Importing Irish car into UK

Brightonbee

Hi there guys,

I recently moved to uk for some contracting work and have now decided to stay on long term.

I have my 07 Opel Astra over here with me. I am just wondering if anyone has experience of importing a car into the uk from Ireland? Would it just be easier to bring it back to Ireland and sell it and buy a uk car over here.

Thanks for any input.

Dee

bazz26

Registering your existing car in the UK can be awkward as you will have to change the kph speedo dials to mph ones before they would allow you to register it over there. Also it would be difficult enough to sell on an Opel over there if you ever get tired of it.

How long do you plan on saying in the UK? If it is a few years then it might be worth selling your current car here and buying a new one over in the UK. In a few year if you decide to move home you can register it here with VRT exemption. Don't see the point in buying a UK reg car over here and then bringing it back to the UK as there is a very good change that it is already marked as exported by the DVLA meaning you have to go through the import process again in the UK. Also it will probably be cheaper to buy one in the UK than from someone here.

catherine2k

I want to sell my BMW 09 in the UK and get my VRT back in Ireland, does anybody know dealers that do this sort of trade in the UK, please ??

fmcg_scribe

catherine2k wrote: »

I want to sell my BMW 09 in the UK and get my VRT back in Ireland, does anybody know dealers that do this sort of trade in the UK, please ??

The Revenue Commissioners website has an FAQs section about the "Export Repayment Scheme". There looks to be lots of terms and conditions and you need to get the ball rolling before you take the car out of Ireland.

fmcg_scribe

Brightonbee wrote: »

Hi there guys,

I recently moved to uk for some contracting work and have now decided to stay on long term.

I have my 07 Opel Astra over here with me. I am just wondering if anyone has experience of importing a car into the uk from Ireland? Would it just be easier to bring it back to Ireland and sell it and buy a uk car over here.

Thanks for any input.

Dee

I moved to the UK eight years ago. I brought a 1998 BMW 323 with me. Things could have changed within the last eight years (check with UK DVLA or Direct Gov UK websites) but the main bit of paperwork that you need to worry about is a "certificate of conformity" from the car's manufacturer. If can't/don't obtain one, the car will need to be assessed at a VOSA (a sister agency of DVLA) centre in the UK before it can be registered in the UK.

A word of caution about Opel cars going to the UK. As you probably know, Opel cars are sold throughout Europe but in the UK the cars are branded as Vauxhall.

Although the cars are essentially the same except for the badges, the motor trade and many private car buyers in the UK can be snooty about Opel versus Vauxhall.

Essentially, other things being equal in terms of specification, age, and mileage, an Opel car in the UK will have a lower valuation than a Vauxhall.

When my sister moved to the UK about 10 years ago and brought an Opel Corsa with her, these issues were brought to her attention. She brought the car back to Ireland as soon as possible and I sold it for her.

Therefore, the answer to your question depends on how long you've owned the car, how much you like the car, and whether you might move back to Ireland before you would want to sell on the car (in the ordinary course of events).

If your move to the UK is more or less long term, I recommend that you sell the Opel for the best price that you can get before you leave Ireland.

The UK car market is currently flooded with used cars because there is no scrappage scheme at the moment but people are buying lots of new or nearly new cars, so you'll have lots of choice in the UK.

unwinding

Follow-on question from somebody who's jumping through the same hoops at the moment: how about the Irish counterparts, how do I declare the car exported since I have to hand over all the paperwork to DVLA? I'd have the motortax due the end of this month, and I'd rather not get the mail and reminders since the car is effectively already exported..

Gumbo

catherine2k wrote: »

I want to sell my BMW 09 in the UK and get my VRT back in Ireland, does anybody know dealers that do this sort of trade in the UK, please ??

It will have to be something special in order for a uk buyer to go through the hassle of buying from you, clock conversion, mot, certificate of conformity etc etc