Expert answer

Hi Sherin,

I'm afraid not. No announcement has been made regarding Jaecoo's entry into the Irish market at all.

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Hi Tommy,

You've not mentioned if you need a big car or not, but you could get into a nearly new Dacia Jogger for that budget if space and seating are a priority. We reckon it's a good car.

There are plenty of examples of the Ford Puma around as well, though that's more a 'mild hybrid' than a full hybrid.

If you don't need a huge vehicle, then an almost-new Peugeot 208 Hybrid could be a good bet as it would be under warranty for quite some time to come – and it's a lovely car in any case. You may even get into the new-look Peugeot 308 Hybrid actually, which is a nicer car again.

Same story with the Nissan Juke Hybrid in terms of size. Quirky but very likeable.

If you want something bigger, and you're willing to go back a few years, you'll find hybrid versions of the Hyundai Tucson in budget, which is a great car.

Let us know if we're on the right track if you want help narrowing things down further, but either way, the best advice we can give you is to go and test drive as many cars as possible for yourself.

Expert answer

Hi Tommy,

Assuming it is a normal 2016 Citroen Berlingo van that has been registered and used in Northern Ireland, you should not have to pay customs duty or Irish VAT, but you will have to pay VRT when registering it here.

The VRT will usually be based on Revenue's OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) for the van rather than what you paid for it. For most 2016 diesel Berlingo vans, I'd expect the rate to be 13.3 per cent of the OMSP, so probably somewhere in the region of €800-€1,200 depending on the exact model, mileage and condition.

Before buying, make sure the V5C shows NI registration/keeper history and check that it has an NI MOT/test history. If it was only brought into Northern Ireland from Great Britain by a dealer and was not previously in use in NI, Revenue may look for Windsor Framework/customs documentation, and the costs and paperwork could change significantly, potentially meaning you'd also have to pay VAT and import duty.

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Hi Fergal,

VRT is unavoidable regardless of where the car is coming from, though on an electric car such as the MGS6 EV, it's likely to be zero thanks to the rebate.

The VAT situation is trickier. The key issue is that it's effectively treated as a new vehicle. In EU/Irish tax terms, a car is considered new if it is either less than six months old or has covered less than 6,000km. While this one has done enough mileage, its November 2025 registration means it's still within that six-month window. On top of that, it's a dealer demonstrator, not a privately owned car in normal use in Northern Ireland, so it doesn't qualify for the NI exemption route either.

The result is that 23 per cent Irish VAT will be payable when you register it here.

Saying that, you may be able to get the dealer to sell it at zero per cent UK VAT, so the hit won't be as tough to swallow as it might have been.

Talk to them about the situation and see what they say.

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Hi Patrick,

No matter what, you'll have to pay VRT on it, usually 13.3 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) for category B vans.

The bigger question is whether VAT and customs duty apply, and that depends entirely on the van's history.

If the van has been registered and in use in Northern Ireland, then you should not have to pay either VAT or customs duty when importing it into the Republic.

However, many vans in Northern Ireland were originally supplied from Great Britain (i.e. England, Scotland or Wales). If that's the case - or if you can't prove the van's use in the North - Revenue may treat it as a GB import via NI, which can trigger 23 per cent VAT and 10 per cent customs duty.

There's also a separate rule for newer vehicles: if the van is less than six months old or has under 6,000km on its clock, Irish VAT will apply regardless of where it comes from.

In summary, VRT is a given, but avoiding VAT and import duty comes down to having clear evidence that the van has been properly in use in Northern Ireland.

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Hi Christopher,

That is mostly correct, though the car must be registered to someone at the Northern Irish address and I don't believe that petrol receipts will suffice as proof. An MOT in the North should though. Revenue isn't very precise in its information around this, unfortunately.

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Hi Pat,

MDL, the Irish distributors of BYD, tells us it will be "Q2 2026".

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Hi Ger,

No prices as yet, but the Irish media launch of the e Vitara will be towards the end of March, just a few weeks away, which means the car will be available to order imminently.

Once we have Irish prices, we will update our review of the car.

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Hi John,

Not all cars are on the Revenue VRT website, unfortunately, so you may have to estimate the car's value in Ireland (i.e. what it might sell for here after importation). Revenue calls that the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) and it bases its VRT calculations on that and the VRT band the car sits in due to its official CO₂ emissions rating.

On top of that, you will have to pay import duty and VAT and the NOx levy.

I suggest you have a read of these guides, as the same applies to cars coming from Japan:

How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland?
Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained
Guide To Importing Cars From The UK

And this: Guide to buying Japanese imports

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Hi Raymond,

Full details of the Irish lineup for the new Fiat Grande Panda have yet to be confirmed, but so far all versions revealed - fully electric and hybrid - are automatic.