I want to bring my cars with me when I move from the UK...
Please can you help/advise?
I am taking up permanent residence in Southern Ireland in the next couple of months. I want to import two cars that I own:
1 - A 2002 Toyota RAV4 (1,998cc engine, CO2 224g/km, purchase price £21k, I have owned the vehicle since new)
2 – A 2020 Volvo XC40 (petrol engine size 1,477cc, CO2 166g/km, date of acquisition 17-05-24
Thanking you in advance for your assistance
Chris Baker (UK)Apr 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Chris,
Assuming the vehicles are registered in your name and you qualify for Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, the following steps must be completed:
1 - Apply for ToR relief by following the steps on Revenue's Moving to live in Ireland from outside the EU page. After completing this, you'll receive a reference number or ToR approval letter, ensuring no customs duty or VAT are due.
2 - Book an appointment at NCTS.ie to have the cars inspected. Even if eligible for ToR with no VRT due, you still need this step. You'll then get Irish registration numbers to get plates made.
3 - Tax the cars on Motor Tax Online and the Irish registration certificates will come in the post.
For the latter steps you'll need the following:
- Original V5C 'logbook' for the cars
- Proof of Irish address
- Photo ID
You should start the ToR process immediately as you are supposed to book an appointment with the NCTS within seven days of arrival in Ireland and then complete the process within 30 days.
One word of caution though, and perhaps it's worth a call to Revenue in Ireland on this, but the above guidelines are correct when bringing one car into Ireland that you own. There is no specific guidance in the public realm for bringing more than one vehicle with you. In theory it should make no difference how many cars you bring in, but it's worth checking that before you commit to the process to avoid unnecessary costs.
Do let us know how you get on.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor