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

b.gud

Pacifico wrote: »

Did you import What did you end up going for?!

Got in a 1.8 TDCi Focous (2008 facelift model) not terribly exciting but found it really hard to get a good spec (Zetec or above) with decent milage in Ireland

SparrowHawk

Hi All,

Looking at buying a new car - probably from NI. If I'm financed via an ROI bank loan, is there anything to stop me from purchasing in NI / UK?

Thanks in advance,

SH

bazz26

Most lending institutions these days will insist on you buying from a registered Irish dealer if you go down the motor loan or finance route with them. They will want to pay the dealer directly. BTW I hope that you aware that if you buy a brand new car in NI/UK you will have to pay VAT on it here as well as VRT.

SparrowHawk

bazz26 wrote: »

Most lending institutions these days will insist on you buying from a registered Irish dealer if you go down the motor loan or finance route with them. They will want to pay the dealer directly. BTW I hope that you aware that if you buy a brand new car in NI/UK you will have to pay VAT on it here as well as VRT.

Knew about that vrt, did not know the bank would pay directly.

bazz26

SparrowHawk wrote: »

Knew about that vrt, did not know the bank would pay directly.

The best thing to do is check with them but I'm nearly sure they will insist on paying the garage directly. Things have tightened up a lot in the banking business in the last few years.

olewy

Evans Halshaw - has anyone any experience of dealing with them, good or bad? Plenty of negative UK reviews online but just wondering all the same if anyone has 1st hand experience with them. Thanks.

MidlandsM

olewy wrote: »

Evans Halshaw - has anyone any experience of dealing with them, good or bad? Plenty of negative UK reviews online but just wondering all the same if anyone has 1st hand experience with them. Thanks.

the internet is full of moaners, but you never hear of all the good experiences in the same volumes - even though they may exist a plenty.

Focus on the Car and the Deal, you'll not be darkening Evan Halshaws door again after you buy and get on the boat back to Eire.

sebbplatter

Hi all

Newbie here...

Just a few quick import and vrt queries:

1.) I have found the correct make and model via the ros.ie vrt calculator and it states the vrt is roughly €420 on a 10 year old saloon I'm looking at bringing in from a private seller in the UK.
However there are a few extras such as a 6 cd multichanger, bluetooth handsfree phone kit and a sim card reader (factory fitted) for phone voice activation or something which I believe would all be non-standard extras.
Would I therefore be likely to have to pay much more because of these or would it all depend on the day and the person examining the car at the NCT centre?


This thread goes back a few years datewise, so just in terms of current information...

2.) Could someone be kind enough to give me a quick breakdown of additional costs?

I know that I have to hand over the V5 at the NCT centre and they send it to the vehicle registrations office and of course that I will need to tax and insure the car and buy new licence plates when I get the logbook back with my new reg.

Is the VRT inspection the same as the NCT - or do I have to do an NCT inspection seperately?

Thanks.

bazz26

VRT on extras is only charged on cars upto 4 years old, on a 10 year old car is very unlikely they will look at extras.

You book your VRT inspection with your local NCT centre and they will give you a slot, VRT inspection is totally separate to the NCT test so you will need to book that separately after your car has been VRT inspected and have paid it along with receiving the new Irish number plates.

The_Conductor

bazz26 wrote: »

VRT on extras is only charged on cars upto 4 years old, on a 10 year old car is very unlikely they will look at extras.

You book your VRT inspection with your local NCT centre and they will give you a slot, VRT inspection is totally separate to the NCT test so you will need to book that separately after your car has been VRT inspected and have paid it along with receiving the new Irish number plates.

Sports pack, Lux pack and Winter pack (an- a la carte mix of the 3) on a Volvo. No extra charged. In Ireland we only have 2 pack options. This was a 4 year old. You shouldn't have any issues whatsoever with the items you've listed.

witless_steve

Looking for a little advice on importing from UK or NI.
I'm in the market for a 2 litre mx5 roadster coupe ( or 'the one with the retractable metal roof' as my mate calls it) 2009 or thereabouts.

Rough budget is 16k or so.
VRT calc says around 4.5k for that model.

My question is: at that price range is it worth the hassle to import yourself?

The only ones I can find onsale here are either brand new but not in stock or 07 or older. I know a lot of people use them as weekend or summer fun cars. This would be my main transport hence the solid roof.

If my budget is too small I can wait a year or two for the price to be right.

bazz26

I'd say whether to import or not will boil down to choice. Very few third generation MX-5s sold here especially when diesel became the fuel of choice since 2008. The choice in the UK will be a lot better.

My advice would be to register on a MX-5 owner's forum and ask for some pointers there. http://www.mx5ireland.com/

witless_steve

bazz26 wrote: »

I'd say whether to import or not will boil down to choice. Very few third generation MX-5s sold here especially when diesel became the fuel of choice since 2008. The choice in the UK will be a lot better.

My advice would be to register on a MX-5 owner's forum and ask for some pointers there. http://www.mx5ireland.com/

Cheers bazz26.
Good advice.

lord lucan

Just want to post to say thanks to everyone for the invaluable information posted in this thread. Went to London on Saturday to purchase a second hand motor and would probably have never thought or considered it without viewing this thread.:)

bazz26

What did you buy in the end?

lord lucan

bazz26 wrote: »

What did you buy in the end?

Sorry to disappoint but it was a 06 prius t spirit. They're going for silly money here and there's a load for sale in the London area due to their exemption from the congestion charge.

Got it for £4000stg on Saturday, drove it up the m1 to Northampton and stayed the night In a cheap hotel just off the m1. Set out Sunday morning at 9 for holyhead with one stop at Stafford services and made it to holyhead 50 minutes before the ship was due to sail.

The only thing I'd do differently would be to use a service like transfermate in future. The anxiety associated with carrying over £4000 in cash on the train and tube in London wasn't worth it.

The seller was sound, picked me up at the tube station in the prius, drove a few minutes up the road and we switched allowing me to drive it around Harrow for about 20 minutes on slow and semi fast roads. We drove to his house where he had all the documentation, I was able to go through the service history etc over a coffee, all very relaxed. We agreed a price, had another coffee and then I was on my way.

I didn't save mega money, but including vrt, trip etc I reckon I still saved one to two thousand euros, better in my pocket and I had a nice little adventure.

ferry17

Hi, Going to get VRT on my car today. I bought it privately and dont have a receipt. Does this matter??

aujopimur

ferry17 wrote: »

Hi, Going to get VRT on my car today. I bought it privately and dont have a receipt. Does this matter??[/
As the sign in the NCT/VRT centres says, write one yourself.

witless_steve

aujopimur wrote: »

ferry17 wrote: »

Hi, Going to get VRT on my car today. I bought it privately and dont have a receipt. Does this matter??[/
As the sign in the NCT/VRT centres says, write one yourself.

I had a vision of myself in that position. I'd be winding myself up with thoughts they'd put me through the wringer. Good to know a handwritten note to confirm the details will do.

Certainly lowered my panic level reading it, hope it did the same for OP.

ferry17

Sound, thanks. Must get writing

mb30

Alot of mis information in this post op makes importing a car from the UK sound like a major headache when its not

Esel

mb30 wrote: »

Alot of mis information in this post op makes importing a car from the UK sound like a major headache when its not

Care to give us your simpler summary then?

aujopimur

mb30 wrote: »

Alot of mis information in this post op makes importing a car from the UK sound like a major headache when its not

Can you point out the misinformation so that I might learn.

The_Conductor

mb30 wrote: »

Alot of mis information in this post op makes importing a car from the UK sound like a major headache when its not

Whats inaccurate?
Like to enlighten us?

ballsymchugh

Guys.
i moved from UK to Ireland in 2010 and imported my car with no hassle. i moved back to the UK in 2011 and re-reged the car in the UK. i've since sold that.
i'm hoping to move back to Ireland again towards the end of this year, and i'm wondering will i be exempt from VRT on the car i bring back?
the rules say you're only allowed VRT exemption once every 5 years but does that apply when the car was exported again anyway?

bazz26

I'd imagine it would be from the time of when you received your VRT exemption at time of importing.

gaiscioch

If importing a car from the UK, can you change the mileage display to kms only as you can do here since 2005?

bazz26

That depends on the particular car model. Some allow you to change between miles and km, some others don't.

gaiscioch

bazz26 wrote: »

That depends on the particular car model. Some allow you to change between miles and km, some others don't.

What is the name of that feature (so I can look out for it in car ads)? Will the actual round display remain in miles, or both, even if the speedometer clock that you press can be changed to metric?

bazz26

Usually you can change from displaying the mileage from miles to kph using the on-board computer. Some cars have a digital reading of the speed also which can change between mph and kph. Really depends on the manufacturer. For example VAG cars have a digital display of your speed, you can change this from mph to kph by changing it via the on-board computer. Very doubt it will be mentioned in any adverts though as most don't see it as a selling point.