Changing Irish plates to UK plates

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Tue 16 Feb 2010 12:42
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - cosmicjazzer
Just seen a car I might like like to buy on Ebay. However it has Irish plates...

I'm wondering what would be involved in changing to UK plates... Costs? And would it be legal to drive before plate change has occurred? Anyone know or able to point me to appropriate website?

Thanks :)
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 12:45
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - Falkirk Bairn
Eire or Northern Ireland?

Eire will require some work and cost

NI is same as buying anywhere else in the UK.
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 12:50
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - cosmicjazzer
Plates are Tipperary: Southern Ireland.

I wonder also if it is legally necessary to change them to UK plates...
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 13:00
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - Falkirk Bairn
If this is £400 banger then it will cost you as much to travel there, ferry back and then register after passing MoT

For £400 car there must be easier ways for quiet life
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 13:01
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - cosmicjazzer
The car is in UK already!
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 13:08
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - bell boy
keep away
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 13:09
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - cosmicjazzer
Bellboy: Why?
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 13:11
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - bell boy
because its not straight forward
it will be classed as another eu country and all the hassles involved
im assuming its a banger
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 13:19
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - cosmicjazzer
It's not too much of a banger.... (made in 2000)

If I could find out exactly what is involved in terms of hassle and costs then I could decide how much I'm prepared to bid...

Can anyone point me in the right direction?
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 13:21
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - bell boy
its a banger at 2000
www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVeh...3
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 14:19
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - Gromit {P}
Make absolutely sure you can get an exact cost for re-registering it in the UK before you commit to spending any money.

Two friends importing cars into Ireland have got caught out with this recently. Customs won't give a final rate for registration fees until they inspect the car, as the tax payable is based on what the equivalent car would have cost if you bought it in Ireland.

The problem is that many manufacturers don't offer the same specs on the UK and Irish market (to discourage private imports when new). One chap brought a ?15,000 Saab home to be presented with a bill for ?4500. He'd have got the same car from a Saab dealer in Ireland for less.

One other point: if it still has its Irish plates on, you should be able to do the equivalent of a HPI check on it to see whether it has a legitimate history in Ireland. Though I'm wondering why anybody would bother bringing it across on the ferry to sell rather than sticking it in the Buy & Sell back home....?
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 15:35
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - jc2
A 2000 vehicle is now ten years old(or very close to)and it's value will probably only consist of three figures.
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 16:31
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - TedCrilly
In addition to the other costs mentioned your insurance company will see it as an import and load the premium accordingly. Think about it, if what you are proposing was cost effective everyone would be onto it.
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 18:45
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - cosmicjazzer
Managed to get info from DVLA and HMRC. Because the vehicle is just over ten years old it means it escapes much of the red tape that would otherwise be involved. Basically DVLA require £55 to register it and HMRC require VAT on whatever I pay... and that's it!
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 18:48
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - cosmicjazzer
... but i will also check out the insurance costs... thanks for that thought.
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Tue 16 Feb 2010 19:10
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - bell boy
Basically DVLA require £55 to register it and HMRC require VAT on whatever I pay... and that's it!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>did you record that conversation and get the name of the person who told you that?
ring again tomorrow and ask again and see what they say :-)
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Wed 17 Feb 2010 10:03
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - Gromit {P}
My friend with the Saab also called Customs before bringing the car home. He was told if he'd owned it for 6 months, it would not be considered an import and he wouldn't be liable for VRT.

When he went to re-register, they'd forgotten to mention he also had to be resident in the country where he bought the car for 12 months for this to apply. He'd been away for 11 1/2 months on secondment from his job in Ireland, which they now count as not being 'ordinarily resident' outside Ireland.

Moral of the story? Unless you have the charges applicable in writing, don't believe it!
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Wed 17 Feb 2010 10:17
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - Hamsafar
There must be a way of getting the seller, or a proxy seller to export as their's and then sell to you?
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Wed 17 Feb 2010 10:22
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - maz64
My friend with the Saab also called Customs before bringing the car home. He was
told if he'd owned it for 6 months it would not be considered an import
and he wouldn't be liable for VRT.


In the DVLA link posted earlier it states "Vehicles registered in NI that move to GB are no longer classed as being imported to GB". Doesn't that make things simpler?

Edited by Focus {P} on 17/02/2010 at 10:22

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Wed 17 Feb 2010 10:30
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - Gromit {P}
Not in the OP's case: the car has a TS plate, i.e. Tipperary South Riding, in the Republic of Ireland.

In my friend's case, the Saab was a RHD car he'd bought after he moved to Sweden, so not a simple case there either!
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Wed 17 Feb 2010 10:31
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - maz64
Not in the OP's case: the car has a TS plate i.e. Tipperary South Riding
in the Republic of Ireland.


Ah yes, sorry - missed that.
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Wed 17 Feb 2010 12:44
Changing Irish plates to UK plates - Cliff Pope
Dump it in a lake and wait 60 years.
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