Driving foreign-reg car by RoI resident

bonzodog2

Not sure if Motoring or Legal Discussion is the correct forum.

I read here somewhere that RoI residents are not allowed to drive cars registered in another state, e.g. a UK car, and that its a VRT issue rather than an insurance one.

Can someone say what the exact offence and penalties are please?
Its not me thats doing it BTW!

sunnysoutheast

Revenue are pretty clear on this:

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/temporary-exemption-foreign-registered.html

Seems it's allowed but only under specific circumstances.

In terms of risk I would expect that you would be liable to having the vehicle seized/VRT penalties applied if you can't provide the necessary documentation?

bonzodog2

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

Revenue are pretty clear on this:

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/temporary-exemption-foreign-registered.html

Seems it's allowed but only under specific circumstances.

In terms of risk I would expect that you would be liable to having the vehicle seized/VRT penalties applied if you can't provide the necessary documentation?

The vehicle may not in any circumstances be driven by a State resident.

The scenario is a 'John borrows Mary's UK car to go to the shops while John's car is at the garage and Mary is visiting from UK' type

So its just a risk of seizure rather than a criminal RTA thing?

seamus

As above, an RoI resident cannot drive a foreign registered vehicle in Ireland. And I too would expect that the offence and penalties would be tax-related. Probably failure to register the vehicle and failure to pay VRT.

It's not an insurance issue at all.

galwaytt

seamus wrote: »

It's not an insurance issue at all.

..it is an insurance issue if you don't have it, or, if you have it under 'circumspect' circumstances. The phrase of supplying all relevant info to the insurance company on the basis of 'utmost good faith' applies............I mean, who insures it, and who do they think is driving it, and where they are driving it.....

A relation of mine had a big crash here a number of years ago, whilst home on hols from Christmas, from the UK.

Turns out at that despite all the paperwork being seemingly in place, the all-EU 'out of UK' element of cover, which is the same as our 'out of RoI' clause here, only covers being out of the country for 30 days in one go, unless they are advised of same, and they agreeing to it, in writing.

...being here 6 weeks he then found he was found to have no cover, and got caught for paying all damages to his car himself (€5k) and MIB covered the 3rd Party claim.........

You would find a UK company very quick to wriggle out of any cover of a car here, given half the chance. Don't think AGS don't know this..........

Supergurrier

Need to protect that little makey up double vat taxation

CiniO

galwaytt wrote: »

..it is an insurance issue if you don't have it, or, if you have it under 'circumspect' circumstances. The phrase of supplying all relevant info to the insurance company on the basis of 'utmost good faith' applies............I mean, who insures it, and who do they think is driving it, and where they are driving it.....

A relation of mine had a big crash here a number of years ago, whilst home on hols from Christmas, from the UK.

Turns out at that despite all the paperwork being seemingly in place, the all-EU 'out of UK' element of cover, which is the same as our 'out of RoI' clause here, only covers being out of the country for 30 days in one go, unless they are advised of same, and they agreeing to it, in writing.

...being here 6 weeks he then found he was found to have no cover, and got caught for paying all damages to his car himself (€5k) and MIB covered the 3rd Party claim.........

Well, if there was limit to 30 days out of UK, it had to be written on the policy document so you can't really say "all the parerwork being in place".
Also UK insurer was obliged to pay third party claim even if car was out of UK for longer, as it's EU wide law that they can't put any limits on time validity of third party cover when driving abroad.
If they refused they pay, they just pulled a fast one and this could have been challenged in court easily.

You would find a UK company very quick to wriggle out of any cover of a car here, given half the chance. Don't think AGS don't know this..........

Insurance issue most likely could apply to foreign cars from UK as they only cover specific drivers like in Ireland.
Most over Continent all policies are open drive and anyone can drive a car so no insurance issues.

CiniO

seamus wrote: »

As above, an RoI resident cannot drive a foreign registered vehicle in Ireland. And I too would expect that the offence and penalties would be tax-related. Probably failure to register the vehicle and failure to pay VRT.

It's very strange though, they they don't even allow ROI resident to drive foreign registered car, if car owner (foreign resident) is present.

F.e. some mates of mine arrive here from abroad in a foreign car, and we go for drive around Ireland. We would like to share driving, but I can't as I'm resident here.
Nonsense, but unfortunately reality.

seamus

CiniO wrote: »

It's very strange though, they they don't even allow ROI resident to drive foreign registered car, if car owner (foreign resident) is present.

F.e. some mates of mine arrive here from abroad in a foreign car, and we go for drive around Ireland. We would like to share driving, but I can't as I'm resident here.
Nonsense, but unfortunately reality.

I think it's so black and white to make it enforceable. Otherwise a resident driving an unregistered vehicle could just claim that it belongs to a foreign friend. And because the vehicle isn't registered in Ireland, it can't be tracked.

mikeecho

Afaik, it's a similar situation across Europe.

CiniO

mikeecho wrote: »

Afaik, it's a similar situation across Europe.

Yeah????
Please show me at least 1 country in the EU, where you (as the resident) can not drive a foreign registered car provided owner (foreign resident) is there with you as a passenger.
Or please show me at least 1 country in the EU, where you (the resident) can not drive a foreign registered car which you rented (shot term) abroad.

Good luck.

I could bet that only answer to those 2 questions is Ireland - nothing else.

NIMAN

If you lived up here around the border, you'd see just how many RoI residents actually drive NI reg cars, its frightening.

There are often the odd blitz, but there are still loads of people driving illegally. I know people who have been living in Ireland over a decade and been driving NI Cars all that time.

They'd be easy caught if the will was really there.

Nichard Dixon

CiniO wrote: »

It's very strange though, they they don't even allow ROI resident to drive foreign registered car, if car owner (foreign resident) is present.

F.e. some mates of mine arrive here from abroad in a foreign car, and we go for drive around Ireland. We would like to share driving, but I can't as I'm resident here.
Nonsense, but unfortunately reality.

A rich git from abroad can hire a locally resident driver, it is only if they are doing it for nothing is it illegal.

bear1

So wait, lets say I live in Italy for most of the year and own an Italian reg'd car.
If I want to take a holiday in Ireland and take the car I'm actually not allowed too?
Sounds like bollocks to me.
I would imagine that that law means that if you live in Ireland most of the year then you can't but if you don't then you can.
If that's the case then i can say that in Italy it is the same law.
Re-reading the link would suggest that roi residents cannot drive a foreign registered car belonging to someone else but if it is your car and you are in the state less than 185 days per year then it seems perfectly legal

challengemaster

bear1 wrote: »

So wait, lets say I live in Italy for most of the year and own an Italian reg'd car.
If I want to take a holiday in Ireland and take the car I'm actually not allowed too?

If you lived in Italy for most of the year you wouldn't be an Irish resident.

CiniO

bear1 wrote: »

So wait, lets say I live in Italy for most of the year and own an Italian reg'd car.
If I want to take a holiday in Ireland and take the car I'm actually not allowed too?

No, you are allowed to in that case, as you are not resident in Ireland.