Import a motorcycle from EU

It will be taxed as a "new means of transport" if it is less than 6 months old OR has travelled 6,000 km or less.

It should be handy enough to have 6k kms on it before you present it for vrt if it has 4k kms on it when you buy it!!

Thanks for this, in both uses it does state *or*. The example I gave was only for illustration. I am looking at 2020/21 bikes with less than 6k mileage though. A lot less in some instances that I could hope to clock up in 30days.

Looking to import from germany, shipped over. The bike is a 2000 reg.

Am I right in thinking, the only paperwork I will need to register it here is the Zulassungsbescheinigung? And no vat will be payable, only vrt?

Ferry ticket/how it got into the state as well.

Hey, just wondering if anyone paid VRT after a private sale. I need a "receipt". I was told I could use a hand written one. Is it literally a piece of paper I write myself with the guys name and price saying it's sold?

Not true unfortunately. If it was we'd all be doing it.

That was always the case even before Brexit so you'd think anyone importing from the UK would be on the ball in that regard.

Wonder if he used a customs agent and VAT had to be paid to get out of the port? Once it's assessed for VRT he may have to pay VAT on the VRT amount also...

Yeah, don't understand buying British bikes myself when you have continental Europe right beside us.

How after several decades people are still doing this escapes me: it's even written on the V5 that if exporting it, the new owner will need it....

Doesn't say much for the quality of 'research' on the subject by they buyer.........as for importing an S1000XR, don't even see the point, there's 12 of them for sale on DD today alone...

I know that in Germany in particular, if you're buying a bike and riding it home, it needs to get a temporary registration plate from the local authority and then you can ride home and do the registration stuff with the NCT people. My understanding is that the new owner needs to be there to do the paperwork.

But what is the story if I bought a bike and had it shipped to me here? Does it still need a temporary German plate to get re-registered here even though it wouldn't be used? If not, then I would need to bring the bike to the NCT place on a trailer as it wouldn't have any plate on which to insure it.

Or am I missing something?

You don't need a plate to insure an import, you can insure on a VIN for a certain period (30 days IIRC in my case)

Go old school and get a bit of cardboard with "FOR REG" scrawled on it 😄

Where would we be without oul' Reg? It's a long time since I've seen him around but he clearly used to be the most popular guy in the country - everyone was buying him cars and bikes and putting the message on their number plate! 🤣

Nope.

I brought back a 'Wing from Netherlands last October. No matter what way you swing it, the UK is now priced out of the market and the bikes aren't as clean.

Don't take tolls if you don't want to: lots of routes around them. I did a 50:50 mix.

And I loved the 1,100 km spin home.

And I've seen some atrocious 'MOT'd' bikes, so unless it's very new, very caveat, very emptor. There is no assurance or warranty implied - unless perhaps, you're buying from a main dealer for the marque.

Ferry with cabin Cherbourg - Dublin cost €184.00

Yeah, choice of bikes in Europe is great. Seems to be a lot of dry miles bikes. And they have kph dials

^^^ what he said

VRT, customs and VAT are all needed. That's 35% or something on top of the price of a new/newish bike. It's the reason no car/bike places are importing from the UK any more. But sure they haven't a clue either!

Bikes are cheaper from Europe now - they might not have been before Brexit but they are now.

CN tried this with me last year too, when I bought a bike in NL. Gave me yards of excuses why not, but I was like a dog with a bone. They've had no issu doing it for the last 20+ years on bike I bought and ridden home from UK, so I wasn't having any of it. I told them when I got home I was cancelling my policy and in the end they folded but said the breakdown cover wouldn't apply........you could always buy AA cover if you're stuck.

As it turns out, I was told this by the shop I bought from in NL as well, and I wasn't 100% convinced I/they were understanding the situation completely, but turns out the bike was insured by the shop : they said all their bikes are sold with 2 weeks cover (to allow you get it home and registered), so seems the norm. Win-Win.

just got a bike imported in from NI,

Was fairly straightforward, but they want

a receipt of sale to show how you got the bike.

The V5C

proof of entry into NI or proof that the bike had been in the country before the cut off point.

That form they want filled in

Proof of PPS number and proof of address.

I bought from a main dealer in Germany... Bike was immaculate and even had extras not described in the sale... Jarvis transported it and while it wouldn't be fair to expect them to take any responsibility for the quality of the bike, they did give me a heads-up that the bike seemed good condition and as described. I can't recommend them enough, they were great.

I brought in a bike from Austria 3 weeks ago. Rang up CN the day before i went, gave them the Austrian reg and 50 quid and they emailed me the insurance cert straight away. Covered for 30 days, just had to give them the Irish reg within that time. Rode it back. There's a guy on Facebook goes by the name of Slampi gets recommended a lot, he would have done it for €600 but it suited me to travel instead.