How much to bring my car with me moving to the UK?

Hi,

I am currently looking to move to the UK and bring my car with me. I was wondering if I would be able to get a rough estimate on how much it would cost to change my car from Irish plates to UK plates?

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Michael Stanley

Sep 2025 Filed under: importing

---

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

First of all, if you've lived in Ireland for at least 12 months before moving to the UK, have owned the car for at least six months and you are moving your permanent residence from Ireland to the UK then you should be eligible for transfer of residence (TOR) relief from import duty and VAT. Read the UK's rules on transfer of residence.

If so, then you'll just have to pay the DVLA registration fee (£55), get the car a new MOT cert if it's over three years old and buy a set of number plates, which will be inexpensive. There will also be Vehicle Excise Duty (VED - equivalent of our motor tax) to pay, the rate of which varies depending on the car.

Double-check all the rules for yourself on the UK government's Importing vehicles into the UK page.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor