Transfer of Residence, VRT Exemption, NCT

vikinglass

Some while ago I asked about importing my car from the UK to Ireland along with transferring my residence. It may be helpful for others to see the process written out in full from someone that's just been through it all.

I've tried to be brief, but it's involved :-/

I've also provided links to the relevant documents you'll need to fill in, but Boards.ie won't let me use URL's as I am a "new member" so I've taken the h t t p and w w w from the beginning of each link shown.

Step 1. Whilst still in the UK

If you're buying a house - for goodness' sake get your solicitor to start the ball rolling on your PPS number (equivalent to your NI number). You won't get a thing done without it, so the earlier you can get this on the go, the better. It can take up to 4 months.

Alternatively you can wait until you get to ROI and go into your local Social Welfare office - read this first: .welfare.ie/en/Pages/How-To-Get-A-PPS-No.aspx

Have you owned your vehicle for more than 6 months? If so, it is likely that you won't have to pay any Vehicle Registration Tax. However, this is not automatic, and you'll need to prove to the VRT office that you've owned the vehicle. Before you get here, start gathering documentation, such as the purchase invoice for the vehicle, any hire purchase arrangements (contract), service/maintenance documentation, MOT certs (if applicable), your UK insurance certificate (which must of course be current), logbook (V5C) petrol receipts and so on. Everything to prove you've owned the vehicle for more than 6 months.

Keep everything, and from this moment on; you'll also need to show how you brought the vehicle into the ROI, keep your payslips from your UK employment, and your P45, bank &/or credit card statements, confirmation of house purchase or rental in ROI, your passport, UK driving licence, Irish motor insurance and so on. Also keep and bring evidence of house sale in the UK, or termination of lease (e.g. correspondence from managing/estate agents), final bills for council tax and utilities.

I can't stress enough to keep these documents safe.


Step 2.

Once you know the date of arrival in Ireland (ROI) sort out insurance - this can easily be done over the phone and internet. Make sure it starts on the day you're due to arrive in state. Get the broker or insurance company to send your certificate to your new address a couple of days after you get there, just to be sure! The insurance will be on your UK plates. Stick the insurance disc in the window of your vehicle. The broker or insurance company will send you a holder with 3 sections. You can then cancel your UK insurance.

Step 3.

Keep that ferry ticket, and any confirmatory emails - you'll need to evidence WHEN you brough the vehicle into ROI.

Once in Ireland, fill in section 10 "notice of permanent export" on your logbook (V5C) and return it to the DVLA in Swansea.

Step 4.

Arrange an appointment with the VRT office in your area, revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/contact-details.html

Read the following web page
revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/tax-relief-transfer-residence.html

and ensure you've completed the "Form VRT TOR - Transfer of Residence from within the EU - Application and Declaration for Relief from Vehicle Registration Tax".

This can be found in the section "what forms must I complete?"

Step 5.

Attend the VRT office for a hopefully brief meeting to let the Revenue officer see all the relevant documentation I've mentioned above (and check the list on the web page too). The Revenue officer will copy documentation and send you an email within a very few days confirming their decision, and a letter will follow very shortly thereafter.

Step 6.

Making a presumption that you are entitled to an exemption from VRT, on receipt of the letter from the Revenue's VRT office, you then make an appointment via the National Car Testing VRT website ncts.ie/vrt.html (scroll down to Import vehicle - make a new booking) and take yourself, and relevant documentation

Read this to ensure you've got all the right documentation ncts.ie/vq3.html

In addition to the declaration and form VRTVPD2 (from the above site) you'll need to bring along everything related to your car as mentioned in step 1 above, most importantly evidence of purchase, AND your passport, UK driving licence, evidence of your PPS number, your Irish Motor Insurance certificate, and don't forget that all important VRT exeption letter!!

On arrival, advise the officer that you want to purchase registration plates from the NCT centre.

The NCT officer will take your documentation, copy it and return it to you, with the exception of your logbook, which is retained. After a short wait, probably about 15 minutes, you'll get a document to sign, and then you'll get another document detailing your new registration number! S/he will also give you your new plates if you requested them at the start (you'll need to pay for them - €25)

This document will also confirm the PIN number you need to log onto the motor tax website

They'll also give you stickers with which to stick your new number plates on. Whatever you do, don't. Your number plates will ping off and be lost. Wait until you get home. Unscrew your UK plates, make holes in the new Irish ones in the appropriate place, and screw these into place.

Step 7.

Log onto motortax.ie/OMT/welcome.do;jsessionid=0aa0114730d7c001b10fcbf54f32b3ffdb11836fc48f.e38PaNaSbh0RaO0MaNqKe0

and using the PIN number you got from the VRT NCT appointment, pay your motor tax, it's based on your vehicle's CO2 emissions.

A few days later your tax disc will come in the post, now you can take your UK one away, and put the tax disc in the next compartment of the holder in your windscreen next to your insurance disc.

A couple of days later, the log book will arrive replacing your V5C.

Step 8.

If your car is older than 4 years, you will need to get a National Car Test arranged (like an MOT in the UK). This is the link to the FAQs ncts.ie/q3.html

There is a horrendous waiting time at the moment, I would suggest that you ring up to get a cancellation if you can, or if you want to wait, just do it online. ncts.ie/booking_app/Bookings/ManageBooking.aspx?language=english

Follow the advice on the website about preparing your car for the test, some of it seems odd (such as removing hubcaps) but if you do what it suggests, and your car passed its MOT no problem, then you shouldn't worry.

When you get the windscreen disc, put that in the final holder in your windscreen and you're good to go.

NB: Try to do this all as promptly as you can. You will be noted driving around your local area with UK plates, and after a little while the Garda will stop you and ask what's happening with VRT and so on. Have details of your appointment with the Revenue VRT office to hand, and then with the NCT VRT office, etc. It's quite a relief when the whole thing is done and dusted, and you no longer stand out with your foreign registration.

Mind you, I nearly lost the car in a retail park car park, as I just wasn't used to searching for the Irish plate and I have a popular colour and model of car.

Hope this is of some help to people.
Best wishes
Viking Lass

mgbgt1978

Short and Sweet....:pac:.
Well done Viking Lass.

And best of luck with everything over here.

vikinglass

Thank you mgbt1978 :-)
I love it here.

ProudDUB

Fair play to you for going to all the trouble of posing that. A lot of good info there.

Dark and Long

Hi, I know this thread hasn't seen any action in a year or so but someone might see this and have an answer for me! I was supposed to be relocating from Belfast to Cavan back in September and I applied for the VRT exemption and received it but the move fell through and is now only happening at the end of this month, does anyone know if the original exemption is still valid or do I have to go through the whole process yet again?!

Atlantic Dawn

Dark and Long wrote: »

Hi, I know this thread hasn't seen any action in a year or so but someone might see this and have an answer for me! I was supposed to be relocating from Belfast to Cavan back in September and I applied for the VRT exemption and received it but the move fell through and is now only happening at the end of this month, does anyone know if the original exemption is still valid or do I have to go through the whole process yet again?!

You would have to begin the process again and reprove everything.