Importing a bike from South Africa to Ireland

krugerp · 10-03-2015 7:48pm #1

Hi

I wanted to check if anyone has any info on importing a bike from SA? I've got a 2010 Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere which I want to take to Ireland with me. My wife is Irish and we decided to return to Ireland. I have looked at the Super Teneres for sale in Ireland, and to tell the truth, I battled to find any and even when I did, they were very expensive compared to our SA prices. I have almost paid up my bike already and I feel it would be a waste if I couldn't take it to Ireland with me.

I would appreciate any feedback. The bike will be coming over as my personal property and will not be deemed as a business transaction or the like.

bpmurray · 10-03-2015 7:53pm

It's been a while since I did something similar, but the story was that If you've had it for more than 6 months, then you can import it without paying any duty.

Edit: I found [URL="file:///E:/Downloads/vrt-legislation-non-statutory-consolidation.pdf"]this [/URL]- see section 134.

krugerp · 10-03-2015 7:58pm

Hi

That's how I have it as well. I am just worried that something is left out or I am missing something somewhere. I don't want any cock-ups when it comes to importing it.

Thanks for the reply by the way

Cienciano · 10-03-2015 10:05pm

You should drive it back

krugerp · 11-03-2015 6:50am

Cienciano wrote: »

You should drive it back

I wish I could! That would've been some great fun.

Pierced Off · 11-03-2015 10:24am

Have a look at this,
http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/tax-relief-transfer-residence.html
It says cars, but the rules apply to any privately owned motor vehicle.

fear_factory84 · 16-03-2015 2:31pm

you can take it to ireland, but you will have these problems:
- someone who will transport the bike to ireland
- finding an insurance
- finding an house/apartment/flat where you can park safely your bike

Other things are trivial in comparison.
Be sure to bring in Ireland evidence that you've been using your motorbike in SA from at least 6 months (fuel receipts and so on) and evidence you lived there.

I'm in a very similar position I'll relocate to dublin next month and I would like to bring my motorbike. I'm lucky because Italy is nearer.. so I'll be happy to share knowledge with you.

krugerp · 16-03-2015 3:23pm

fear_factory84 wrote: »

you can take it to ireland, but you will have these problems:
- someone who will transport the bike to ireland
- finding an insurance
- finding an house/apartment/flat where you can park safely your bike

Other things are trivial in comparison.
Be sure to bring in Ireland evidence that you've been using your motorbike in SA from at least 6 months (fuel receipts and so on) and evidence you lived there.

I'm in a very similar position I'll relocate to dublin next month and I would like to bring my motorbike. I'm lucky because Italy is nearer.. so I'll be happy to share knowledge with you.

Thanks for that.

I am still paying the bike off through a vehicle financing institution, so they would have the original purchase date, which was 2012. I also have photos with the bike and myself which are dated. I don't have any fuel receipts though.

Also, since I am South African, it shouldn't be a problem proving that I lived in SA.

My wife has also found a house in Blackrock already, so the only possible problem, c ould be insurance. I am not sure why the insurance should be a problem though. Anybody with knowledge why insurance on the bike would be refused?

CJhaughey · 16-03-2015 4:35pm

krugerp wrote: »

Thanks for that.

I am still paying the bike off through a vehicle financing institution, so they would have the original purchase date, which was 2012. I also have photos with the bike and myself which are dated. I don't have any fuel receipts though.

Also, since I am South African, it shouldn't be a problem proving that I lived in SA.

My wife has also found a house in Blackrock already, so the only possible problem, c ould be insurance. I am not sure why the insurance should be a problem though. Anybody with knowledge why insurance on the bike would be refused?

Insurance can be hard with a foreign license, might need to change it over to an EU one.
Other than that insurance companies here love to load premiums if they can find any reason to do so.
Maybe non EU-spec machine(unlikely but try and get a cert of conformity from the Yamaha dealer) etc etc.

fear_factory84 · 16-03-2015 4:41pm

I've heard that with an international license it's the same as an EU type license.
But you can read on forums that sometimes they raise costs if you have any other license than Irish.

The only way to know that is call insurance brokers and ask them.
I'm waiting to be in Ireland to do that.

krugerp · 16-03-2015 4:45pm

CJhaughey wrote: »

Insurance can be hard with a foreign license, might need to change it over to an EU one.
Other than that insurance companies here love to load premiums if they can find any reason to do so.
Maybe non EU-spec machine(unlikely but try and get a cert of conformity from the Yamaha dealer) etc etc.

Thanks. I am able to exchange my SA license for an Irish license.

If you say get a conformity cert from a Yamaha dealer, would that need to be an Irish dealer or would the South African dealer suffice?

I just tried emailing 2 insurance companies in Ireland, CarolNssh and MCE Insurance. MCE won't give me a tel nr to call and won't give info via email which I think is ridiculous. Carol Nash says they won't insure unless I have an Irish driver's license.

Any suggestions? I am currently in Somalia so I can't phone the free phone nr's from here.

fear_factory84 · 16-03-2015 4:56pm

krugerp wrote: »

Any suggestions? I am currently in Somalia so I can't phone the free phone nr's from here.

That's why I said that I will call insurances when I'll be in Ireland.
I've emailed every insurance and the one who replied told me to call them at some Irish number.

Perhaps you can try to use some VOIP service, like Skype or similar to call Irish landlines..

krugerp · 16-03-2015 5:24pm

fear_factory84 wrote: »

That's why I said that I will call insurances when I'll be in Ireland.
I've emailed every insurance and the one who replied told me to call them at some Irish number.

Perhaps you can try to use some VOIP service, like Skype or similar to call Irish landlines..

Sorry, did not see your post. I managed to get a number or two and have phoned them. Liberty might help, but my bike is not on their list of bikes for some reason. So I am waiting to speak to them again.

CJhaughey · 17-03-2015 7:08am

krugerp wrote: »

Thanks. I am able to exchange my SA license for an Irish license.

If you say get a conformity cert from a Yamaha dealer, would that need to be an Irish dealer or would the South African dealer suffice?
.

Your SA dealer should be able to arrange the cert for you, maybe at a price.
Or if they want stupid money for it you can get one online from a company.
You need reg details etc for that so better to get one from Yamaha if possible.
@fearfactor There is no such thing as an International license, The license is issued by a country not by a motoring organisation like the AA.
Road safety authority has details on license exchange on their website.
rsa.ie

krugerp · 17-03-2015 7:16am

CJhaughey wrote: »

Your SA dealer should be able to arrange the cert for you, maybe at a price.
Or if they want stupid money for it you can get one online from a company.
You need reg details etc for that so better to get one from Yamaha if possible.
@fearfactor There is no such thing as an International license, The license is issued by a country not by a motoring organisation like the AA.
Road safety authority has details on license exchange on their website.
rsa.ie

Thanks for that. I have a very good relationship with my local Yamaha dealer in Pretoria. So I'm sure that they will be able to help me with that.

Importing a bike from South Africa to Ireland

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