Bringing car from Italy to Ireland (left hand drive)

bahamut88

Hello,
This thing has been discussed a few times but my question is slighlty different, I don't wish to import the car in Ireland, I'll be staying for one year only, so I would only bring it as "tourist", my warranty cover damages and accidents in European countries as well so this won't be an issue. What are the issues I may encounter and what is worth knowing before taking the car over there? Thanks!

Atlantic Dawn

Your own insurance will only cover you temporarily outside Italy. Irish insurers will only insure foreign registered vehicles temporarily.

bahamut88

Hi, thanks for your replies! Actually, I checked with my Italian insurance and they said they cover everything no matter what. 

@osi, how would they check this if the Police stop me, for example? How can they know for how long I've been in Ireland?

CiniO

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Your own insurance will only cover you temporarily outside Italy. Irish insurers will only insure foreign registered vehicles temporarily.

How do you know that?

It's not standard to limit cover for time abroad.

Only Irish and UK insurers are known to be doing that, and only in relation to comprehensive bit of cover, as they can't limit time abroad for third party cover.

Most policies issued on the Continent, won't have any time limits for car use abroad.

CiniO

bahamut88 wrote: »

Hello,
This thing has been discussed a few times but my question is slighlty different, I don't wish to import the car in Ireland, I'll be staying for one year only, so I would only bring it as "tourist", my warranty cover damages and accidents in European countries as well so this won't be an issue. What are the issues I may encounter and what is worth knowing before taking the car over there? Thanks!

What is the purpose of your visit to Ireland?
Will you be working / studying?
If working - is it permanent contract or only contract for set time?

Are you coming with your family or on your own?
If your family is staying in Italy, will you be going often there to visit them?

TeaBagMania

Start here....
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/coming_to_live_in_ireland/importing_car_into_ireland.html
http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/temporary-exemption-foreign-registered.html

bahamut88

CiniO wrote: »

bahamut88 wrote: »

Hello,
This thing has been discussed a few times but my question is slighlty different, I don't wish to import the car in Ireland, I'll be staying for one year only, so I would only bring it as "tourist", my warranty cover damages and accidents in European countries as well so this won't be an issue. What are the issues I may encounter and what is worth knowing before taking the car over there? Thanks!

What is the purpose of your visit to Ireland?
Will you be working / studying?
If working - is it permanent contract or only contract for set time?

Are you coming with your family or on your own?
If your family is staying in Italy, will you be going often there to visit them?

Hi, thanks!
I will be working in Galway, actually I worked already there in the past, now I'm trying to come back. Ireland was great to me  Contract will be permanent.
At first I will come on my own, and going often to Italy to visit my family, but I will go with the plane, so the car will stay in Ireland. The reason why I want to bring my car and not buy one there is just because is basically brand new and I don't want to sell it, I would loose too much money.

Mikko Mallikas

Have a read of this http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056523114

CiniO

bahamut88 wrote: »

Hi, thanks!
I will be working in Galway, actually I worked already there in the past, now I'm trying to come back. Ireland was great to me  Contract will be permanent.
At first I will come on my own, and going often to Italy to visit my family, but I will go with the plane, so the car will stay in Ireland. The reason why I want to bring my car and not buy one there is just because is basically brand new and I don't want to sell it, I would loose too much money.

As a person non-resident in Ireland, you can legally keep your foreign registered car (Italian in your case) in Ireland for up to 12 months.

Normally once you start working here permanently, you are considered resident in Ireland, so you can't avail of the above, but if you can prove that your are only planning to stay in Ireland for set amount of time (f.e. 1 year), and you have all your family ties in Italy and visit them there regularly, that should be enough of proof that you are not resident in Ireland (but still keep your residency in Italy). In that case, you'd be allowed to keep your Italian registered car in Ireland for up to 12 months.

Atlantic Dawn

CiniO wrote: »

How do you know that?

It's not standard to limit cover for time abroad.

Only Irish and UK insurers are known to be doing that, and only in relation to comprehensive bit of cover, as they can't limit time abroad for third party cover.

Most policies issued on the Continent, won't have any time limits for car use abroad.

How would actuaries calculate how much an insurance policy sold in Italy should be if the driver intends to spend nearly a full year permanently outside Italy in an unknown country?

CiniO

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

How would actuaries calculate how much an insurance policy sold in Italy should be if the driver intends to spend nearly a full year permanently outside Italy in an unknown country?

I don't know. Surely they have their ways.
Maybe risk among EU countries is known to them.

Also possibly, as most insurers on the Continent, they don't base insurance premium on so many factors as Irish ones do makes rates more similar to everyone.

F.e. in Ireland cheapset premium would be around 300 while most expensive probably over 5 grand or more. That's a big spread.
In Poland, for third party insruance, cheapest cover would be probably around €70 while the most expensive probably around €300. Not so much of a spread, and most of what that would depend is NCB and engine size.

I know nothing about Italian insurance market, but I know in Poland I could have my car insured for a €100 per annum and take it to Ireland for 5 years and keep driving. My premium would still be €100. They just wouldn't base a premium on where vehicle will be used.
Very likely it's similar in Italy.

coylemj

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

How would actuaries calculate how much an insurance policy sold in Italy should be if the driver intends to spend nearly a full year permanently outside Italy in an unknown country?

Actuaries deal with mortality statistics so they're concerned with pensions and life insurance, they don't do general insurance.

Whether a burglar will break into your house in the next year or your imported left-hand drive car will be involved in an accident is not something that keeps actuaries awake at night.

pcardin

CiniO wrote: »

I don't know. Surely they have their ways.
Maybe risk among EU countries is known to them.

Also possibly, as most insurers on the Continent, they don't base insurance premium on so many factors as Irish ones do makes rates more similar to everyone.

F.e. in Ireland cheapset premium would be around 300 while most expensive probably over 5 grand or more. That's a big spread.
In Poland, for third party insruance, cheapest cover would be probably around €70 while the most expensive probably around €300. Not so much of a spread, and most of what that would depend is NCB and engine size.

I know nothing about Italian insurance market, but I know in Poland I could have my car insured for a €100 per annum and take it to Ireland for 5 years and keep driving. My premium would still be €100. They just wouldn't base a premium on where vehicle will be used.
Very likely it's similar in Italy.

True. I think there is an EU Regula that dictates that insurers within EU member states should cover driving in all states, that's why generally insurers on continent don't demand anything extra from customers and often the car is insured and not driver.

Irish insurers is a different story, a comedy show can be written about them. Lots of malfunctioning practices and sweet childish lies to customers.

coylemj

pcardin wrote: »

True. I think there is an EU Regula that dictates that insurers within EU member states should cover driving in all states, that's why generally insurers on continent don't demand anything extra from customers and often the car is insured and not driver.

But there is no obligation on an insurer to cover someone who doesn't live for the greater part of the year in their home country. Moving address for a year would be considered a permanent change of residence for most insurers.

The Italian insurance company who cover the OP may have second thoughts when he taps someone from behind on the Headford Road roundabout and they get four claims for whiplash from an Irish ambulance chaser a personal injury lawyer!

TeaBagMania

Also, id like to know if any insurance companies will insure a LHD car in Ireland, and if so the rates? im sure they'll load the policy heavely

zilog_jones

It must be possible, I often see Irish-registered LHD cars around. But I don't know how much people are paying...

CiniO

coylemj wrote: »

But there is no obligation on an insurer to cover someone who doesn't live for the greater part of the year in their home country. Moving address for a year would be considered a permanent change of residence for most insurers.

Well, I live in Ireland permanently, and spend only couple of weeks a year in Poland on holidays.
Yet, I do have a car registered and insured in Poland on my name, and insurer doesn't mind where I actually live. Makes no difference to them.

coylemj

CiniO wrote: »

Well, I live in Ireland permanently......

Doesn't that mean that you're supposed to be insured with somebody authorised to write motor policies in Ireland? Does your insurance cert. have 'Road Traffic Act 1961' printed on it?

You're fooling only yourself if you're paying Polish rates of motor insurance and you expect them to cough up at Irish rates of body shop/whiplash/medical bills/replacement in the event of a serious claim.

O.A.P

I think he keeps that car in Poland as well.

yannakis

CiniO wrote: »

I don't know. Surely they have their ways.
Maybe risk among EU countries is known to them.

Also possibly, as most insurers on the Continent, they don't base insurance premium on so many factors as Irish ones do makes rates more similar to everyone.

[OFFTOPIC]
As an example, car insurance in Greece, is per car and not per driver. Which is obviously ridiculous risk-wise.

Basically there are 2 main options - insure a car driven only by it's owner, or insure a car driven by anyone holding a Greek driving licence. No matter if they're holding 25 years no claims or if they had 50 accidents.
[/OFFTOPIC]

CiniO

coylemj wrote: »

Doesn't that mean that you're supposed to be insured with somebody authorised to write motor policies in Ireland? Does your insurance cert. have 'Road Traffic Act 1961' printed on it?

You're fooling only yourself if you're paying Polish rates of motor insurance and you expect them to cough up at Irish rates of body shop/whiplash/medical bills/replacement in the event of a serious claim.

Car insured in Poland is kept in Poland.

But as above - I could have taken it to Ireland - and yes - Polish insurer would have to pay Irish rated of body shop/whiplash/medial/etc... They wouldn't have a choice. And that's surely calculated in their risk.
They know that statistically x% of cars registered and insured in Poland will be used and driven abroad, so they are ready for it.

Only reason why I don't have Polish registered car in Ireland, is because Irish law doesn't permit to do so.
But if I did, while I'd be breaking Irish law, my Polish insurance would be still valid.

CiniO

Wigglebuttman wrote: »

[OFFTOPIC]
As an example, car insurance in Greece, is per car and not per driver. Which is obviously ridiculous risk-wise.

Basically there are 2 main options - insure a car driven only by it's owner, or insure a car driven by anyone holding a Greek driving licence. No matter if they're holding 25 years no claims or if they had 50 accidents.
[/OFFTOPIC]

That's how it works in most countries in the EU.
It's the car which is insured, and any driver with valid driving licence is covered to drive it.

Henry Ford III

coylemj wrote: »

Actuaries deal with mortality statistics so they're concerned with pensions and life insurance, they don't do general insurance.

Whether a burglar will break into your house in the next year or your imported left-hand drive car will be involved in an accident is not something that keeps actuaries awake at night.

What utter nonsense.

Actuaries are employed in a large number of general insurance companies.

Their chief roles are in claims reserving, pricing and corporate risk management.