Importing from Ireland?

[Billggski]

Has anyone compared prices? As a eurozone economy, I assume prices should be similar to Germany, where several forummers buy new. My local dealer, Cara motorhomes, is an Irish company, and has both Irish and UK websites.

As yet I haven't seen the same model on both to compare.

Anyone tried it?

 

[Brian Kirby]

There are a number of special agreements between UK and Ireland, and I don't know whether any apply to importation of vehicles, or whether the procedure is the same as for anywhere else in the EU. Might be worth asking DVLA or VOSA if the same rules apply.

 

The vans would be RHD, not LHD, but if that is what you want and the import rules are the same you'd buy ex Irish VAT and pay UK VAT on importation.

 

I think I remember a friend who lives in Kerry saying there is a special vehicle tax in Ireland, but I have no idea whether export vehicles would be exempt from that. Definitely worth asking though.

[JonMac46]

We pay VRT [vehicle registration tax] which is a lot of money. Beware!

[Brians dad]

We bought a car in Ireland a few years back, when you could get better deals on some makes than in Britain, though I was helped by my cousin who has contacts in the trade - any good Irishman has contacts in every trade! You get some temporary reg plates, valid for a week in Ireland, and in return you do not have to pay the Irish new car tax or VAT. On return, I went to the local car tax office (in the days they had offices!) with the paperwork, paid UK vat and got a UK registration number. All very easy, though you would have to research how to do it online now.

Whether this is worth while for a motorhome, I do not know. My ford car was imported into Britain, and then shipped over to Ireland. I guess the same would happen with a motorhome but the shipping to Ireland would be more expensive than Ford shipping over 500 cars at a time.