How do you import a car from Ireland to the UK?

A car bought in the Republic of Ireland and brought to Great Britain is an import from the EU. From the seller you need the original Irish logbook and a receipt; the car then needs a UK customs declaration, import VAT and, depending on where it was built, duty, followed by NOVA and DVLA registration. A historic collector's car over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production pays 0% duty and 5% VAT; other cars pay 20% VAT, plus 10% duty unless they were built in the EU and have proof of origin.

Deregistration in Ireland, any export plates and the export paperwork are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK, and we handle the customs declaration, NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.

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Northern Ireland is not a shortcut

Northern Ireland is part of the UK but, under the Windsor Framework, follows its own arrangements for goods, and "qualifying Northern Ireland goods" can move on to Great Britain without the normal import formalities. It is tempting to think a car bought in Dublin becomes one simply by crossing the border first. The Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods regulations say otherwise: they exclude goods moved into Northern Ireland from outside the UK mainly to gain that status for a later move to Great Britain.

A car that has genuinely been owned, registered and used in Northern Ireland is a different question that turns on its own facts, so if Northern Ireland is part of the story, tell us before you move it.

Duty and VAT on a car from Ireland

Ireland has a twist. Ireland imported large numbers of used cars from Britain, especially before 2021, and a car built in Britain was not made in the EU, so the EU preference does not fit it however long it spent in Ireland. If it was exported from the UK and is now coming back, ask us about Returned Goods Relief, which has strict conditions. Our guide to paying import duty and VAT shows how the taxes combine.

Irish classics

Irish cars drive on the same side as British ones, so a right-hand drive Irish classic needs no conversion and often matches UK-market specification. That is the main appeal, and it is also why the history deserves a closer look: a car that was once British may have spent part of its life on UK plates, part on Irish plates, and been re-registered along the way.

Watch the dates. Irish registration numbers issued since 1987 begin with the year the car was registered in Ireland, and on a car imported into Ireland second-hand that can be later than the year it was built. For the UK what matters is the manufacture date, so read the logbook and check the VIN rather than trusting the plate.

In Ireland a car becomes "vintage" for motor tax at 30 years. The UK test is different: the 9705 historic rules look at originality and whether the model is still made, not just age. See how to work out if your car is a classic.

Registering it in Great Britain

• The car is declared to UK customs when it lands in Great Britain, and we pay the VAT and any duty.
• We make the NOVA notification to HMRC within 14 days of arrival.
• If the car needs a British MOT, you arrange it; the NCT does not count, and the test can be done on Irish plates. Cars built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes are exempt and use a V112 declaration instead. More in whether an imported car needs an MOT.
• We complete the V55/5, and you send it to the DVLA with the original logbook, the MOT or V112 declaration, photo ID, proof of your UK address, the £55 first registration fee and road tax.