Importing from Japan via UK

ballooba

How would I get a japanese car from UK to Ireland by road without registering it in the UK.

Trailering is not an option as UK reg would probably be cheaper.

ballooba

Bumping this as it's a little obscure.

The_Magoo

I think you pretty much answered your own question, either trailer or uk reg. Either that or find a japanese friend to drive it to Ireland for you, on jap plates!

ballooba

Well I supose i should have mentioned the other option that I have been trying to find out about.

ZZ plates are temporary reg plates for Ireland, Q plates are temporary reg plates for UK. Don't know how they work though.

Just checked cost of registering it in UK. It would be £160. Fairly steep just to get it out of the country.

JHMEG

Leaving the Jap plates on it, why don't you put it on your insurance, fly over to the UK and drive it back?

ballooba

I think the Jap plates are taken off all Jap Imports before they leave Japan.

I could be wrong about that though.

Kaos Theory

True, but you can get them made up here and put them on when you get over, thats what I did to get my car out of the docks. If you're bringing it in through the UK to get the cheaper VAT rate why don't you collect it from Belfast?

What car you bringing in btw?

Kaos

ballooba

Wasn't to avoid VAT. I was looking at a few cars in a yard in Liverpool.

Mitsubishi Challenger or a Hilux Surf.

I was driving one of each today. The Challenger was really nice but the particular model i was driving was dog rough. Rust everywhere.

The Hilux looks cool from the outside but the inside is a bit old fashioned.

I'm torn between two loves and a threesome is a financial non-runner.

ballooba

Kaos Theory wrote:

True, but you can get them made up here and put them on when you get over, thats what I did to get my car out of the docks. If you're bringing it in through the UK to get the cheaper VAT rate why don't you collect it from Belfast?

What car you bringing in btw?

Kaos

What plates did you get made up here?

ZZs, Qs or Japs?

zilog_jones

WRT to Japanese lates AFAIK you're not supposed to drive with them outside of Japan due to the use of Japanese and Chinese characters on them. When people in Japan take their cars abroad temporarily they get temporary plates with Roman lettering from their local registration office - and these will be different to the car's registration. Well, that's what they're supposed to do anyway.

ballooba

Chinese characters on Japanese plates?

I wonder could I get a set of Jap Temp plates. Probably not seen as most of these vehicles have failed the NCT in Japan.

colm_mcm

I thought all jap cars get de-registered when they leave the country?