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Hi Shirley,

You can buy one and use it privately, yes. You’ll have to pay the VAT as part of the normal purchase price, and you’ll have to find an insurer willing to cover you as a private driver, so have a good shop around for that beforehand. As it’s electric, you’ll be in the lowest €120 motor tax category. 

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Hi Renato,

Yes, absolutely — you can register a Hilux for personal use, but just remember that you’ll have to tax it as a private vehicle, which means you’ll be taxing it on the engine capacity, not the CO₂ emissions. If it’s a 3.0-litre Hilux, that’s going to be pricey. Insurance can be an issue too, so get hold of a good broker to help you find the right policy.

Classic insurance is a non-runner, sadly. In Ireland, a car has to be more than 30 years old to qualify for classic status. 

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Hi Dan,

OK, so I’m assuming that you mean bringing in a Range Rover Sport from the UK? It’s going to be pretty expensive. A rough VRT calculation suggests you’re looking at around €5,500 minimum for VRT, and then you’ll have to pay import duty (ten per cent) and 21 per cent VAT on top of that. Most likely you’re looking at a total cost of around €9-10,000 to get it registered here.

If you converted it to a commercial, that might help, but it would mean an expensive, full conversion, removing the back seats and bolting in a load floor. You’d also have to get the work done in the UK before the car comes to Ireland, as otherwise you’d have to pay the full passenger car VRT when it gets here. That would lower your VRT rate to 13.3 per cent, and take out the NOx levy, which would help, but you’d still get stung for the VAT and import duty.

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Hi Antony,

A motorhome is going to be charged at the commercial VRT rate, of 13.3 per cent of the vehicle's Irish market value. Now, as you say, that value can be difficult to work out ahead of time, and the best that you can do really is to scan the classified ads and start seeing what other similar vehicles are on sale and what kind of money they’re going for. That will at least give you a ballpark in which to start. The good news is that once you do have it imported, motor tax is charged at just €102 a year for camper vans and motorhomes. 

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Hi Margaret,

If you moved to Ireland from the UK (or any other country for that matter) and brought your car with you, then you are indeed exempt from paying VRT and import duties, as long as you can show proof of your change of address, and proof of at least six months' prior tax and insurance on the car at your previous address.

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Hi Peter,

Well, actually you shouldn’t have to pay motor tax at all. If you yourself are a disabled driver, or the person who drives with you is, you can apply for exemption from motor tax. You just need to get in contact with Revenue and fill in a couple of forms, and they’ll then send you an exemption tax disc. 

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Hi Russell,

If you like your current car then it’s definitely a good idea to bring it with you. Importing a vehicle as part of a change of address means that you won’t have to pay Vehicle Registration Tax, which is a significant saving. All you need is proof of the change of address, and proof of at least six months’ tax and insurance at your previous address.

Read our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK feature for more.

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Hi Michael,

I’m assuming that’s the 1.6 petrol engine, with a five-speed manual gearbox? If so, that has CO₂ emissions of 155g/km, which will mean motor tax of €390 per year. 

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Hi Ailin,

OK, I think the best advice is to buy as soon as you possibly can. According to Revenue, you MAY be able to claim exemption on VRT, VAT and customs duty if you’re bringing your car in as part of a permanent move. You need to have owned the vehicle for ‘at least six months’ so being as we’re into February already, the clock is ticking. Make sure you keep every receipt and proof of address, road tax and insurance (and maybe keep them for the car you have now too, just to extend the paper trail). 

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Hi Sylvie,

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the taxes etc. are calculated when the car is presented for inspection. So, I'm afraid you're likely to have to pay the new fees. On top of that, you're supposed to inform Revenue of the car's importation within seven days and book an inspection within 30 days. Failure to do that means a fine. That fine increases the longer you wait, too, so don't delay any further.