Expert answer

Hi Carl,

Either set up a temporary insurance policy with a Northern Irish insurer that will cover the car to be driven south of the border or temporarily add the car to your own insurance policy until it is re-registered. Best thing to do is call your existing insurer and ask about that.

I'm sure you realise that you will have to re-register the car in the south before selling it on.

Expert answer

Hi Eugene,

While we don't yet have Irish specifications for that car, MG UK has confirmed its offering for the S5 EV and it includes manual lumbar support for the driver on the top Trophy Long Range model only.

We would expect the Irish cars to be the same.

Expert answer

Hi John,

There's no way to know for sure the exact VRT due until the car is brought for inspection at an NCT centre after importing it. Even if the car appears on Revenue's site, there are disclaimers on there indicating that it's an estimate only.

To make your own estimate, you'll need to have the CO₂ figure of the specific car you're looking at and you'll need to guess what Revenue will say the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) is for that car.

The latter is the figure Revenue believes the car to be worth as an Irish car selling on the open market today. It's not easy to estimate for a relatively rare model such as the A3 Cabriolet. We found one from 2014 listed on Carzone for about €16,000, which is probably as good a starting point as any.

Watch out with the CO₂ figure. The official figure for a 2014 car is likely to be according to the old “NEDC” system and unless a WLTP figure is available Revenue will use its “uplifting” formula to bring the CO₂ up. You'll find that formula in our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK page (it applies no matter where the car is coming from).

Once you have your CO₂ figure you can look up the VRT band and percentage on our How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland? page. The VRT due will then be that percentage of the OMSP.

The NOx levy is separate to this calculation – though payable at the same time. It's not so easy to look the NOx emissions up and hopefully the car in question has a certificate of conformity with the information on it. There's a bit about that on the Guide to Importing Cars from the UK page mentioned above that again applies no matter where the car is coming from.

Hopefully that all helps. If you want us to assist with the calculations, come back to us with as much detail as possible on the car in question.

Expert answer

Hi Chris,

Assuming the vehicles are registered in your name and you qualify for Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, the following steps must be completed:

1 - Apply for ToR relief by following the steps on Revenue's Moving to live in Ireland from outside the EU page. After completing this, you'll receive a reference number or ToR approval letter, ensuring no customs duty or VAT are due. 

2 - Book an appointment at NCTS.ie to have the cars inspected. Even if eligible for ToR with no VRT due, you still need this step. You'll then get Irish registration numbers to get plates made. 

3 - Tax the cars on Motor Tax Online and the Irish registration certificates will come in the post. 

For the latter steps you'll need the following:

- Original V5C 'logbook' for the cars

- Proof of Irish address

- Photo ID

You should start the ToR process immediately as you are supposed to book an appointment with the NCTS within seven days of arrival in Ireland and then complete the process within 30 days.

One word of caution though, and perhaps it's worth a call to Revenue in Ireland on this, but the above guidelines are correct when bringing one car into Ireland that you own. There is no specific guidance in the public realm for bringing more than one vehicle with you. In theory it should make no difference how many cars you bring in, but it's worth checking that before you commit to the process to avoid unnecessary costs.

Do let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Tim,

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

Expert answer

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

Expert answer

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.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

The price after incentives is €32,987 and the applied incentives include the full €3,500 SEAI grant and a VRT rebate. Adding back on the SEAI grant the price becomes €36,487, which is the price after the VRT rebate has been applied.

VRT is seven per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP). Working back from €36,487, therefore, the OMSP in this case would be €39,233.33, i.e. the price of the 2025 e-C4 Max with no grants.

Expert answer

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.

Expert answer

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?