Wondering is it worth importing a VW Tiguan PHEV?
Hi,
I have a question related to importing a car from the UK. I have read your guide and it's very informative.
I am trying to work out how much it will cost me to import a 2025 VW Tiguan 1.5 PHEV basic spec model from England. It would be more than six months old and have about 15,000km on the clock.
How much would the price difference be depending on if it was from the UK mainland or NI and is there a decent saving to be made compared to buying one from a garage here?
I see many Irish VW garages are selling 2025 used imported UK cars on their forecourts so I'm presuming there is value to be had by importing.
Many thanks
Dillon (Kildare)Dec 2025 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Dillon,
It would make no sense to import such a car from GB (England, Scotland and Wales) as it would attract VAT at 23 per cent and import duty at 10 per cent, on top of the VRT and NOx levy. That is unavoidable in the case of the Tiguan – and assuming you are an Irish resident already, not someone moving here from the GB.
The same vehicle imported from Northern Ireland may not be subject to any VAT or import duty, so long as it was either sold new in the North or it has been imported into the North according to the Windsor Framework and then used there. You will need paperwork to prove all of that.
Assuming you find a car that qualifies in NI, then it's just VRT and the NOx levy. The latter will be a minimal amount for the PHEV as emissions of NOx will be ultra-low (likely no more than €200, depending on precise specification of the car).
Likewise, CO2 emissions should be sub-50g/km (check this, as it depends on the specification), so VRT is calculated as seven per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), with a minimum fee of €140.
The OMSP can be tricky to estimate as it's the figure Revenue reckons the car is worth once registered on Irish plates. A quick scan of the classifieds suggests this could be in the region of €45,000-€48,000.
Assuming the worst case – i.e. an OMSP of €48,000 – then the VRT bill would be €3,360.
So, aside from travel/transport and insurance, this Tiguan should cost a good deal less than €4,000 on top of its purchase price to import.
If you can find one that qualifies for importation without VAT or import duty, and its purchase price is equivalent to a value lower than €40,000, then you are potentially making a saving.
Just double-check all your paperwork. It will obviously be more hassle than buying at an Irish dealer, with no option to trade your existing car in, so weigh up the savings to ensure it's all worth it.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor