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Hi Tim,

Try one of the Irish car history websites such as Cartell.ie. You will have to pay for a detailed history. 

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Hi Alex,

I'm afraid VRT rates are the same regardless of where the car comes from. They apply to the first time a car is registered in Ireland

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Hi Gary,

Assuming you mean the current 'G60' model then I'm afraid the answer is no. When it was first unveiled, BMW Ireland indicated that no diesel version would be sold here and we double-checked that just now before answering this question. 

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Hi Elliott,

We can help estimate, but remember some variables are beyond our control. You'll need the CO₂ rating for the VRT band and the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price), which isn't fixed or directly tied to your car's purchase price. It's Revenue's estimated selling price in Ireland and can be hard to predict. Also, if the car has many extras, Revenue will increase the OMSP.

I believe the CO₂ rating for that 4 Series should put the car into Band 9, at 15.25 per cent.

Taking €18,000 as the example OMSP, that would mean a VRT bill of €2,745.

Don't forget the NOx levy and, depending on where you're importing the car from, VAT and customs duty as well.

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Hi Angelo,

Without the full details it sounds like this is more a question for the institution you're hoping to get the loan from than us - and it depends on so many factors. A few thoughts:

- It would not be possible to obtain a UK car loan without a UK address.

- If you have a UK address, it may be possible to get a car loan from a bank or similar as they are unlikely to check where the car is actually registered. They're not likely to be bothered about that either as the car is rarely considered to be collateral in such circumstances.

- If, however, you mean car finance - PCP or hire purchase for example - then the car would have to be bought and registered in the same country as that in which the finance is taken out. If you are actually living in Ireland as well as working here, then the car would have to be reregistered here on importation, which is highly likely to be against the terms of the finance agreement.

- Finally, if you are a UK citizen that is working remotely for an Irish company, and you are looking to buy a UK car for use in the UK, then there should be no issues. Every finance institution will have its own rules on lending of course, but so long as you can show you have the means to repay the loan, it shouldn't matter which country the money is coming from.

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Hi Norman,

In most cases, UK insurance companies do not classify a car brought over from Northern Ireland to Great Britain (England, Scotland, or Wales) as an import. This is because Northern Ireland is part of the UK, and cars registered there already meet UK standards.

Some insurers may ask if the car was first registered outside 'Great Britain' (which would mean those brought from Northern Ireland as well) and might require additional information. 

If the car was originally imported into Northern Ireland (e.g. from the Republic of Ireland or elsewhere), insurers might classify it as an import, but we wouldn't worry massively about that one.

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Hi Patrick,

The good news is that, as the car was registered before 2021 in Northern Ireland - and presumably has been there ever since - no customs duty or VAT is payable at all, just VRT and the NOx levy.

You will need paperwork from the seller to prove its status in the North, but otherwise you just bring it in and book it in for an inspection at an NCT centre to get your VRT bill etc. before registering it.

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Hi Emre,

I'm afraid there is no news on Jaecoo's entry to the Irish market. It has not confirmed if it will even happen. There's a very good chance that it will, however, as Jaecoo has launched in the UK already.

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Hi Paul,

As a passenger vehicle, the VRT cost will depend on the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) and the VRT band. The latter is determined by the CO₂ rating, which for that model means the highest with emissions of well over 191g/km. VRT is therefore 41 per cent of the OMSP.

Unfortunately, the OMSP is nothing to do with the price you pay for the car. It's the figure Revenue believes the car to be worth in Ireland. That's not very easy to guess at for a rare model such as the Defender. For the purposes of our calculations let's assume it's €40,000, but you may know Irish values of these cars better so adjust the figures accordingly.

At an OMSP of €40,000, the VRT alone would be €16,400.

You will also have to pay the NOx levy on top of that. This can be up to €4,850 for diesel models and unfortunately the Defender is likely to attract the top value.

Assuming the Defender was imported into Northern Ireland and used there by someone (i.e. not just a car dealer), then you should not be liable for VAT or customs duty, but you will need to be able to prove its status to Revenue when importing it.

Motor tax in Ireland will be at the top rate of €2,400 per year.

A few useful guides for you:

Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained
Guide to Importing a Car from Northern Ireland
How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland?

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Hi Paschal,

You can avoid VAT and import/custom duties completely if the car was imported into the North and then used there by someone (i.e. not just imported by a car dealer to sell on) or indeed if it was registered in Northern Ireland when new. You will need to have paperwork to prove this to Revenue on import to the south. And of course you will have to pay VRT and the NOx levy regardless.