Importing vehicles from Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Overview

Most used vehicles imported into the State from overseas are sourced in the United Kingdom (UK). The purpose of this section is to ensure that customers are aware of the implications on the vehicle registration process of Great Britain (GB) being a third country for Customs purposes.

If you import a used vehicle from GB, or through Northern Ireland (NI), you should factor in increased costs due to Value-Added Tax (VAT) at import. You may also need to factor in Customs Duty. This may include a vehicle which you purchased in NI, but which had previously been in use, or registered in, GB.

Motor vehicles in the State must be registered within 30 days of their date of entry. The National Car Testing Service (NCTS) registers vehicles on behalf of Revenue.

Details of the specific requirements are outlined on pages in this section.

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