How much to import an old Isuzu Trooper?
I would like to buy an Isuzu Trooper SUV, over 20 years old, in Northern Ireland, and import it to southern Ireland (Dublin). Can you please let me know, approximately, how much it would cost, on top of the price of the vehicle, if l paid €2,250 for it? It has a 3.0-litre diesel engine and 195,000 kilometres on the clock. It's a five-seater.
Brian McgovernAug 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Brian,
To do these calculations, we're going to assume that the Trooper has been registered and used in Northern Ireland for quite some time, and that you can prove that. This means no import duty or VAT will be payable.
We're also going to assume it's a passenger car as it's a five-seater.
The high CO2 emissions rating of that model means it'll be in the top band for VRT, at 41 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is what Revenue reckons the vehicle to be worth after registration in Ireland.
There are many examples of the Trooper in Revenue's online VRT calculator, so we're confident it won't be valued any higher than €2,500 (most likely lower). At that value, the VRT would be €1,025.
The NOx levy is likely to cost a lot more, however. If you can't get an official NOx emissions figure for the vehicle then it will default to the maximum for a diesel, at €4,850, so make sure you look into that before committing to importing it.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor