Republic resident and northern reg cars

ohnonotgmail

Hopefully a straightforward question. Can a resident of the republic legally drive a northern registered vehicle that they do not own. I seem to remember this came up before with somebody driving a car belonging to a visiting relative and the consensus was that they couldn't. Or maybe i'm misrembering.

CiniO

As ridiculous as it sounds, what you're saying is very likely the case.
ROI residents are not permitted to drive foreign registered cars in Ireland bar few exceptions.

sunnysoutheast

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Hopefully a straightforward question. Can a resident of the republic legally drive a northern registered vehicle that they do not own. I seem to remember this came up before with somebody driving a car belonging to a visiting relative and the consensus was that they couldn't. Or maybe i'm misrembering.

As a general rule an IE resident cannot legally drive a car brought in under a temporary exemption. From memory I think this is made fairly clear on the Revenue website in the bit about VRT.

I think there may be exemptions for work vehicles under certain circumstances and I don't know about border areas.

Marcusm

CiniO wrote: »

As ridiculous as it sounds, what you're saying is very likely the case.
ROI residents are not permitted to drive foreign registered cars in Ireland bar few exceptions.

Indeed CiniO this is the case in Ireland and, per europa.eu, in every other member state!

CJhaughey

Wasn't there a case recently against Revenue about leased cars having to be VRT'd? I am not sure if its relevant to this but I can't remember.

Isambard

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

As a general rule an IE resident cannot legally drive a car brought in under a temporary exemption. From memory I think this is made fairly clear on the Revenue website in the bit about VRT.

I think there may be exemptions for work vehicles under certain circumstances and I don't know about border areas.

I think exemptions have to be pre-agreed with Revenue iirc

Under His Eye

Correct.

You need to carry proof of the exemption in the car.

CiniO

Marcusm wrote: »

Indeed CiniO this is the case in Ireland and, per europa.eu, in every other member state!

I assume europa.eu website must be wrong then, as there's surely no such law in Poland.

Isambard

or you could be wrong perhaps?

CiniO

Isambard wrote: »

or you could be wrong perhaps?

Perhaps, but doubt it in that case.

H3llR4iser

It's a bit of a complex subject, but it can be simplified:

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/registration-abroad/index_en.htm

Long story short:

If you are living/visiting an an EU member state different from that of your car's registration for less than 6 months, you do not need to re-register your car; In that scenario, however, you can't lend the car to a permanent resident of the state, unless he/she is in the car with you. It's clearly a bit of a convoluted piece of regulation specifically thought to avoid the "Officer, the car is my brother's who's visiting from Belfast" scenario...

galwaytt

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Hopefully a straightforward question. Can a resident of the republic legally drive a northern registered vehicle that they do not own. I seem to remember this came up before with somebody driving a car belonging to a visiting relative and the consensus was that they couldn't. Or maybe i'm misrembering.

No, the Finance Act specifically precludes any Irish resident from driving a non-Irish registered car. You can't even take it around the block.

I'd have to search, but I think it came into being in 1997 when Bertie was Minister for Finance.

If you read this page - https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/registration-abroad/ireland/index_en.htm - , it does say in one place "The vehicle may not in any circumstances be driven by a State resident."

galwaytt

CiniO wrote: »

Perhaps, but doubt it in that case.

This page suggests you may be.... https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/registration-abroad//poland/index_en.htm

endacl

CiniO wrote: »

Perhaps, but doubt it in that case.

You doubt it in most cases!

:pac:

kingofburt

As others have said, it is illegal and Customs do not take kindly to it. I speak from experience!!

My car was in getting serviced and I needed to drive for work, borrowed my sisters Northern Irish registered car and 5km into the Republic I came upon a customs check, the officer was not believing me at all but luckily I was able to show the car was clearly my sisters and my own was in a garage, but I was told a record has been made and if I am ever caught driving a non Irish registered car in the State again it will be impounded.

That includes rental cars, I use Enterprise in Derry quite a bit for van rental. Absolute pain, although it was funny seeing a few cars do u-turns and try to make a break for the border and a sneaky squad car appear to apprehend them!

sunnysoutheast

H3llR4iser wrote: »

It's a bit of a complex subject, but it can be simplified:

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/registration-abroad/index_en.htm

Long story short:

If you are living/visiting an an EU member state different from that of your car's registration for less than 6 months, you do not need to re-register your car; In that scenario, however, you can't lend the car to a permanent resident of the state, unless he/she is in the car with you. It's clearly a bit of a convoluted piece of regulation specifically thought to avoid the "Officer, the car is my brother's who's visiting from Belfast" scenario...

I didn't think the IE resident could drive it, full stop. Whether or not the non-resident owner is in it or not?

H3llR4iser

sunnysoutheast wrote: »

I didn't think the IE resident could drive it, full stop. Whether or not the non-resident owner is in it or not?

Read the rule - the resident can drive if the owner is in the car; It makes sense - say you're somewhere and the car owner falls ill, you can at least drive them back home or to an hospital. The law exists to avoid people registering cars cross border to prevent of a better tax regime and such. It's not an Irish problem - people in northern Italy, for example, used to register cars in Switzerland or Germany to get cheaper insurance and fly under the revenue radar...

Marcusm

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Read the rule - the resident can drive if the owner is in the car; It makes sense - say you're somewhere and the car owner falls ill, you can at least drive them back home or to an hospital. The law exists to avoid people registering cars cross border to prevent of a better tax regime and such. It's not an Irish problem - people in northern Italy, for example, used to register cars in Switzerland or Germany to get cheaper insurance and fly under the revenue radar...

I would be with you on this one and i’ve Had this argument on Boards before. The prohibition is on the vehicle being lent or hired to an Irish person. If I am the owner and I am in the car I would not say I have lent it to them as I remain in control of the vehicle - they are not a bailee but merely my servant driving the car! Not really the argument to be having on the side of the road though.

galwaytt

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Read the rule - the resident can drive if the owner is in the car; It makes sense - say you're somewhere and the car owner falls ill, you can at least drive them back home or to an hospital. The law exists to avoid people registering cars cross border to prevent of a better tax regime and such. It's not an Irish problem - people in northern Italy, for example, used to register cars in Switzerland or Germany to get cheaper insurance and fly under the revenue radar...

Never mind the rule : the governing matter is Irish Statute and that specifically bars any Irish resident from driving a foreign registered car, period.

And Revenue won't engage in split infinitives at the side of the road - they'll just take the car and fine you per day for every day the car has been in the country - and they have that info too btw...

I have personal knowledge of this happening to someone I know and the fine alone came to €1600 on the spot, literally

Don't say you werent told. ....

Isambard

galwaytt wrote: »

Never mind the rule : the governing matter is Irish Statute and that specifically bars any Irish resident from driving a foreign registered car, period.

And Revenue won't engage in split infinitives at the side of the road - they'll just take the car and fine you per day for every day the car has been in the country - and they have that info too btw...

I have personal knowledge of this happening to someone I know and the fine alone came to €1600 on the spot, literally

Don't say you werent told. ....

i would be very surprised if a note of any car coming into the country was not made. That's why I've advised caution before in re-registering a car late with the notion "Oh I just bought it in the north"

ohnonotgmail

galwaytt wrote: »

Never mind the rule : the governing matter is Irish Statute and that specifically bars any Irish resident from driving a foreign registered car, period.

And Revenue won't engage in split infinitives at the side of the road - they'll just take the car and fine you per day for every day the car has been in the country - and they have that info too btw...

I have personal knowledge of this happening to someone I know and the fine alone came to €1600 on the spot, literally

Don't say you werent told. ....

The on the spot fine is 10% of the OMSP and the vehicle doesnt move until it is paid.

H3llR4iser

galwaytt wrote: »

Never mind the rule : the governing matter is Irish Statute and that specifically bars any Irish resident from driving a foreign registered car, period.

And Revenue won't engage in split infinitives at the side of the road - they'll just take the car and fine you per day for every day the car has been in the country - and they have that info too btw...

I have personal knowledge of this happening to someone I know and the fine alone came to €1600 on the spot, literally

Don't say you werent told. ....

No point making the last sentence, if anything I'd be happy if anyone going around the Republic in a UK-registered high-capacity engine got the car impounded, crushed, they got jailed and fed to guinea pigs (:D); I can't justify driving something like that in IE not because of the price to buy, but due to the insurance and tax bills that would come with it, about 4 grands I could use for other stuff.

The rules might be strict yet something ain't working - I have been seeing the same yellow-plated cars in the same spots around D4 on a daily basis for three years running now. They're parked on the feckin' street ffs, it's not even remotely possible that even a passing Garda or Revenue car hasn't spotted them. Yet, there they are.

Charles Babbage

H3llR4iser wrote: »

The rules might be strict yet something ain't working - I have been seeing the same yellow-plated cars in the same spots around D4 on a daily basis for three years running now. They're parked on the feckin' street ffs, it's not even remotely possible that even a passing Garda or Revenue car hasn't spotted them. Yet, there they are.

How do you know the owners are resident in the Republic? A student might be 4 years on a course.

H3llR4iser

Charles Babbage wrote: »

How do you know the owners are resident in the Republic? A student might be 4 years on a course.

Well, clearly I should ditch all this Engineering career cr@p so and become a professional foreign student in Dublin, because they can afford AMG C63s and Aston Martins. Also, they can apparenty park in front of offices and banks during work hours :D:D

Isambard

Guinea Pigs are herbivores.

ohnonotgmail

Isambard wrote: »

Guinea Pigs are herbivores.

I think you are in the wrong thread

Charles Babbage

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Well, clearly I should ditch all this Engineering career cr@p so and become a professional foreign student in Dublin, because they can afford AMG C63s and Aston Martins. Also, they can apparenty park in front of offices and banks during work hours :D:D

There are some students, especially from Gulf countries, driving around in such cars.
Some of the others may not be students, but most of these are not people living in Dublin who just bought a UK car.

Isambard

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

I think you are in the wrong thread

don't think so, read the posts. :-)

galwaytt

H3llR4iser wrote: »

No point making the last sentence, if anything I'd be happy if anyone going around the Republic in a UK-registered high-capacity engine got the car impounded, crushed, they got jailed and fed to guinea pigs (:D); I can't justify driving something like that in IE not because of the price to buy, but due to the insurance and tax bills that would come with it, about 4 grands I could use for other stuff.

The rules might be strict yet something ain't working - I have been seeing the same yellow-plated cars in the same spots around D4 on a daily basis for three years running now. They're parked on the feckin' street ffs, it's not even remotely possible that even a passing Garda or Revenue car hasn't spotted them. Yet, there they are.

Well, like Redacted, you can be a here a lot, and still technically be non-resident, and it's more likely to happen in the upper reaches of the income scale, rather than the lower, if you get me, which would fit the D4 inference...

H3llR4iser

galwaytt wrote: »

Well, like Redacted, you can be a here a lot, and still technically be non-resident, and it's more likely to happen in the upper reaches of the income scale, rather than the lower, if you get me, which would fit the D4 inference...

Well, I think the bolded part explains everything, really.

Marcusm

galwaytt wrote: »

Well, like Redacted, you can be a here a lot, and still technically be non-resident, and it's more likely to happen in the upper reaches of the income scale, rather than the lower, if you get me, which would fit the D4 inference...

There’s an Aston Martin Rapide on my road in Dublin 6 which isn’t always here as I understand the owner also has s house in Dalkey. It doesn’t have a resident’s disk but is never clamped. It’s ref plate begins XO which indicates that it’s an expirt plate from the U.K. to be brought outside the EU. I wonder is this the ultimate con? Essentially not registered anywhere.