Importing from the UK - definitive guide (Q&A)

The Prisoner

Hello folks, just hoping to get some advice from seasoned importers! Am a bit of a novice at this myself, have imported one car from the north but am about to try to bring one in from England for the first time.

Have flight and ferry booked (consecutive days rather than the same so as not to be under too much pressure) for last week of September. The idea is to buy a 2018 or early 2019 A6...but how much prep work do you recommend beforehand? I had it in my head to go to a couple of dealers in the London area to see who would offer the best deal on comparable cars but am I better of just deciding on one in advance and sticking with it?

I hope to get in touch with the prospective Audi dealer(s) in the next few days, presumably it's best to fill them in on the plan of importing and see how comfortably they can facilitate same? (reading the stuff about the V5 problems a few posts back has put the fear in me!) And are the any independent checks that I need to arrange?

I have money saved up in an old sterling account from my time in London so payment should hopefully be straightforward enough.

Thanks in advance for any help.

CountingCrows

The Prisoner wrote: »

The idea is to buy a 2018 or early 2019 A6...but how much prep work do you recommend beforehand?

You'll be buying a car with manufacturer warranty so I'd be less concerned about prep work. My advise is to research the dealer more so than the car. Do they offer an inhouse warranty (unlikely you'll ever use it but shows they'll stand over their cars)? Check their Google maps and their Autotrader reviews. Every garage will have someone complaining but if on balance the reviews are positive then include the car in your maybe list.

I'd recommoned trying to settle on a single car before you travel. The garage I bought from needed a few days to prep the car. Most (decent) garages will be happy to send you additional pictures and service book details in advance.

I wouldn't be worried about the V5C. Explain before you travel the process.

Debub

Hi Guys - 2 points that I need help on

- for those who have already been for a VRT in the recent past - how much time does the actual process take at the NCT centre. I have mine coming up next week and the time is very awkward - as its too close to the kids coming back from school, so it will be good to know the ballpark figure so that I can plan accordingly for them to be picked up/received

- I had to ring the VRT Dublin number as I couldn't get an online booking. They said that I am on a wait list, pending on new slots to be released in a couple of weeks time. Now I tried online again yesterday and was able to get a free spot for next week and booked it, now, do I need to ring back the Dublin number and mention its, so that I don't get a duplicate slot assigned?

thanks

revoke12

Debub wrote: »

Hi Guys - 2 points that I need help on

- for those who have already been for a VRT in the recent past - how much time does the actual process take at the NCT centre. I have mine coming up next week and the time is very awkward - as its too close to the kids coming back from school, so it will be good to know the ballpark figure so that I can plan accordingly for them to be picked up/received

- I had to ring the VRT Dublin number as I couldn't get an online booking. They said that I am on a wait list, pending on new slots to be released in a couple of weeks time. Now I tried online again yesterday and was able to get a free spot for next week and booked it, now, do I need to ring back the Dublin number and mention its, so that I don't get a duplicate slot assigned?

thanks

Process is quick takes about 20 mins so give yourself 30 mins or so. If you keep checking on the website yourself slots keep appearing thats what i done i kept checking and a slot popped up.

RIALTO1

Hi all, couple of quick questions, with apologies as I am sure they have been answered multiple times but tight for time:

1. Taxing the car - Do I arrange this myself or the dealer (Dealer is suggesting I do it). If it is me, what is the process and can I arrange it all over there on the day?
2. DEKRA inspection - what is the timeframe for booking these? Have contacted them through their site but still aiting to hear back from them. Trying to get them lined up to inspect the car this Thursday. Am I mad?

TIA

Debub

RIALTO1 wrote: »

Hi all, couple of quick questions, with apologies as I am sure they have been answered multiple times but tight for time:

1. Taxing the car - Do I arrange this myself or the dealer (Dealer is suggesting I do it). If it is me, what is the process and can I arrange it all over there on the day?
2. DEKRA inspection - what is the timeframe for booking these? Have contacted them through their site but still aiting to hear back from them. Trying to get them lined up to inspect the car this Thursday. Am I mad?

TIA

Dekra - I rang them (after booking online) on a Friday, they said earliest was going to be Wednesday (as it was a Bank Holiday Monday), but actually was booked for Tuesday. So best to ring them (check with your dealer if they have made any contact to finalise date as yet as well)


Taxing - the dealer did it on his laptop for me with my Revolut card. If they will not help, you will need to have internet and can do it on your phone (or carry a tablet/laptop). It takes a couple of minutes to tax the car

stargazer 68

We obviously did the whole thing completely wrong!

Found a dealer online who had 6 of the car I wanted. Flew over, straight to the garage. Looked at the car, paid the man, no tax, called my insurance company who transferred my insurance and drove it away! VRT done, tax now paid and insurance disc etc is in the post!

omri

Any idea how can I calculate VRT on 540i I am looking to buy, it doesn't seem to be listed in models on vrt calc ?

aodomhnaill

omri wrote: »

Any idea how can I calculate VRT on 540i I am looking to buy, it doesn't seem to be listed in models on vrt calc ?

540i is there alright...if the specific model of 540i isnt listed try 540 and it could be under that also.

omri

aodomhnaill wrote: »

540i is there alright...if the specific model of 540i isnt listed try 540 and it could be under that also.

No they don't have them as these are 3L latest models.

bazz26

What year 540i are you looking to import? I think there was a 2018 G30 540i M Sport for sale earlier this year asking between 60k and 65k. It was being sold by a BMW dealer so there was probably plenty of margin in that asking price. Might be something to work off of though, other than that they will just tell you to turn up at the appointment with it and they will probably send the VIN off to Revenue for a VRT valuation. Bring a jar of vaseline with you anyway.

omri

bazz26 wrote: »

What year 540i are you looking to import? I think there was a 2018 G30 540i M Sport for sale earlier this year asking between 60k and 65k. It was being sold by a BMW dealer so there was probably plenty of margin in that asking price. Might be something to work off of though, other than that they will just tell you to turn up at the appointment with it and they will probably send the VIN off to Revenue for a VRT valuation. Bring a jar of vaseline with you anyway.

2018/2019

aristotle25

omri wrote: »

2018/2019

Guess you already know about the 6 month old rule so as not to incur VAT as well when you register here? (Nearly got caught out myself).

deezell

omri wrote: »

Any idea how can I calculate VRT on 540i I am looking to buy, it doesn't seem to be listed in models on vrt calc ?

VRT is 27% for this car. Take UK VAT free price, add 23%, and add VRT such that the VRT forms forms 27% of final price, and the pre-VRT plus VAT is the remaining 63%

So, UK VAT free for 540M is £43241 . Thats €48480. Plus irish VAT €59,630. With VRT of 27% of final price, about €94500 LIst Irish Price. Does that sound about right?

Bases on this new OMSP, 1 year old depreciate by 20%, OMSP is €75,721. The VRT portion of this is 27%, so expect to pay € 20,400 approx in VRT for a 2018. You'll need more than Vaseline.

omri

aristotle25 wrote: »

Guess you already know about the 6 month old rule so as not to incur VAT as well when you register here? (Nearly got caught out myself).

I do - just need to estimate the vrt.

omri

deezell wrote: »

VRT is 27% for this car. Take UK VAT free price, add 23%, and add VRT such that the VRT forms forms 27% of final price, and the pre-VRT plus VAT is the remaining 63%

So, UK VAT free for 540M is £43241 . Thats €48480. Plus irish VAT €59,630. With VRT of 27% of final price, about €94500 LIst Irish Price. Does that sound about right?

Bases on this new OMSP, 1 year old depreciate by 20%, OMSP is €75,721. The VRT portion of this is 27%, so expect to pay € 20,400 approx in VRT for a 2018. You'll need more than Vaseline.

Ok - I'm not that good at maths So I take the base price the dealer offers me and add 23% to the UK dealers figure - and that gives me what exactly in relation to the List Irish Price ? Since the car will be over 6 months old and 6k+ kms I will not be charged VAT - so just VRT. Should I ask an irish dealer the price of 540I and base my VRT on that price new minus 20% depreciation? In this case the calculations on the base price I have to pay in UK have no use here ?

aristotle25

omri wrote: »

I do - just need to estimate the vrt.

Is it not the 540, petrol, 2998 engine capacity? Thats listed on the VRT site although it shows a xDrive (are they all xdrives?)

e.g Nov 2018, 6k miles, VRT = 15k

omri

aristotle25 wrote: »

Is it not the 540, petrol, 2998 engine capacity? Thats listed on the VRT site although it shows a xDrive (are they all xdrives?)

e.g Nov 2018, 6k miles, VRT = 15k

It is petrol 3l, model is 540 and it's an xdrive. I only see the 540 (I39 Touring) and 540I (E34 V8) both above 3L engines.

aristotle25

omri wrote: »

It is petrol 3l, model is 540 and it's an xdrive. I only see the 540 (I39 Touring) and 540I (E34 V8) both above 3L engines.

Choose..BMW...540...Auto...4 door...petrol..saloon...2998...and version is there in the list...G30 xDrive...

deezell

omri wrote: »

Ok - I'm not that good at maths So I take the base price the dealer offers me and add 23% to the UK dealers figure - and that gives me what exactly in relation to the List Irish Price ? Since the car will be over 6 months old and 6k+ kms I will not be charged VAT - so just VRT. Should I ask an irish dealer the price of 540I and base my VRT on that price new minus 20% depreciation? In this case the calculations on the base price I have to pay in UK have no use here ?

No, UK dealer price has no bearing on OMSP and Irish VRT. What I done is estimate the brand new price in Ireland based on new UK price, assumimg that VAT free UK price is near the same as VAT free and VRT free price in Ireland. Once the car is used, the Revenue here calculate the VRT using a depreciation scale on the Irish OMSP, then apply what the VRT element of that would be. Its simple enough. If you know the full price here, or what it would be if the model was available, and you can get an Idea of the depreciation from the VRT tables or by comparing to similar High end 5 series, 20% is what I used, then you get the an estimate of the used price for this model if it came up for sale. This is the figure the Revenue will use to apply the 27% VRT, which is the emissions rate for this car.
If you can get the official list price new of the car from a dealer, work from there.

omri

aristotle25 wrote: »

Choose..BMW...540...Auto...4 door...petrol..saloon...2998...and version is there in the list...G30 xDrive...

Found it. I was looking at touring though but it does come up at around 15k. I checked 520d xdrive sedan against the touring which is vrted at 40% more. So I'd say a 20k vrt should be spot on for the model I was looking at.

Debub

Debub wrote: »

Need to check this as I didn’t get any disc in the post. I am through a broker (MIG), would that make a difference - it shouldn’t logically. Will ring them on Monday, wasn’t checking here, missed ringing them yesterday.

I rang my broker and they said that they cannot release the paperwork/disc to me till I get my Irish Reg. They did send a Policy Schedule with all the details (with a Policy Number).

Debub

WestWicklow1 wrote: »

Make sure you get the original MOT cert, not a photo copy. NCT would not accept the one I got as it was "obviously a photo copy". I had to pay £10.00 for a "copy" from the www.gov.uk/dvsa and had to have it posted to me with a note from DVSA saying it was a "copy" of the original. NCT would not accept me printing out a PDF from DVSA.

Yes - they gave me the original MOT Cert

Isambard

Debub wrote: »

Yes - they gave me the original MOT Cert

you would think they could go online themselves to check out the MoT. Really backwards to be insisting on a paper copy nowadays, and then rejecting one printed out from an online source. The UK is really switched-on on online MoT documantation

mgn

https://www.gov.uk/replacing-lost-damaged-mot-certificate

You can get a free MOT replacement now.
I printed one off a few months ago and send it off.
Got an NCT a few days later.

Esel

mgn wrote: »

https://www.gov.uk/replacing-lost-damaged-mot-certificate

You can get a free MOT replacement now.
I printed one off a few months ago and send it off.
Got an NCT a few days later.

Don't you need a UK address for this?

mgn

Esel wrote: »

Don't you need a UK address for this?

No,The MOT is for the car not the owner.

deezell

It's online, you just enter UK reg and the V5C document reference no. (you did keep a photocopy, didn't you?). You get a .pdf of the cert which you can print.

rahulbhatewara

Need some help here. I've found a car I like in London but it turns out it doesn't have a logbook. The garage says it is "past the trade" and I'd have to get a new logook by filling out some forms, etc. which would take ~4 weeks with a UK address. With Brexit looming, I don't want to risk it. I'm a newbie so looking for some advice.

steven1987

rahulbhatewara wrote: »

Need some help here. I've found a car I like in London but it turns out it doesn't have a logbook. The garage says it is "past the trade" and I'd have to get a new logook by filling out some forms, etc. which would take ~4 weeks with a UK address. With Brexit looming, I don't want to risk it. I'm a newbie so looking for some advice.

I personally wont be buying any thing until there is more certainty around it vrt/import dutys taxes personally I would wait