Can I temporarily bring my van in from UK?

Hi, I am doing some work on my own house in Ireland in 2020; how long can I keep my big van there without changing the plates as I want to bring it back to UK again?

Martin Joyce (London)

Dec 2019 Filed under: importing

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Expert answer

Hi Martin,

It all depends on your residential status. Do you still have a UK address to which the van is registered, taxed and insured? If so then there’s theoretically no real upper limit. There is a notional six-month upper ceiling, but if you were to bring the van back to the UK and then back here again that would reset. The only thing I would advise is that you keep your registration and proof of address details in the van in case challenged on the matter by a Garda.  

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor
@neilmbriscoe