How do I bring a car in from the North?
I reside in Ireland. If I buy a car with Nothern Ireland registation, what do I have to do to change it to Irish and how much would it cost me?
Olga Kulikova (Waterford)Mar 2013 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Olga,
How much it will cost you will depend on the car. To re-register a car in the Republic of Ireland, you have seven days from the point of arrival in the country to book an inspection with your local NCT centre. At that point, it will be inspected by the Revenue Commissioners to determine its Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is the price they think you would have paid, had you bought an identical car in Ireland.
That figure, and the car’s CO2 emissions rating, will determine the amount of Vehicle Registration Tax, or VRT, you will have to pay to complete the process. From the point of entry of the car into the country, you have a maximum 30 days to complete that process.
You can find much more detail here from the Citizens Information Board
Or read our guide, 'How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland'
Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Advisor@neilmbriscoe