Register in Ireland or keep it UK?

thethedev

Hi there
I am currently living in the UK but I'm back in Ireland quite a bit with my car.
Its a 1998 Subaru Legacy.
I'm considering registering it back home as I can get the VRT exemption because I've lived here for 6 months.
You see, I have an Irish licence and I'm insured by an Irish company so it causes alot of problems anytime I get stopped by the Police here. My insurance doesn't come up on their database and they constantly think my licence is fake. (why can't we get laminated ones like everyone else?) Also having an Irish insurance company makes taxing difficult and they UK companies wont insure me because I have an Irish bank account. ( I cant afford to pay it in one go)

So I'm just looking for your opinion really.
The main thing I'm wondering about is the NCT I'm not sure if its stricter than an MOT and given that the car is fairly old I don't want to register it and then find I can't get it passed the test.

Any opinions welcome.
Thanks very much

munchkin_utd

is it not illegal in ireland to be driving a foreign registered car by a driver with an irish licence?

anyhow, an immediate and simple solution might be to swap your irish licence for a UK one. That way both irish and uk cops wont give you stick when you are stopped.

From the following page it seems straight forward to swap to a uk licence:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022556

keithclancy

thethedev wrote: »

Hi there
I am currently living in the UK but I'm back in Ireland quite a bit with my car.
Its a 1998 Subaru Legacy.
I'm considering registering it back home as I can get the VRT exemption because I've lived here for 6 months.
You see, I have an Irish licence and I'm insured by an Irish company so it causes alot of problems anytime I get stopped by the Police here. My insurance doesn't come up on their database and they constantly think my licence is fake. (why can't we get laminated ones like everyone else?) Also having an Irish insurance company makes taxing difficult and they UK companies wont insure me because I have an Irish bank account. ( I cant afford to pay it in one go)

So I'm just looking for your opinion really.
The main thing I'm wondering about is the NCT I'm not sure if its stricter than an MOT and given that the car is fairly old I don't want to register it and then find I can't get it passed the test.

Any opinions welcome.
Thanks very much

Few problems there.

1. You shouldn't have Irish Insurance unless you are resident in Ireland, your Insurance should be registered to your UK address. I assume you have the Insurance on your parents address or something.

2. Registering your car on Irish plates wouldn't be allowed as you have to be resident to register on Irish plates.

3. Your license is valid for upto 10 years or until it expires anywhere in the EU, whichever comes first, there is no requirement to exchange it.

To be all above board, you just need UK insurance registered to your UK residence.

Your only issue is your insurance, not your license, if the Police has some sort of Issue with that then they need further training, you should make a suggestion to the local station, the Irish license isn't unique at all, its a standard EU model.

Dutch


German

AFAIK the Dutch police have a book in the car with them for Identifying EU licenses and also theres thousands of people driving in the UK with non UK licenses.

Also you should note that the VRT exemption DOES NOT apply if your are a student, only if you are living and working in the country you have moved to.

corktina

munchkin_utd wrote: »

is it not illegal in ireland to be driving a foreign registered car by a driver with an irish licence?

anyhow, an immediate and simple solution might be to swap your irish licence for a UK one. That way both irish and uk cops wont give you stick when you are stopped.

From the following page it seems straight forward to swap to a uk licence:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022556

its illegal dor an irish RESIDENT to be driving a foreign registered car.

thethedev

Ok Im slightly confused.

My registered adress is still in Ireland. The car is registered to an address in the UK and my licence is in the address of my insurance.

I am a student but I can still get the exemption because it wasn't my main reason for coming here. (first looking for work)

I'm confused, if I go home with the UK car, can I be stopped? Thats another reason that I want to get Irish plates on it, seeing as I'll be home for a few months.

AFAIK my insurance is valid because I never spend more than 3 months at a time in the UK

I still dunno what to do.

Thanks

ballsymchugh

to get the exemption you have to have proof of work of the time you were in the uk, including payslips, tax records etc so you may still have trouble if you are a student, unless you have a part time job.

it's pretty straight forward, if you are resident in ireland then you are required to contact revenue within 3 days of importing. if you are not sure if you'll stay, then you'll need proof of address in the uk like a rental agreement or mortgage stuff, so you'd have to keep that in the car in case you are stopped with english plates.

keithclancy

thethedev wrote: »

Ok Im slightly confused.

My registered adress is still in Ireland. The car is registered to an address in the UK and my licence is in the address of my insurance.

I am a student but I can still get the exemption because it wasn't my main reason for coming here. (first looking for work)

I'm confused, if I go home with the UK car, can I be stopped? Thats another reason that I want to get Irish plates on it, seeing as I'll be home for a few months.

AFAIK my insurance is valid because I never spend more than 3 months at a time in the UK

I still dunno what to do.

Thanks

Right,
IMO, you have created an absolute balls of a situation for yourself.

Normal Residence means:

* the place where you usually lived, for at least 185 days in the year ending on the date of transfer, because of occupational and personal ties
* if you had no occupational ties, the place where you usually lived for at least 185 days in the year ending on the date of transfer, because of personal ties
* if your occupational ties were in a different country from your personal ties then the country of your personal ties is taken as your normal residence if you returned there regularly (i.e. for most of your non-working days)

Exceptions:

People in the follow circumstances do not qualify for relief:

* Students/individuals living abroad for the primary purpose of pursuing a course of studies.
* Individuals working abroad on a task of duration of less than one year and with personal ties remaining in the State
* Individuals working abroad on a task of duration of more than one year who have been granted tax relief in respect of another vehicle in the previous 5 years.

You need to be able to prove that you were resident for 6 months (NI number, Bank account, bills, payslips)

Conditions Regarding Proof of Residency:
You will be required to produce sufficient evidence to show that you have been living abroad for the required length of time. You will also be required to show that you are taking up residence in the State. The evidence required includes documents relating to:

* the acquisition and disposal of property abroad and in the State (e.g. rent agreements, mortgage documents, rent/mortgage payments etc.)
* employment abroad and in the State (e.g. payslips, tax records, social welfare records etc.)
* other transactions carried out in the course of day to day living (bank statements/transaction documents, bills/receipts for electricity, phone, service charges and other day to day living expenses)
* travel records connected with trips into and out of the State
* other such evidence as requested in individual cases.

You've never been to the UK for more than 3 months.

Technically your still resident in Ireland, with your ties there driving a UK registered car, if you enter the state on UK plates Customs could sieze the vehicle from you

AFAIK you'd be liable for VRT in the Republic.

Also i'd question the validity of your insurance, have you informed your insurance company that your living in the UK with an address there, if there was an accident, what address would you give ? if you give your UK address then your Irish insurance may not cover you, and if you give your Irish address the UK cops will ask why the vehicle isn't registered on Irish plates and every time you drive past an ANPR camera it will be flagged as having no Insurance.

Your Driving License has nothing to do with Residency.

You have three options:

1. Get a UK Bank account, NI number and a Job and stay there for 6 months, then bring the car with you when you go home.
2. Register the car and pay the VRT.
3. Sell it and buy a car with Irish plates.

slimjimmc

Any time spent studying abroad does not qualify for the VRT exemption, the 6 month you spend studying in the UK means nothing where VRT is concerned.

furtzy

Irish insurance companies are now obliged by law to pass on any details of foreign reg cars on their books whose policies are in place for more than 42 days. This may raise problems if you try for the VRT exemption if bringing it in

thethedev

Ok thanks for all the help guys

I think the solution to my problem is to stop farting around and get a UK bank Account and UK insurance.

What do ye think?

I can always just carry proof of a UK address when I'm home

Thanks