Driving UK car in Ireland as student

hopeful2015

Hello

Can anyone help, I'm coming over to Dublin as a full time student with a car. Would I declare it sorn with the UK DVLA?
Do I have to make sure it has Mot and road tax in UK over the next few years even if it is mainly in Ireland?

Thanks in advance,

porsche boy

You'll need to register the car in Ireland if you intend to be here for a few years.

Del2005

porsche boy wrote: »

You'll need to register the car in Ireland if you intend to be here for a few years.

Students can't as they can't get residency. Same as an Irish student in the UK can't get a VRT exemption if they bring a vehicle back after they complete their studies.

porsche boy

Del2005 wrote:

Students can't as they can't get residency. Same as an Irish student in the UK can't get a VRT exemption if they bring a vehicle back after they complete their studies.

Surely revenue would sieze the car, no? I've had a hard enough time getting through their checkpoints coming out if the docks on occasion.

GM228

porsche boy wrote: »

You'll need to register the car in Ireland if you intend to be here for a few years.

A student is exempt from registration for the entire duration of their studies.

Marcusm

hopeful2015 wrote: »

Hello

Can anyone help, I'm coming over to Dublin as a full time student with a car. Would I declare it sorn with the UK DVLA?
Do I have to make sure it has Mot and road tax in UK over the next few years even if it is mainly in Ireland?

Thanks in advance,

You can't lawfully SORN it in the UK as you are driving it in Ireland. This is because one of the parts of the declaration is that it is parked off-road IN the UK and available for inspection. Whether you choose to abide by this is your own choice. I think it's a higher fine than not taxing it and a conviction would be regarded by some employers and occupations as a dishonesty offence as opposed to a traffic offence.

hopeful2015

Thank you all so much so it sounds like I should keep doing mot and road tax in the uk and get a new Irish insurance policy (my current insurer doesn't cover Southern Ireland).

Is this right?

If so, is there a good insurer everyone tends to go with?

Thanks again,

D0NNELLY

OSI wrote: »

UK is still a member of the EU and as such your insurer is legally obliged to provide cover while you are driving in any other member state.

Not on a semi permanent basis.. most small prints will have a time frame.. 90 days a year etc.

But op, if the car is registered, taxed and mot'd in uk, why are you thinking of telling the insurers? If you have a tip, then you just got off the boat that week..

savagethegoat

your third party insurance is , as said, valid whilst the policy is in force.

hopeful2015

OSI wrote: »

UK is still a member of the EU and as such your insurer is legally obliged to provide cover while you are driving in any other member state.

That's incredible, I thought I would need to get temporary cover from Holyhead into the Ireland. So you think I'll be safe not to?

Thx again

hopeful2015

D0NNELLY wrote: »

OSI wrote: »

UK is still a member of the EU and as such your insurer is legally obliged to provide cover while you are driving in any other member state.

Not on a semi permanent basis.. most small prints will have a time frame.. 90 days a year etc.

But op, if the car is registered, taxed and mot'd in uk, why are you thinking of telling the insurers? If you have a tip, then you just got off the boat that week..

I was worried I might get into an accident in Ireland so I thought I had to be insured there too. Do most people not say?

seamus

hopeful2015 wrote: »

That's incredible, I thought I would need to get temporary cover from Holyhead into the Ireland. So you think I'll be safe not to?

Thx again

Read your policy documents, but as an EU state your insurance is effectively valid across the entire EU without having to notify your insurer that you're taking the car anywhere.

hopeful2015

OSI wrote: »

I should clarify, the mandatory 3rd party element of the insurance policy is valid across the EU. Yes many insurers will have a clause that states your cover is valid up to 90 days but this can only include the extra cover beyond 3rd party, eg Fire, Theft, Comprehensive, Windscreen etc.

So it sounds like I'm safe to drive in Ireland for 90 days with my insurer at least even if they say can't cover me long term?

Thx again

hopeful2015

seamus wrote: »

hopeful2015 wrote: »

That's incredible, I thought I would need to get temporary cover from Holyhead into the Ireland. So you think I'll be safe not to?

Thx again

Read your policy documents, but as an EU state your insurance is effectively valid across the entire EU without having to notify your insurer that you're taking the car anywhere.

Thank you!

Marcusm

hopeful2015 wrote: »

So it sounds like I'm safe to drive in Ireland for 90 days with my insurer at least even if they say can't cover me long term?

Thx again

The EU directive provides that the normal residence of a student remains in their home country. You might therefore be able not only to continue your insurance for its term but also to renew it. You will most likely have to update your insurer for"the location the car is usually kept overnight" as, in my experience, this is usually asked separately by UK insurers. This issue will come up a lot for UK students going overseas. See if you can find out any info from NUS. The person answering the call at insurance co is not likely to have dealt with it before and you need to have your ducks in a row.

blindside88

For convenience would you not consider buying an Irish car and insuring it here rather than the way you are going. What you are doing is legal but will lead to a lot of hassle at Garda check points as other posters have said. Just as a side note if you keep the UK reg car you will need to keep the UK insurance as no Irish company will insure it long term to the best of my knowledge

Marcusm

blindside88 wrote: »

For convenience would you not consider buying an Irish car and insuring it here rather than the way you are going. What you are doing is legal but will lead to a lot of hassle at Garda check points as other posters have said. Just as a side note if you keep the UK reg car you will need to keep the UK insurance as no Irish company will insure it long term to the best of my knowledge

Are there really that many checkpoints? Over the past 8 years of driving in Ireland for at least a week per month and regularly having a car here for up to 6 months, the only time I was stopped was after I moved over permanently in April.

blindside88

Marcusm wrote: »

Are there really that many checkpoints? Over the past 8 years of driving in Ireland for at least a week per month and regularly having a car here for up to 6 months, the only time I was stopped was after I moved over permanently in April.

If you're going to be in Dublin you'll find a lot more checkpoints than elsewhere in the country. There is the risk of having the car taken at a revenue checkpoint also (you'd get it back once you confirm your story) but surely it's more hassle than it's worth. You also have to consider you'll have no breakdown cover or windscreen cover

Special Circumstances

The price of buying a vaguely insurable car here and actually insuring it versus using the UK car???

I reckon you could hire an off shift garda as an outrider for the difference in price.

Actually, considering the starting pay of gardai now, and the price of running a car here... you could hire a freshly graduated garda to carry you around piggyback I'd say.

blindside88

Special Circumstances wrote: »

The price of buying a vaguely insurable car here and actually insuring it versus using the UK car???

I reckon you could hire an off shift garda as an outrider for the difference in price.

Actually, considering the starting pay of gardai now, and the price of running a car here... you could hire a freshly graduated garda to carry you around piggyback I'd say.

Hahaha that's a fair point actually.... Might hire a few Gardai myself and make a sleigh

Special Circumstances

blindside88 wrote: »

Hahaha that's a fair point actually.... Might hire a few Gardai myself and make a sleigh

Roman chariot with the blades outta the wheels.

Marcusm

blindside88 wrote: »

If you're going to be in Dublin you'll find a lot more checkpoints than elsewhere in the country. There is the risk of having the car taken at a revenue checkpoint also (you'd get it back once you confirm your story) but surely it's more hassle than it's worth. You also have to consider you'll have no breakdown cover or windscreen cover

Funnily enough, most of my driving would have been in Dublin but the checkpoint was in south Wicklow on M11.

hopeful2015

Marcusm wrote: »

hopeful2015 wrote: »

So it sounds like I'm safe to drive in Ireland for 90 days with my insurer at least even if they say can't cover me long term?

Thx again

The EU directive provides that the normal residence of a student remains in their home country. You might therefore be able not only to continue your insurance for its term but also to renew it. You will most likely have to update your insurer for"the location the car is usually kept overnight" as, in my experience, this is usually asked separately by UK insurers. This issue will come up a lot for UK students going overseas. See if you can find out any info from NUS. The person answering the call at insurance co is not likely to have dealt with it before and you need to have your ducks in a row.

This would be ideal, Does theeu directive cover breakdown and theft? Thank you

blindside88

hopeful2015 wrote: »

This would be ideal, Does theeu directive cover breakdown and theft? Thank you

As far as I'm aware it would be third party only cover but ask your insurer what they will cover

hopeful2015

blindside88 wrote: »

For convenience would you not consider buying an Irish car and insuring it here rather than the way you are going. What you are doing is legal but will lead to a lot of hassle at Garda check points as other posters have said. Just as a side note if you keep the UK reg car you will need to keep the UK insurance as no Irish company will insure it long term to the best of my knowledge

I got the car in Jan and can't afford to, thanks for letting me know about Irish insurance

hopeful2015

blindside88 wrote: »

hopeful2015 wrote: »

This would be ideal, Does theeu directive cover breakdown and theft? Thank you

As far as I'm aware it would be third party only cover but ask your insurer what they will cover

You've been really helpful, thank you

Del2005

blindside88 wrote: »

For convenience would you not consider buying an Irish car and insuring it here rather than the way you are going. What you are doing is legal but will lead to a lot of hassle at Garda check points as other posters have said. Just as a side note if you keep the UK reg car you will need to keep the UK insurance as no Irish company will insure it long term to the best of my knowledge

Once they produce a college ID then revenue will let them off. You can't avail of the VRT exemption if you are a student so revenue are well aware of the procedure for students and not being able to transfer residence.

CiniO

Even more, OP as a student will still be resident in UK (while living in Ireland) and won't be able to purchase Irish insurance as all Irish insurers would only issue a policy to Irish resident (which OP will not become).
So only option for OP to drive here, is in his UK registered car and UK insurance.

Buying car here is not an option.
Buying Irish insurance for his UK car is also not an option.

EU directive (mentioned above) only covers third party insurance, so while OP might have comprehensive in UK, he might end up with only third party cover in Ireland.
All up to insurer if they are willing to offer anything above third party.

hopeful2015

Thank you cino that's exactly what my position is, I'll ask insurer if they can do comprehensive cover in Ireland too

savagethegoat

Fully Comp they will limit it to the 90 days . They might even decline to renew it.

What people are telling you is that your policy will cover you third party only for it's entire duration and you will be able to renew it as you will still be UK resident.

hopeful2015

Thank you,

CiniO

savagethegoat wrote: »

Fully Comp they will limit it to the 90 days . They might even decline to renew it.

How do you know they will limit it to 90 days?
Each insurer might have different policy for it, some might not cover fully comprehensive abroad at all, some might up to 30, 60, 90, 120 days, and some might offer permanent cover....

All up to insurer.

savagethegoat

CiniO wrote: »

How do you know they will limit it to 90 days?
Each insurer might have different policy for it, some might not cover fully comprehensive abroad at all, some might up to 30, 60, 90, 120 days, and some might offer permanent cover....

All up to insurer.

it's the example quoted earlier.... read the posts

Marcusm

hopeful2015 wrote: »

Thank you,

Which is your current insurer? The applicable part of the documentation is "territorial limits" as this is the extent of the full term full cover. A number of my previous UK insurers included RoI along with GB&NI.

hopeful2015

Marcusm wrote: »

hopeful2015 wrote: »

Thank you,

Which is your current insurer? The applicable part of the documentation is "territorial limits" as this is the extent of the full term full cover. A number of my previous UK insurers included RoI along with GB&NI.

Hastings direct comprehensive cover

hopeful2015

Thank you, so there's hope they might allow comprehensive if I tell them early. I hope I'm not charged extra

CiniO

CiniO wrote: »

Even more, OP as a student will still be resident in UK (while living in Ireland) and won't be able to purchase Irish insurance as all Irish insurers would only issue a policy to Irish resident (which OP will not become).

While I also believe that the op should stick with his UK car and UK insurance this cannot be true.

Once he has an Irish address he can get Irish insurance. If a person moves here for work they are not technically an Irish resident until they are here for a certain length of time yet people who move here buy and insure cars straight away. Also I know of people who moved to the UK for college and bought and insured cars there no problem which is the same thing the other way around.

CiniO

Haylee Poor Heat wrote: »

While I also believe that the op should stick with his UK car and UK insurance this cannot be true.

Once he has an Irish address he can get Irish insurance. If a person moves here for work they are not technically an Irish resident until they are here for a certain length of time yet people who move here buy and insure cars straight away. Also I know of people who moved to the UK for college and bought and insured cars there no problem which is the same thing the other way around.

Situation with person moving here for work is different.
While reisdency status is discussable at the beginning, person can just always say they intent to stay here for permanent and this makes them resident right away.

With foreign student, it's certain they are not resident in Ireland (but still resident in their home country). Rules are clear about it.

And Irish insurers are very strict to only cover Irish residents.

Possibly in UK it's not as strict and person who is not UK resident (like Irish student in UK) can obtain policy.
Example - I'm resident in Ireland as I've lived here for more than 10 years now, but I managed to get a car registered and insured in my name in Poland and keep it there as a holiday car. I'm not resident in Poland, but Polish insurer didn't mind what my residency status is.
I couldn't do opposite (be resident in Poland and insure Irish car in Ireland), as Irish insurer would not insure non-Irish resident.