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

Holy Diver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405253#Comment_122405253

same as this for me.

my brother in laws brother lives in NI but I don’t feel I could ask him to do this.

The VRT on diesels is also prohibitive.

omri

So no real change in the import from NI? Someone mentioned in one of the posts that there was supposed to be change for the better from May this year or so.

mcw92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408036#Comment_122408036

There is, since April 1st.

Car only has to be in NI private ownership for 3+ months.

Prior to that, car has to be in NI prior to 01/01/2021.

Private owmership still needs to be proved, but the newest rule means overall it's easier to find a vehicle that qualifies, and some may say easier to 'hack' based on the above.

omri

So buying from a dealership is not possible given that 3 month long registration rule?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408144#Comment_122408144

It is possible.. but if the dealer imported the car from mainland UK directly then its not

omri

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408216#Comment_122408216

I’d imagine all the bmw’s come from the main UK importer.

Correct me if I’m wrong if I was to buy from dealership it could only be a car that was traded in by someone living in the NI?

Or is there any other way of checking this. I don’t think NI has a separate NI based importer of the major brands.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408238#Comment_122408238

There are cars that have been used in NI and have been traded in to dealers, cars bought from NI auctions, private sellers selling their private vehicle, original NI cars etc

omri

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408264#Comment_122408264

So the dealership will be able to provide that information? And only most recent registration counts ?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408311#Comment_122408311

The required info is on the V5

wassie

I've found that the couple of NI dealers Ive queried are well aware if a car is favorable for private export to the south. If it means they increase their potential customers, they would be stupid not to.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408473#Comment_122408473

And thus increasing their price

Trondheim

..

Trondheim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122405285#Comment_122405285

Depending on the value of it, not insuring a car is a high risk. Any car i would bring in would likely cost >€20K. I can only speak for myself, but i would be very nervous to leave that in a different jurisdiction with no insurance cover. If it was stolen, i would stand to lose €20K+.

If not to be taxed, it will have to be declared to be off the road. Regardless of that, the NI resident will be the registered owner with DVLA.

I am not talking about black and white, it can or cannot be done. My point is that it becomes a significant ask for your contact in NI.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408502#Comment_122408502

Theres no reason to keep the car parked in NI. And why would the car need to be declared off the road if its sitting in a private residence in NI and being exported 3 months later? Its a process that takes less than 5 minutes to do anyway. Becoming a registered keeper of a car and exporting it 3 months later will have no future implications for the NI resident. It could be Joe Bloggs as the registered keeper, as long as the V5 gets sent to a friend’s address. You are seemingly over complicating the process big time. If someone is going to do it they will just buy a UK car register it in their friends address and drive it back here and drive it or park it for 3 months before VRT. I’m not promoting or suggesting anyone does this, but you are definitely making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is.

Bobeagleburger

Would you be insured during those three months if driving it in the south?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408634#Comment_122408634

I would anyway with motor trade insurance. And I’d imagine the majority of people who attempt this might have motor trade insurance too or won’t care, or park it up instead. Wouldn’t be worth the hassle or risk for me tho having to wait 3 months. And I don’t know anyone in NI.

wassie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408475#Comment_122408475

Theres definitely a premium on NI eligible cars, especially hybrids.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408502#Comment_122408502

There are also internal-U.K. market rules for transferring cars from GB to NI as they are part of different customs areas. A person driving their own car over from GB to NI to use it there privately can do it without any additional paperwork or inspections. If that person neither taxes nor insures it them Resells it overseas is exposed to a number of potential issues. Not something that should be asked of an unwary cousin. If the RoI person drove it from GB to NI without declaring it for Customs purposes (just like any commercial car moving service) then they are committing an offence.

To do things lawfully is much more difficult than is often presented on here.

Trondheim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122408704#Comment_122408704

That is fair enough, we are in very different positions. I am just looking to get a car for myself and i don't have motor trade insurance. A single car purchase is, apart from my house, the biggest purchase i will make in any 5 year period, so i am naturally very cautious about it.

I bought one car from NI and two from England before Brexit, so was used to that. But i think that the idea of bringing a GB car across to NI, registering in a friend's name and then bringing down here after 3 months is very messy and a big ask of the person in NI.

Anyway, good luck to anybody who does it successfully. I would love to hear how it worked.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122412172#Comment_122412172

I agree that for most people it is messy. I’d imagine thats why the ‘3 month rule’ was put in place, to stop people attempting it. There are definitely people out there who can slip through the cracks but I think the 3 month rule is enough of a deterrent for most people anyway, which is a good thing overall.

wassie

This is my biggest gripe about Brexit. Ireland is the only major RHD car market in Europe and once the UK left, so did our ready access to the biggest source of used cars.

All of the rules around Customs, NI protocol, County of Origin etc has all but crippled private imports. End result is the Irish consumer ends up paying more, as going through dealers means a markup by the middle-man.

Such is the madness of all of this is that importing from Japan can be a viable alternative.