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

Kotek Besar

Esel wrote: »

The question asked was UK to Ireland. The answer I gave was accurate.

Well, no it wasn't, since half of the routes you suggested weren't UK to Ireland.

Esel wrote: »

This is not the Politics forum...

Nope, quite right.

Harcrid

NIMAN wrote: »

Can I just get something straight, is it the normal NCT centre staff who do the valuation on an import? The guys who test the cars?

I paid VRT on an import approx 3yrs ago but had to do a round trip of approx 150miles to my main tax/revenue office to do it. Since then the NCT took over the process, but I have never read up on it much but assume its just the normal staff who make a decision on the VRT amount?

There is a dedicated person who does the VRT work. Not every NCT centre does VRT work by the way just so you are aware. You need to pick one that does.

http://ncts.ie/vq2.html

Fresz19

Hi, great guide!

I didn't go through all of the topic (hope I am asking first).
My question is: What kind of papers do I need from the seller? Does he need to post anything?

Sam Russell

Fresz19 wrote: »

Hi, great guide!

I didn't go through all of the topic (hope I am asking first).
My question is: What kind of papers do I need from the seller? Does he need to post anything?

You need the following:

1. A sales invoice showing the price paid (if it is a dealer) or a receipt from the seller giving adequate details. The date needs to be very recent.
2. The V5c (complete). Do not allow them to keep any of it. NCT/VRT will send it on to Swansea for export marking.
3. A ticket/proof of carriage across the Irish sea (unless it was purchased in NornIron). Again the date needs to be recent.
4. A form filled in with the details (download from the revenue site).
5. Payment.

Edit: Plus proof of ID - passport or driving licence. and proof of address, usually a utility bill and PPS number on official document.


You can get all the details from the revenue site.

Fresz19

Sam Russell wrote: »

You need the following:

1. A sales invoice showing the price paid (if it is a dealer) or a receipt from the seller giving adequate details. The date needs to be very recent.
2. The V5c (complete). Do not allow them to keep any of it. NCT/VRT will send it on to Swansea for export marking.
3. A ticket/proof of carriage across the Irish sea (unless it was purchased in NornIron). Again the date needs to be recent.
4. A form filled in with the details (download from the revenue site).
5. Payment.

You can get all the details from the revenue site.

ad. 2. V5c is something like tax book in Ireland?
ad. 3. How long can I drive on British plates? (not planning to do it just asking)
ad. 4. A form is for VRT?
ad. 5. VRT payment?

Sam Russell

Fresz19 wrote: »

ad. 2. V5c is something like tax book in Ireland?
ad. 3. How long can I drive on British plates? (not planning to do it just asking)
ad. 4. A form is for VRT?
ad. 5. VRT payment?

The V5c is the UK registration document - like the one we use here and you will receive in the post after you complete the VRT inspection and pay up.

You can drive on British plates for 3 days after you complete the VRT inspection. The whole process must be complete within 30 days of the car entering the country. You pay extra if you are late.

They have a form you fill in with all the details.

You pay the NCT crowd the VRT.

It is quite a quick process.

Fresz19

Ok, Thanks Sam - you were very helpful!

aujopimur

Sam Russell wrote: »

You need the following:

1. A sales invoice showing the price paid (if it is a dealer) or a receipt from the seller giving adequate details. The date needs to be very recent.
2. The V5c (complete). Do not allow them to keep any of it. NCT/VRT will send it on to Swansea for export marking.
3. A ticket/proof of carriage across the Irish sea (unless it was purchased in NornIron). Again the date needs to be recent.
4. A form filled in with the details (download from the revenue site).
5. Payment.

You can get all the details from the revenue site.

Plus, PPS no. on official document.
Photo ID
Proof of address.

Sam Russell

aujopimur wrote: »

Plus, PPS no. on official document.
Photo ID
Proof of address.

I thought the list was short. Thanks for adding that.

I'll edit the original to include those.

Esel

Sam Russell wrote: »

The V5c is the UK registration document.

Just to clarify this for new readers: You should get the complete V5C document from the seller. If they are reluctant to give it to you, refer them to the DVLA website for assurance.

When selling to a UK buyer, a UK seller has to send the V5C to the DVLA, but if they do this when you (the buyer) are exporting the car, you can have major difficulty / delays when VRTing and registering the car here.

It is vital that you have the V5C when you go to VRT/register the car here.

There is/was a tear-off "export strip" on the V5C that used to be retained by the seller and forwarded to the DVLA, but afaik this does not apply anymore.

All the seller has to do is to inform the DVLA in writing that they have sold the car to you for export. They do no need (and should not use) any portion of the V5C to do this. Obviously, let them copy the V5C if they want, but be sure you get the complete original.

The above info is available on the DVLA website. It might be a good idea to have a print-out of the relevant pages to help assure the seller in this regard.

SnowDrifts

Does anyone know what details I need to request from the buyer in order to use transfermate? I might be buying from a small dealer and not sure how keen he will be to give his bank details over the phone.

GalwayGaillimh

Brought in a car form the uk last week purchased it in a garage in the uk, have an appointment for tomorrow to clear it , I have the V5c but am missing section 9 "Notification of Sale to the Motor Trade" and section 11 "Notification of Permanent Export" the sales guy in the garage was adamant that he had to send the export notice to the DVLA seen as I was exporting the car to Ireland.

Will they clear the car for me tomorrow? or ask me to get a complete V5c and come back again? , if so does anyone know what I need to do to get a complete v5c and will it take long?

DieselPowered

GalwayGaillimh wrote: »

Brought in a car form the uk last week purchased it in a garage in the uk, the sales guy in the garage was adamant that he had to send the export notice to the DVLA seen as I was exporting the car to Ireland.

I know its not your fault, but did you not know before you bought the car what you needed to bring back....the sales guy is wrong, you are now in a situation with regards to your VRT as you need that document.

For future reference for everybody reading this thread...if you don't have that full V5 document with you leaving the UK garage, don't leave until you get it, its not their job to submit it.

If you experience a different reaction in the VRT place without it, then please let us know.

Thanks.

aujopimur

You'll be ok, as long as you have the main part.

GalwayGaillimh

will let you know how I get on

Kace

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Does anyone know what details I need to request from the buyer in order to use transfermate? I might be buying from a small dealer and not sure how keen he will be to give his bank details over the phone.

I bought from a small dealer - you need to ask him for the following so that you can transfer the deposit and then the funds.

Account Name
Account Number
Sort Code
IBAN:
BIC:

If he's keen to sell a car he will be keen to make it wasy for you to pay. This is common practice in the UK and there are many dealers that sell over the internet to UK buyers without them seeing the car (same as a buyer coming from Ireland)

Transfermate can send the money once you have seen the car in the flesh in the morning - it will arrive within a couple of hours if you explain that you are buying a car and need an expedited service. They won't of course guarantee a couple of hour turnaround, but in practice this is what it takes in my experience.

GalwayGaillimh

No bother at all without full v5c

DieselPowered

GalwayGaillimh wrote: »

No bother at all without full v5c

Good to know - was there any mention of it?
Thanks for the update.

GalwayGaillimh

Nope

SnowDrifts

Kace wrote: »

I bought from a small dealer - you need to ask him for the following so that you can transfer the deposit and then the funds.

Account Name
Account Number
Sort Code
IBAN:
BIC:

If he's keen to sell a car he will be keen to make it wasy for you to pay. This is common practice in the UK and there are many dealers that sell over the internet to UK buyers without them seeing the car (same as a buyer coming from Ireland)

Transfermate can send the money once you have seen the car in the flesh in the morning - it will arrive within a couple of hours if you explain that you are buying a car and need an expedited service. They won't of course guarantee a couple of hour turnaround, but in practice this is what it takes in my experience.

Cheers for the info - got all the above details from the seller so hopefully that's sorted.

Another question about insurance if anyone has an idea.. So I call up Liberty Insurance and ask them to transfer my insurance over to the UK reg and then do i just call them back a week or two later when I have a new Irish registration? Do they charge for the transfers?

DieselPowered

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Another question about insurance if anyone has an idea.. So I call up Liberty Insurance and ask them to transfer my insurance over to the UK reg and then do i just call them back a week or two later when I have a new Irish registration? Do they charge for the transfers?

There should be no problems transferring your insurance over to the UK reg.There is normally no cost to make the transfer but there is usually an 'upgrade' cost as your import car will probably be a newer more expensive model and you will pay a % of the total of how many months are left on your policy.

You can have your insurance on UK plates for for up to 60 days I think (Insurance will ask you to have Irish plates after this time).

After something like 42 days your insurance company will notify revenue to let them know you have an import.


thanks.

SnowDrifts

Thanks for that Diesel - exactly what I needed to know. Only have a month left before my insurance renewal so hopefully won't be fleeced too much.

The_Conductor

DieselPowered wrote: »

There is normally no cost to make the transfer

It really depends on the insurer, Liberty, Axa and Aviva (I have no idea about other insurers) would normally charge an administrative fee for the temporary transfer- its not a lot normally between 15 and 30 Euro. Its not normally free though. If you talk nice to the agent, they can waive the charge- however normally they'll do the revised policy for the Irish reg'ed version of the car free.

Its normally a low charge to cover the cost of the paperwork, nothing more- but its not normally free.

Kace

smccarrick wrote: »

It really depends on the insurer, Liberty, Axa and Aviva (I have no idea about other insurers) would normally charge an administrative fee for the temporary transfer- its not a lot normally between 15 and 30 Euro. Its not normally free though. If you talk nice to the agent, they can waive the charge- however normally they'll do the revised policy for the Irish reg'ed version of the car free.

Its normally a low charge to cover the cost of the paperwork, nothing more- but its not normally free.

Be careful on this one with Liberty and don't wait until the day before you travel to check with them. IIRC they would not do a temporary transfer for me from my other car to the UK car.

In the end I had to do the transfer of the wife's insurance from her car with Chartis. Liberty were a real pain and I couldn't get it sorted wtith them - all they would do was to permanently change my policy to the new car.

When I did get the car back, Liberty stipulated that the UK plates had to be changed to Irish within 15 days. Overall they were very inflexible around the whole process.

My renewal is up with them this month now and they are not competitive so I will be rid of them.

DieselPowered

Kace wrote: »

Liberty stipulated that the UK plates had to be changed to Irish within 15 days. Overall they were very inflexible around the whole process.

Possibly with Liberty and their new business model, this is a space they didn't understand in the industry.

One of the other main insurers used to be 30 days, then they informed me it was being bumped up to 60 days (two months) and after that you needed to change to Irish plates which I thought was fair enough.

olewy

Buying a car in Northern Ireland. Deposit paid, inspection booked. One problem; the car has no NI motor tax left on it. I asked the seller (garage) if he could tax it for me but he said doing that would add an additional owner to the car's history & advised that it should be fine as regards NI police etc; i.e. that they give temporary lee-way to recently purchased vehicles when shown the sales invoice.

I'm unsure; I don't want the car impounded, towed, fined etc & also don't want an additional owner unnecessarily on the car's history.

I know from other posts here that opinion might be split; some say don't risk it (buy the tax), others say you'll be grand (just head straight for the border). None seem to mention the additional owner being added to the car's history. Any advice to put my mind at ease?

DieselPowered

olewy wrote: »

Buying a car in Northern Ireland. One problem; the car has no NI motor tax left on it.I know from other posts here that opinion might be split; some say don't risk it (buy the tax), others say you'll be grand (just head straight for the border). None seem to mention the additional owner being added to the car's history. Any advice to put my mind at ease?

Opinion is split when buying from the UK and you have a couple of hours to drive to the boat.....you are not going to be that far from the boarder up North. Do you really need that extra expense? Its going to be out of NI very quickly.

just go for it..

olewy

DieselPowered wrote: »

Opinion is split when buying from the UK and you have a couple of hours to drive to the boat.....you are not going to be that far from the boarder up North. Do you really need that extra expense? Its going to be out of NI very quickly.

just go for it..

Thanks. About a one hour drive to the border from the seller's garage in NI. Tempted to just go for it as you say. Still a bit apprehensive on it though as I have to pass through Belfast & I noticed a number of cameras on the route the other day. Could take the minor B roads but it would take me longer to get out of dodge.

Anyone else have opinions or experience of exporting a car without NI road tax from Northern Ireland?

darragh o meara

olewy wrote: »

Thanks. About a one hour drive to the border from the seller's garage in NI. Tempted to just go for it as you say. Still a bit apprehensive on it though as I have to pass through Belfast & I noticed a number of cameras on the route the other day. Could take the minor B roads but it would take me longer to get out of dodge.

Anyone else have opinions or experience of exporting a car without NI road tax from Northern Ireland?

Have bought a few cars up there and most had no tax. I never had a problem. I've also ran into Psni up there and when I told them I'd just bought it and heading for the border they just waved me on. It'll be handy to have proof of your address down south and a receipt from the seller just in case your meet a more stringent cop.

Unrealistic

olewy wrote: »

Buying a car in Northern Ireland. Deposit paid, inspection booked. One problem; the car has no NI motor tax left on it. I asked the seller (garage) if he could tax it for me but he said doing that would add an additional owner to the car's history & advised that it should be fine as regards NI police etc; i.e. that they give temporary lee-way to recently purchased vehicles when shown the sales invoice.

I'm unsure; I don't want the car impounded, towed, fined etc & also don't want an additional owner unnecessarily on the car's history.

I know from other posts here that opinion might be split; some say don't risk it (buy the tax), others say you'll be grand (just head straight for the border). None seem to mention the additional owner being added to the car's history. Any advice to put my mind at ease?

I bought a car in Belfast from a main dealer. They didn't flag any issues with tax and I didn't even give it a second thought. I just presumed I would be OK with an invoice in my pocket dated that same day. I don't really think you need to worry about the cameras in Belfast either. Who are they going to send a fine to? I even forgot to pay for the M50 when I was driving down and never heard a word about it afterwards even though the state had a record (through the VRT process) that I was the Irish resident connected with that UK reg.