Bringing UK cars to Ireland

vikinglass

Hi, I have had a look through the threads, so apologies if I've duplicated a previous one.


It's a bit rambling, but I am trying to get my head around what needs to be done and what doesn't.

We're moving to Ireland and have a 5.5 year old Ford Fiesta 1.2l.

I've managed to find its Irish Co2 Band (B2 - ouch! €280 a year!!), I realise I don't have to pay VRT on it, as I've owned it since new, I'll have to sort insurance the minute I get there I guess, as I won't have an Irish address til I get there (unless anyone can advise me differently?).

Where do I go to get the car tax (post office?) - and do I need to have the NCT first?

I have to get a National Car Test (NCT) done on it and this costs €55 euros or so, even if I've got a current UK MOT certificate? I've found details of the testing centres. How much leeway do I have - a day ? a week?

How long can I have the car before I have to get Irish registration plates, this is what I don't seem to be able to find out anywhere, or at least get a clear answer. How much will this cost (roughly)?

Any help anyone can give would be gratefully received
Thank you
VL

discodavie

You can get your vrt assessment within a couple of days but must make the appointment within 7.

When you go to the appointment they will tell you how much you need to pay. Pay it there and then and you get the reg number. You can then go straight away and get the plates if you like.

Usually the next day you can tax your car online and book your NCT.

Best of luck and welcome.

awec

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corktina

discodavie wrote: »

You can get your vrt assessment within a couple of days but must make the appointment within 7.

When you go to the appointment they will tell you how much you need to pay. Pay it there and then and you get the reg number. You can then go straight away and get the plates if you like.

Usually the next day you can tax your car online and book your NCT.

Best of luck and welcome.

He doesn't have to pay anything, read the op!

Read the stickies vikingglass, all the info is there. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=176389

In a nutshell, you need to contat Revenue to get your exemption sorted and then you make an appointment at NCTS to get the csr re-registered. Then you can get it tested , again by NCTS and then you can get it taxed online or at the Motor Tax office or by post

corktina

awec wrote: »

I'd phone your current insurer and explain the situation and just clarify that they'll cover you for a certain period of time driving in Ireland. Enough time at least until you can figure out your address that your Irish insurance disc and cert can be posted to.

You need to present the car for VRT inspection within 7 days of it arriving in the state. That is when you get given your reg number and pin code for paying motor tax for the first time.

You can't pay tax without insurance in Ireland as they ask for a policy number and the company. You can't take it for NCT without the log book, and you get the log book when you pay tax. So the order is 1. insurance, 2. tax, 3. nct.

So the process is (as far as I remember):

1. Book a VRT inspection for within 7 days of you arriving
2. Drive over on move day on your current insurance and hopefully figure out your permanent address where discs and certificates can be posted
3. Phone Irish insurance and take out a policy. They will insure a UK reg for up to 30 days - enough time to sort out your registration, NCT and tax.
4. Display your new insurance disc in the window when it comes in the post (you can probably cancel your UK insurance at this point)
5. Bring car to VRT centre on arranged day. Bring the documents needed. Your VRT cost should be 0.
6. They will give you a bit of paper with your new reg on it and the pin code you need to tax the car for the first time. If you don't see the pin - ask.
7. Go to Halfords or wherever and give them that bit of paper and get plates made. Keep this bit of paper in the car every time you get in to drive it until you have everything sorted out. Can't remember how much the actual plates cost but it's not expensive.
8. 24 hours later you can sort out tax and VRT. Tax is done online, they will ask for insurance policy number. Your log book should arrive within a week after you've paid the tax. I would print off the receipt of payment and again keep that in the car until the tax disc arrives in the post.
9. You will probably have to phone NCT as I found their online system updated slower than the tax. Get an appointment within the next week or two if you can. MOT counts for nothing unfortunately but if it passed MOT without issue then it should have no NCT issues.
10. I would keep driving to necessary journeys only until you have your NCT passed. Technically there is no grace period (as far as I know), but if you can show it was just imported and that you have a test booked you will be ok.

You'll also need to post away the V5 UK form to let the DVA know the car has been exported.

you don't post off the V5C, you give it to the NCTS, they deal with it

vikinglass

Thank you all so much for your help - so the VRT Centres are different from the NCT centres?
The Revenue I presume is a tax office (the same for income tax etc?)

So sorry if I seem bewildered!

Thanks again
Viking Lass

vikinglass

Thank you all so much for your help - so the VRT Centres are different from the NCT centres?
The Revenue I presume is a tax office (the same as for income tax etc?)

So sorry if I seem bewildered!

Thanks again
Viking Lass

bazz26

No the NCT centre handles both VRT appraisal and NCT test (similar to the UK MOT). You first need to book an appointment for VRT appraisal within 7 days of the car entering the country. They will appraise the car then and give you a VRT figure that you can pay.

Once you pay the VRT amount you will be issued with an Irish registration number. You can then get registration plates made up and put on. Give it a day or two and you can then tax the either online (www.motortax.ie using the last 6 digits of the vehicle's VIN) or you can go into your local motor tax office (usually located near the city/council office)

The NCT test or MOT equivalent as you are familiar with is a separate process and applies to cars of 4 years or older. This will need to be arranged separately after the car has been registered here and on the DOE's system.

corktina

again, he isn't paying any VRT

bazz26

yeah, bit of a blonde moment there. But don't you still have to make an appointment for a VRT inspection for them to inspect the car and process the exemption criteria and documents?

awec

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mgbgt1978

As you are 'exporting' the car you will need to fill in the Export section of the V5 and send that off to swansea.
https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk/for-12-months-or-more
Keep the rest of the V5 for the VRT process.

Also when booking the NCT Test it's better to phone them and request a Test within 28 days at a centre of your chosing. They are required to test your car within 28 days of you contacting them, or the test is free.
If you just check for a test slot on the NCT website it often won't show any available dates whatsoever at your chosen test centre.

And have a read of the following;
http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/tax-relief-transfer-residence.html

corktina

." Where and when do I apply?

If you are transferring residence from within the EU, you must make an application to your local Revenue Office within seven days of the vehicle arriving in the State."

You then wait fro clearance from them and then book an appointment with the NCTS to do the actual zero-VRT re-registration

mgbgt1978

Oh, and best value for number plates....

http://www.micksgarage.com/towing/registration-plates/

...you have to put up with their logo along the bottom of the plates but still probably 70% cheaper than most others.

CiniO

Most of the information here is correct, with one exception.

My understanding is that OP doesn't have residence in Ireland at the moment. He is just planning to move to Ireland.
In practice, it's hard to prove that you are planning to become resident here straight away. You need to obtain PPS number, open bank account, get place to live, etc...
This can't be really done in one day.

I haven't gone through the process of moving to Ireland with a car, but I know many people who did, and it always took them at least few months, before they had their car registered to Irish plates.

Rule of having car booked for appointment within 7 days and registered within 30, applies to Irish residents.
At the time of moving here, OP is not yet Irish resident, and won't be really for at least a while. Only after speding more than half a year in the state, he is definitely resident.