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carimport.ie

Is that UK car really cheaper once it’s home?

Work out VRT, customs duty, VAT and fees for a car from Great Britain or Northern Ireland, using Revenue’s published rates, checked 20 Oct 2026.

Step 1 · The car in the UK

Where is the car now?

Read on your device only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

In pounds sterling

Used for the NCT check on older cars.

Fuel

On the V5C logbook (section V.7) or in the advert.

On the Certificate of Conformity. Leave blank if you don’t know.

Step 2 · What it’s worth in Ireland

VRT is charged on this value (the “OMSP”). Get Revenue’s estimate or use the price of similar cars on DoneDeal or Carzone.

To see your saving. If blank, we compare with the value above.

Step 3 · Getting it registered

Ferry, fuel and travel, or a transporter quote.

Was the car built in the UK or EU, with proof?

Proof of preferential origin means 0% customs duty instead of 10%.

When will you register the car?

Budget 2027 proposes 1 point more VRT on cars over 80 g/km from 1 January 2027. It isn’t law yet.

Rates checked 20 Oct 2026. Estimates only. Revenue confirms the VRT at registration.

Landed cost in Ireland

Total in Ireland

Your receipt prints here as you fill in the form. Still needed: asking price, CO₂, value in Ireland.

Great Britain or Northern Ireland?

Where the car is bought makes the biggest difference to the cost.

Form A

From Great Britain

  • 23% import VAT, dealer or private
  • 10% customs duty unless proven UK origin
  • Customs declaration before you travel
  • VRT on Revenue’s valuation
Step-by-step guide Form B

From Northern Ireland

  • No customs duty or Irish VAT
  • As long as you can prove it was properly imported into NI
  • No customs paperwork at the border
  • VRT on Revenue’s valuation
Step-by-step guide

The clock starts when the car arrives

Deadlines after the car arrives
Book your VRT appointment with NCTSWithin 7 days of the car arriving in Ireland
Register the car and pay VRTWithin 30 days of arrival
Put the Irish registration plates onWithin 3 days of getting the number

Pay late and Revenue adds 0.1% of the VRT for every day since the car arrived, counted from day one, not day 31. An unregistered car can be detained or seized.

See all VRT rates and bands

Common questions

Do I pay VAT on a used car from Great Britain?

Yes. Since Brexit, a used car bought in England, Scotland or Wales pays 23% import VAT on its value plus transport and any duty, whether you buy from a dealer or a private seller.

Is there customs duty on cars from the UK?

Duty is 10% unless the car was built in the UK and you can prove its origin, in which case it can be 0%. Cars from Northern Ireland that were properly imported there pay no duty.

How is VRT worked out?

Revenue values the car (the open market selling price, or OMSP) and charges a percentage based on its CO₂ emissions, from 7% to 41%, plus a NOx charge. Revenue sets the value itself. It isn’t the price you paid.

How long do I have to register an imported car?

Book the VRT appointment within 7 days of the car arriving and register it within 30 days. Paying late adds 0.1% of the VRT for every day since it arrived.