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

Just purchased a fully loaded 330e (first registered in Jan 2020) from Bavarian BMW in Belfast. It was in GB as a demonstrator for a year before Bavarian sold it to a private buyer in the North in 2021. They then sold it back to Bavarian.

The CO2 on the V5C was showing as 38 so assumed I'd be paying 7% VRT. However, at my appointment at the VRT office in Greenhills, I was charged 9% as they said the CO2 for vehicles registered pre-April 2020 was on the NEDC scale. They said they needed to convert this to WLTP using the formula 38 x 0.9 +34, resulting in a new CO2 rating of c.68. This meant paying another €550.

I then requested a CoC from BMW and, thankfully, it showed both NEDC at 38 and WLTP at 36. I duly made an appeal to revenue and, after two days, I was told that I would be getting a refund of €550 based on the CoC WLTP rating.

I hope this helps somebody that may find themselves in a similar situation. The only thing I'd do differently is get the CoC before going to pay the VRT.

All in all, I paid c.€28,500 inc. VRT. Similar spec/mileage models on Carzone are advertised between €33-38k, so definitely worth the effort. And, as it was an Approved Used BMW car, it came with 12 months international warranty and roadside assistance.

Just ensure that the VRC shows that a private individual owned the car for at least 3 months in NI.

Also, as per my post above, if the car was first registered in UK prior to April 2020, revenue will recalculate the CO2 figure shown on the VRC using the formula CO2 x 0.9 +34. This may or may not put it in a different VRT bracket. Try and get hold of the CoC from VW/Skoda if you can to see what WLTP figure it shows. If this figure is lower than the re-calculated VRC figure, revenue will acept the CoC version.

I used to import a car every few years from the UK pre-Brexit. It was so much easier then and with a far greater choice of vehicles available. However, as my 330e acquisition shows, it is still possible to get a bargain up North (compared to prices down here), plus you save on the added costs of ferry etc.

One last piece of advice, definately don't be afraid to haggle over the price with the dealer/seller up north. If the car has been sitting around on their forecourt for a while, they will be open to offers. Even if it hasn't, still try. I saved £750 off the sticker price on a car that had only just appeared on Autotrader.