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Importing a car from Great Britain to Ireland

A used car from England, Scotland or Wales pays 23% import VAT, usually 10% customs duty, and VRT on Revenue’s valuation. Whether it still saves you money depends on the car, work it out below.

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.

Step by step

  1. Before you buy

    Check the V5C, ask for the CoC with NOx figures, and ask whether the seller can prove UK origin (it can mean 0% duty).

  2. Declare it to customs

    Lodge an import declaration in Revenue’s system (or through a customs agent) and pay duty and 23% import VAT. Keep the MRN reference. The ferry company will ask for a pre-boarding notification.

  3. Book the VRT appointment

    Within 7 days of arrival, book an inspection at an NCTS centre. The first appointment is free.

  4. Register and pay VRT

    At the appointment the car is inspected and Revenue sets its value. Pay the VRT within 30 days of arrival.

  5. Plates, tax and NCT

    Fit Irish plates within 3 days, tax and insure the car, and book an NCT if it’s 4 years old or more.

What you’ll need

  • The UK registration certificate (V5C). Revenue won’t register the car without it. The seller keeps only the export slip.
  • Proof of the car’s CO₂ and NOx emissions: the V5C, a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) or a manufacturer’s letter
  • The invoice or receipt, showing the date you bought it
  • Passport or driving licence
  • Proof of your name and address, and your PPS number
  • Form VRTVPD2 (vehicle purchase details)
  • The customs import declaration reference (MRN), showing duty and VAT were paid

Deadlines

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.

Can customs duty be 0%?

Only if the car is of UK origin under the EU–UK trade agreement and you claim it on the import declaration with proof, usually a statement on origin from the seller. A car built elsewhere (in the EU or Japan, say) and later sold in Britain pays the 10%. In practice private sellers rarely have this proof.

Sources: Revenue: VRT and registration · Revenue: Procedure at the NCTS centre · Revenue: Registering a vehicle from Great Britain · Revenue: Registering a vehicle from Northern Ireland · Revenue: Additional VRT