Irish plates to northern Irish plates.

Paddypowered

Hey everyone, new on this and just got a question for anyone in the know. Girlfriend bought her 08 golf in England 3 years ago when she was living there but moved back to ireland a year and a half ago, she paid her vrt and registered the car onto irish plates. The thing is that she has got a job in Belfast now and she is wondering if she can just put her English plates back on her car when shes up there...is the car still registered in England on them plates and will it be legal to drive? It will taxed, tested and insured obviously. Cheers in advance.

NWPat

No you can not just put the old plates back on. When the car is regisrered here the uk documents are sent to the DVLA in Wales and the car is registered as permanently exported. The car will need to be re registered in the uk. see here on how to do this: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/ImportingAndExportingAVehicle/DG_4022583

sean1141

not if its taxed tested and insured on the irish plates

Paddypowered

Thanks lads...il let her know...is there any issues with driving a fully legal car on Irish plates in northern Ireland or would she get stopped by the psni for tax/insurance issues?

Northern Monkey

I think it is only £55 to register a second hand car in the UK.

ballooba

How long is she going to be up there? It might be time to change the car.

Paddypowered

One year.. Just to get this right, to reregister the car on to ni plates(assuming English and northern ireland plates are the same) she'l need to mot, tax and test the car...she's living up there for the year...would there be any issues with just leaving the Irish plates on?? Sorry bit of a noob at this...:)

drunkmonkey

Can you get the VRT back, i'm thinking of advertising mine for sale up north as it was originally a northern car and it's worth a lot more up there than it is down here in the current market due to our crazy motor tax system.

Paddypowered

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Can you get the VRT back, i'm thinking of advertising mine for sale up north as it was originally a northern car and it's worth a lot more up there than it is down here in the current market due to our crazy motor tax system.

Id doubt so mate but I wouldnt be sure, probably have to pay more with the way the country is :P....as she's only up on Belfast for the year she'l be back down the south for good next year...so I'm just thinking would it be worth reregistering it for that period of time...

Gophur

Paddypowered wrote: »

........would there be any issues with just leaving the Irish plates on?? .......

Yes. I would be astonished if she went any significant time without the car being damaged due to some local taking offence to the plates.

Let her enquire from the authorities as to what she is expected to do?

Also, let her keep all documentation to it's Southern Ireland registration (if she re-registers it) in the event she is stopped when coming back down across the border (again, something that is very likely to happen)

Paddypowered

Gophur wrote: »

Paddypowered wrote: »

........would there be any issues with just leaving the Irish plates on?? .......

Yes. I would be astonished if she went any significant time without the car being damaged due to some local taking offence to the plates.

Let her enquire from the authorities as to what she is expected to do?

Also, let her keep all documentation to it's Southern Ireland registration (if she re-registers it) in the event she is stopped when coming back down across the border (again, something that is very likely to happen)

Would she have to vrt the car again next year after registering on English plates?? But would the psni have problems with her staying and driving up there?? Insurance and that... I will contact the driving authority up there... Just want everything legal and I'm clueless about it...

Kristopherus

Only problem she may have is if she drives into the wrong area(s). There are scumbags in some of those areas who will stone a southern-registered vehicle without a second thought.

Paddypowered

Yeah there's always one...looking for a house with secure parking definatly.

Gophur

Paddypowered wrote: »

Would she have to vrt the car again next year after registering on English plates?? But would the psni have problems with her staying and driving up there?? Insurance and that... I will contact the driving authority up there... Just want everything legal and I'm clueless about it...

VRT is only payable on first registration of a car in the Rep of Ireland.

If this car is re-registered in N Ireland, no VRT would be payable should she wish to re-import it to the Rep of Ireland some time in the future.

And, yes, the PSNI could have issues with an extended stay in N Ireland. Any resident's car is expected to conform to all local laws. You will also find most Insurance companies, in the Republic, will only cover you for short stays outside the jurisdiction.

In summary, if she's moving North, re-register the car in N Ireland.

Paddypowered

Gophur wrote: »

Paddypowered wrote: »

Would she have to vrt the car again next year after registering on English plates?? But would the psni have problems with her staying and driving up there?? Insurance and that... I will contact the driving authority up there... Just want everything legal and I'm clueless about it...

VRT is only payable on first registration of a car in the Rep of Ireland.

If this car is re-registered in N Ireland, no VRT would be payable should she wish to re-import it to the Rep of Ireland some time in the future.

And, yes, the PSNI could have issues with an extended stay in N Ireland. Any resident's car is expected to conform to all local laws. You will also find most Insurance companies, in the Republic, will only cover you for short stays outside the jurisdiction.

In summary, if she's moving North, re-register the car in N Ireland.

Thanks gophur. That's cleared it up immensely!! Going to look into re registering her car. Thanks again...:)

ballooba

Why did she have to pay VRT in the first instance? She should have been exempt.

Also, with regard to my earlier post, if she did claim an exemption then she could not buy another car and claim the exemption again within such a short time frame (< 5 years).

celticbest

If you resident in the 26 then do a change of address on the car to were you reside, it will save the hassle of changing the Plates, having to get an MOT, change insurance & Tax & then when she come back down in a year having to do the same again (NCT instead of MOT).

No brainer IMHO.

CiniO

Gophur wrote: »

And, yes, the PSNI could have issues with an extended stay in N Ireland.
Any resident's car is expected to conform to all local laws.

From what I remember you can drive up to 12 months on foreign plates in UK.

You will also find most Insurance companies, in the Republic, will only cover you for short stays outside the jurisdiction.

Full cover - yes, usually only for short periods (1 to 3 months).
Third party cover - they have to cover you abroad without any limits.

Paddypowered

ballooba wrote: »

Why did she have to pay VRT in the first instance? She should have been exempt.

Also, with regard to my earlier post, if she did claim an exemption then she could not buy another car and claim the exemption again within such a short time frame (< 5 years).

Car was bought in London while she was living there and bought the car with her when she moved back here in Ireland...paid the vrt to get Irish plates.

ballooba

Paddypowered wrote: »

Car was bought in London while she was living there and bought the car with her when she moved back here in Ireland...paid the vrt to get Irish plates.

If she was resident in the UK for 6 months after the purchase of the car then she was VRT exempt?

Paddypowered

celticbest wrote: »

If you resident in the 26 then do a change of address on the car to were you reside, it will save the hassle of changing the Plates, having to get an MOT, change insurance & Tax & then when she come back down in a year having to do the same again (NCT instead of MOT).

No brainer IMHO.

But the change of address would be Belfast...it would hardly work that way..would it??

Paddypowered

ballooba wrote: »

Paddypowered wrote: »

Car was bought in London while she was living there and bought the car with her when she moved back here in Ireland...paid the vrt to get Irish plates.

If she was resident in the UK for 6 months after the purchase of the car then she was VRT exempt?

God lad I don't know...brain fried again...car was 100% vrted when she came home but as to when the car was bought in relation to her coming home, I'm not sure...

ballooba

Paddypowered wrote: »

God lad I don't know...brain fried again...car was 100% vrted when she came home but as to when the car was bought in relation to her coming home, I'm not sure...

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/tax-relief-transfer-residence.html

It's well worth finding out, as she may be eligible for a refund of the VRT paid. I imported an 06 Audi A4 about 4 months ago VRT free. I transferred residence from Australia.

Paddypowered

CiniO wrote: »

Gophur wrote: »

And, yes, the PSNI could have issues with an extended stay in N Ireland.
Any resident's car is expected to conform to all local laws.

From what I remember you can drive up to 12 months on foreign plates in UK.

You will also find most Insurance companies, in the Republic, will only cover you for short stays outside the jurisdiction.

Full cover - yes, usually only for short periods (1 to 3 months).
Third party cover - they have to cover you abroad without any limits.

You wouldnt have a link as to where I could get that same information??

Paddypowered

ballooba wrote: »

Paddypowered wrote: »

God lad I don't know...brain fried again...car was 100% vrted when she came home but as to when the car was bought in relation to her coming home, I'm not sure...

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/tax-relief-transfer-residence.html

It's well worth finding out, as she may be eligible for a refund of the VRT paid. I imported an 06 Audi A4 about 4 months ago VRT free. I transferred residence from Australia.

Gonna look into it, just trying to keep it as cheap and legal as possible....and hoping a few euros back from the vrt...;)

CiniO

Paddypowered wrote: »

You wouldnt have a link as to where I could get that same information??

With the insurance, I put a link any times here on this forum.
Search through my posts from last year.
Anyway - it's not up to insurance company to decide if they are providing third party cover abroad, but up to insurance law.
They have to provide third party cover for the whole period of policy in the whole EU.


About time limit of driving in UK on foreign plates, I think you will have to google through some UK websites and forums.

celticbest

Paddypowered wrote: »

But the change of address would be Belfast...it would hardly work that way..would it??

Does she not have any friends in the 26 that she could change the address to?

Richard

She could sell the car in the Republic and then buy a new one in NI, where they are cheaper. If she owns it there for more than six months then she doesn't have to pay VRT if she moves back to the south. At least that excemption used to exist.

Richard

Oh, and for most issues concerning vechicle registration, Northern Ireland is treated as a separate country from Great Britain. Although you can transfer plates between the two, the plate format is different. GB is dealt with by the DVLA in Swansea, whilst NI is dealt with by the DVA in Coleraine.

NWPat

CiniO wrote: »

From what I remember you can drive up to 12 months on foreign plates in UK.

Not true I am afraid, if you follow the link in my first reply you will see the following:

"When a vehicle is imported for use in Great Britain (GB), it must be registered and taxed with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). This must be done as soon as possible as the vehicle can’t be used or kept on public roads."


Trust me, this is not a joke, the psni are not the Guards!