off and figure out how much you need to pay, so you don't need the VRT payment (which you don't know yet) when you present the car to them initially. They call you back/you call them within a couple of days with the amount owed and then you go and pay it back in the same office.

If you have a standard car it isusually very easy to work out what it will cost to clear, or you will come very close thus saving yourself time and travelling costs.
I get a bank draft for a sum close to the mark and then I have cash to top up if there is a difference.
It is very important to note that for whatever reason you do not complete the transaction within the thirty days you are into the penalty situation.
Also if you are to blame for a return visit you will be charged extra for that visit and what ever penalties apply if the return date is outside the thirty days.
A lot easier to get everything done on the one day instead of making a song and dance of it.
If you decide to nominate someone on your behalf you need to nominate them in writing and state they may declare the car in your name.
You will need to give them all the aforesaid documents and get themto bring their own id also.

Hello all

I wondered if anyone had any information about a specific scenario - I posted on another thread so thanks in advance for anyone who replied there - but I thought I'd ask more widely.

In 2012 we moved to UK taking our 2004 car with us, reregistering it in the UK. Due to recent (positive) changes in our plans we will now be returning to Ireland and bringing the car back with us. We had originally planned to replace the car in the UK and bring the new one back.

This is a genuine transfer of residence so all OK there with docs etc.

Do I need to go to Revenue with the TOR form, then book NCT etc. or is the process more direct with the car being a Irish original? The car is still in NCT (!) and we have copies of Irish reg cert etc.

Thanks!

boardsusername wrote: »

Hi,
I have a query which I can't seem to find the answer for, thought to be honest my head hurts a this point & I don't think I can google any more!
I want to buy a VW Caddy van being sold in the south with NI plates on it.
(Haven't contacted seller as I want a bit of info before i have that conversation.)

What do i have to do if i want to buy this? I need to figure out the final cost to me.

Pay import duty? How much?
Pay VRT? Can't find commercial calculator. Is it 50 or 200euro on commercials? Saw those figures somewhere?

Thanks.

Its flat rate of €200.00 as the van qualifies on its size etc.
Are you buying private or off a garage. If private it would need to be attached to another EU country. If off a garage it has to be cleared for you.

It's illegal for a private seller to sell a foreign reg. vehicle in ROI. Get him to clear it before you buy.

boardsusername wrote: »

Thanks.
It's private. The seller is in a southern county bordering on the north. It has Northern Ireland plates on it. (and says all UK mot & tax is up to date. Not much good to me.)

Would they have already paid an import duty on it (in order to sell it in the south)? And if & I have to pay it , how much would that be about? Is that where the OMSP scary figures come in?

A garage cannot sell it to you without having it cleared first and they can only have it for sale if they have a tan number.
So it is a private seller.It may be illegal for him to have it I dont think selling it compounds the issue.
I guess he has a northern Ireland address so that will do.
In any event omsp does not come into it. Its flat €200.00.plates €18.00 test something over €100.00, (increased lately) tax €330.00.
As regards tax you will need to satisfy the tax office for commercial tax by vat no or herd number etc.

They are quite busy at the moment with it being the holiday season, volume of people declaring their cars off the road in advance and extra volume of ownership transfers to avoid paying arrears.

Wait 24hrs, tax it using the last 6 digits of the VIN, VRC will then be issued.

aujopimur wrote: »

It applies to all private sales.

Any proof.
It doesn't make sense.

You are saying that if French resident wants to sell French registered car to Irish resident, then only option is for Irish resident to go to France to proceed with the transaction and pick it up from there, but the French guy can't come over to Ireland to bring the car for the buyer and finish transaction in Ireland?

colm_mcm wrote: »

You have to vrt the car. There are exemptions to having to vrt the car. These don't allow for selling.
The key is the having to vrt the car AFAIK.
If you're not vrting the car you have to export it again.

It would be completely against EU rule of free trade, if resident of other member state couldn't bring his car to Ireland and sell it.
As above - I don't believe this can be the case.

colm_mcm wrote: »

Ah sure vrt is against open trade anyway.

But person who is not resident in Ireland and comes here with his/her car, can not VRT and register the car in Ireland.
Only ROI residents can register their cars in Ireland.

CiniO wrote: »

It would be completely against EU rule of free trade, if resident of other member state couldn't bring his car to Ireland and sell it.
As above - I don't believe this can be the case.

I don't think there would be an issue provided the usual VRT rules (appt made within 7 days, VRT assessed by NCTS within 30 are followed). The point about TAN numbers and dealers is that they are the only ones permitted to defer payment of VRT on vehicles held in stock. Otherwise, in your example, Revenue would look for proof (by way of ferry ticket) of when the car was imported. If the time limits have passed, interest and penalties would be due. It would be naive of an Irish resident to purchase a foreign registered car which has been in the country for a long time as without proof of the importation date, Revenue can look for penalties. Clearly NI sourced cars are the difficult ones.

colm_mcm wrote: »

Ah sure vrt is against open trade anyway.

Not really, foreign dealers can sell over the net and deliver here for the purchaser to deal with VRT etc. no greater burden or barrier is imposed. Cars aren't Irish manufactured and, even if they were, attract the same rate of VRT. As regards freedom of movement of individuals, the ownership thresholds might be arguable. Why should you not be able o buy a ar immediately before leaving (say) central Paris to live in the Dingle peninsula.

beachyboy wrote: »

What are the best wen sites to look for English cars (ie best deals, near an airport etc) - want to get an Audi A4 estate Thanks

Hard question to answer. Most garages will be asking prices that will not make it viable to import by the time you take transport and exchange and VRT into consideration.
If you do not have contacts there who usually sell to the trade and who have all the hard work done I would suggest that you go on the likes of www.autotrader.co.uk and buy privately with full service record.

DieselPowered wrote: »

Audi Used Cars UK.

Ont think there would be any savings at those prices

bazz26 wrote: »

Importing is not always about saving money. It's about getting the right car with the right spec that has been better looked after and maintained, something the vast majority of Irish cars don't offer.

There are absolutely plenty of bangers, write-off's, ringers, and vehicles that were ill-maintained on offer in the UK, plus the fact that it's a separate country, boundary, legal jurisdiction etc. Plenty of decent vehicles also but then they have nearly 60,000,000 people its a numbers game. Just saying be as as cautious if not more when looking in the UK.

I can't get a date with the VRT place until 2nd January, but just wondering if I can get the NCT done before on UK plates as I'll be working away midweek after that and need the car ?

Also, if I insure if from now with UK plates (I understand I have a month from the insurers to change the plates) is it legal to drive without NCT ? It has a valid MoT until 13th January

You need to have the UK V5c registration document to present to the VRT people. No way around it. You should have been given it by the seller. Did they post it to the DVLA?

challengemaster wrote: »

As long as you book within 7 days of importing and VRT within 24 days of booking, you're grand. (total of 31 days to complete process)

NCT can't be done on foreign cars, but you can drive the car on UK plates until it's VRT'd.

While it doesn't need MOT to drive within ROI, it does need a valid MOT to be VRT'd. So you're just in on that one.



You need the registration document. UK seller shouldn't post anything to DVLA as the car is being exported. I've heard they could send a letter informing DVLA that the car has been sold for export and is no longer theirs, but it explicitly states in the registration document not to return if car is being exported.[/QUOTE

It can be VRT'd without an MOT, but it would need a roadworthiness inspection