Importing a car from the UK to Ireland: the 2026 guide
Bringing a car in from the UK used to be one of the easiest ways for Irish buyers to find value — a bigger market, better specs, sharper prices. Brexit changed the maths, but it didn't end the game. For the right car, importing still makes sense in 2026. The trick is knowing your real landed cost before you commit, not after the ferry's booked.
This guide walks through exactly what you'll pay, how the process works, and where people get caught out. When you're ready to run your own numbers, the AutoGenie import calculator does the VRT, VAT and customs sums for you in a few seconds.
The three taxes you'll pay
Since 1 January 2021, a car bought in Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) is treated as an import from outside the EU. That means up to three separate charges:
1. Customs Duty — usually 10%. Charged on the car's “customs value” — the purchase price plus shipping and insurance. There's an important exception: if the car qualifies as UK-origin under the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement, duty can be 0%. In practice many used cars were built outside the UK (Germany, Japan, Spain…), so the 10% usually applies. Get the proof of origin from the seller if you think the car might qualify.
2. VAT — 23%. Charged on the customs value plus the customs duty. So VAT stacks on top of the duty, which is what makes the post-Brexit bill bite.
3. Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT). This is the one that existed long before Brexit, and it's calculated completely differently — on the car's Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) in Ireland (roughly what it would sell for here), not what you paid in the UK. The rate is set by CO₂ emissions across 20 bands, from 7% for the cleanest cars up to 41% for the highest emitters.
Plus, for diesels: the NOx levy. An extra charge based on the car's NOx emissions — €5 per mg/km for the first 40 mg, €15 per mg/km for the next 40, and €25 per mg/km above that. It's capped at €600 for petrol cars and €4,850 for diesels, so a dirty older diesel can carry a hefty extra bill.
A worked example
Say you buy a car in Great Britain for €20,000 all-in (purchase price + shipping + insurance — that's your customs value):
| Charge | How it's worked out | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Customs Duty | 10% of €20,000 | €2,000 |
| VAT | 23% of (€20,000 + €2,000) | €5,060 |
| Landed cost before VRT | €27,060 | |
| VRT | e.g. OMSP €24,000 × 21% band | €5,040 |
| Estimated total | ~€32,100 |
That's the headline lesson: a “€20,000 car” can land closer to €32,000 once every charge is stacked. Whether that's still good value depends entirely on what the same car costs on the Irish market — which is exactly what AutoGenie helps you check.
Great Britain vs Northern Ireland — a big difference
Buy in Northern Ireland and the picture changes. Under the Windsor Framework, a car that was properly imported into NI carries no customs duty and no import VAT when you bring it south — you pay VRT only. For a lot of buyers, sourcing from NI rather than GB is the difference between “worth it” and “not worth it.” Just make sure the NI seller can show the car met the framework's requirements.
Step by step
- Estimate the full cost first. Run the reg through the AutoGenie import calculator so there are no surprises after you've paid.
- Buy the car and arrange shipping. Keep the invoice, plus the shipping and insurance receipts — you'll need them for the customs value.
- File a customs declaration before the car arrives. Most people use a customs agent for this; it's quick and inexpensive.
- Book an NCTS appointment within 7 days of the car arriving in Ireland.
- Pay your VRT (and NOx levy) at the NCTS centre — you must register within 30 days of arrival.
- Get your Irish plates and sort motor tax and insurance.
Documents you need
- The full V5C logbook — not the small green V5C/2 slip. If the UK seller only hands you the green slip, you'll be turned away at the NCTS centre. Insist on the full document being posted to you.
- Invoice / proof of purchase, plus shipping and insurance receipts.
- Proof of origin, if you're claiming 0% customs duty.
- Your PPSN and proof of address for registration.
Where people get caught out
- The 30-day clock. Miss the registration deadline and you can face penalties. Book your NCTS slot the day the car lands.
- The green-slip trap. The V5C/2 won't get you registered. Always get the full V5C.
- Forgetting the NOx levy on diesels. On an older high-emission diesel it can add thousands — factor it in before you buy.
- Confusing UK price with VRT. VRT is based on Irish market value (OMSP), not your purchase price, so a cheap UK buy doesn't automatically mean cheap VRT.
So — is it worth importing?
Sometimes, yes. Importing tends to pay off on higher-spec models, rarer trims, or cars that are simply scarce on the Irish market. It rarely pays on mainstream models that are plentiful here, once the duty and VAT are stacked on. The honest answer is: run the numbers on the specific car.
That's the whole reason AutoGenie built a free import calculator — and lists thousands of cars already here in Ireland, VRT paid, ready to drive. Compare the two before you book a ferry.