Buying a Car in Northern Ireland

There used to be large savings to be made by buying a car in Northern Ireland or Great Britain and importing it to Ireland.

Since Brexit, at the start of 2021 , the rules on importing from Great Britain to Ireland have changed – and it will not be as cheap anymore. However – there are still good savings to be made on imports from Northern Ireland.

Before Brexit – buying a used car from the UK could sometimes save buyers several thousand Euros. This was even after you factored in the expenses of travel, VRT etc.
Since Brexit – with the possibility of customs duty and import VAT on UK car imports to Ireland – the potential savings have been reduced.
But some people may still want to import UK cars because the same car and spec may not be available to buy in Ireland.



Car Imports from Northern Ireland

Vehicles registered (first or second) in Northern Ireland before January 1st 2021 are not subject to customs duty or VAT on import to Ireland.

If a car to be imported into Ireland is first registered in Northern Ireland after January 1 2021, then it can be done without any checks on its customs status. There will be NO customs duty.

When buying a new vehicle from Northern Ireland it is important to note that Irish VAT will need to be paid at the time of registration in the Republic. This could be in addition to UK VAT already paid in the North. A refund of the VAT paid in the North can be claimed from the dealer on the production of a receipt of VAT paid in the Republic.





More here about Importing Cars From the UK to Ireland


Paying for a car in Sterling – what are the options?

Prices will work out lower for Irish residents when the Sterling / Euro exchange rate favours the Euro. See more about the  latest Euro Sterling Exchange Rate Here

Using Your Own Bank will nearly always work out as the most expensive option if you want to exchange Euros to Pounds. You will rarely get the best exchange rates from a major bank.
The majority of the banks will typically make between a 2% and 4% margin on the exchange rates they use.
Getting a good deal on the exchange rate could easily save you enough money to tax your imported car for a year.  For example on a £15,000 car purchase  – a difference of just 2% on the exchange rate would save you £300.


Best Way of Paying for a Car in the UK / Northern Ireland

Below – we have listed some of the best options for currency transfer when paying for a car in Sterling in the UK.


CurrencyFair. is an online currency exchange marketplace with their HQ in Dublin.

CurrencyFair is fully regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. All transactions are carried out online.

You can send Euros to Currency Fair by a bank transfer (free) or by debit card (for an extra 0.25% fee) . Then you simply convert the Euros to Sterling online. The rate and any fees will be shown.

There is normally a fee of £2.50 to send GBP – but you can get your first ten transfers for free using this link .

If you want to wait for a better exchange rate you can keep the money in their multi-currency wallet. You can top this up at any time, and transfer when you’re ready.

When you are ready to buy a car, you just login to your CurrencyFair account to send the Sterling from Currency Fair to the car dealer’s UK bank account.


fexco currency transfers

Fexco is based in County Kerry, Ireland and operates in 29 countries around the globe.

You can quickly request a quote online on the Fexco dedicated page for UK car imports. A Fexco broker will soon get in touch to sort out the details and get you registered.

Once an exchange rate is agreed – you just transfer the Euro amount to Fexco. and, when authorised by you, Fexco will transfer the Sterling to the seller. (Same day if necessary) .


Fexco also deals with currency transfers for Irish businesses such as car dealers who will be buying regularly from the UK.
Fexco has been around since 1981 and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. They are also regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the conduct of payment business in the UK.


Send Money to England

Wise was previously called Transferwise. They are a UK based global business specialising in online international payments. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate and has low upfront fees.
After online registration you just enter how much Sterling you want to send, they will show you the cost in Euros including any fees and the date when your money should arrive.

As well as sending and receiving money overseas you can hold and convert money in a Wise borderless multi-currency account. You can then pay for the car when it is ready.

Wise is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations.


Buying Used Cars in Northern Ireland

Buying a car in Northern Ireland will usually be less time-consuming than travelling to England or Wales. The travel expenditure will also be lower.


There is more scope in England or Wales for getting a car with a higher spec than Northern Ireland. Before you decide on where to buy a used car – compare prices on sites such as Autotrader and factor in the ferry and other travel expenses.

Importing a used car from Northern Ireland used to be a bit more expensive than the rest of the UK. However, since Brexit there might be very little difference because VAT in Ireland has to be paid on UK (non-NI) imports .

Import Duty – Northern Ireland continues to be treated as part of the EU . This means vehicles imported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland have to go through customs and may have customs duties applied to them in NI.

If you buy a vehicle from Northern Ireland and bring it to Ireland , you do not have to make a customs declaration. But you must have proof that a customs declaration was made when the vehicle arrived in Northern Ireland from Great Britain (if applicable).


You have to pay VAT on all used and new cars imported from Great Britain to Ireland.
However – If you buy a car in Northern Ireland, you only have to pay VAT in Ireland on new cars. An extra VAT charge could apply if the vehicle was not properly imported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.


Summary of VAT and Import Duty on Cars Imported From Northern Ireland to Ireland

  1. Vehicles registered (first or second) in Northern Ireland before January 1st 2021 are not subject to customs duty or VAT on import to Ireland.
  2. Vehicle whose first UK registration after 31 December 2020 was in Northern Ireland is not subject to customs duty or VAT on import to Ireland.
  3. Vehicles first registered in Northern Ireland after January 1st 2021 and considered new for VAT purposed are not subject to customs duty but are subject to VAT when imported to Ireland.
  4. Vehicles first registered in the UK and then registered in Northern Ireland after January 1st 2021 are not subject to customs duty on import to Ireland, provided there is proof the vehicle was properly imported to Northern Ireland. The proof required is a copy of the customs declaration showing the importation of the vehicle into Northern Ireland or a T2L document issued by HMRC.

More here about Importing Cars From the UK to Ireland


When is the best time to buy a UK used car ?

Car dealers are often open to negotiation when it comes to price, but they can be more open to reducing prices at certain times of the year.

In the UK, vehicle registration plates change twice a year, in March and in September. Towards the end of these two months, UK dealers can find themselves with a lot of used cars that they need to shift. The end of February and August can also be a good time to get a good price because that is when the dealers will need to make room for the new cars.



Other payment options when buying a car in the UK.

Paying with a Debit Card –  This option may not be viable because of the daily spending limits on almost all Irish debit cards. Also, some sellers will have limits on how much they will accept by debit card.

Irish Debit Card Daily Spending Limits are …

  • EBS: €2,000 ;
  • PTSB: €2,500 ;
  • N26: €5000 ;
  • Revolut – £5,000 over a 96 hour period.
  • AIB: €7,100 ( €5,000 max per transaction)
  • BOI no daily limit.

There will usually be a small “non-euro” transaction charge from the “old school” banks for using a debit card to buy in Sterling – but it won’t be more than €11.43 whatever you spend.
The exchange rate used will be the Visa or Mastercard Rate


A standard Revolut Card has a fee of 1% on currency conversions of more than €1000 a month. But the Revolut Premium card (€7.99 a month) has no fees on all currency conversions. You can use the card to spend abroad – but you can also use the Revolut app to transfer money to UK bank accounts.

Special Offer for Money Guide Ireland readers.
If you join Revolut using the link below – you will get a 3-month free trial of Revolut Premium for FREE.
You can sign up Here .


N26 :– If you get a debit card from the new online bank N26 –  they won’t apply any extra charges when you make purchases in non-Euro currencies. They use the Mastercard exchange rate – which is usually about 0.25% over the interbank rate.
N26 is an “online-only” bank, based in Germany and licensed by the European Central Bank
You can find out more and sign up here for an N26 Bank Account.


Bank Draft –   not really a viable option. This involves getting your Irish bank to convert your Euros to Sterling and write a banker’s draft in Sterling payable to the car seller. Many UK dealers won’t take bank drafts because of forgery problems. Also – the exchange rate you get from your bank is likely to be a lot worse than the other options listed above and there are usually extra fees.


Cash:  Paying in cash is not really a viable option either. On larger value purchases most reputable car dealers won’t take cash. Even if they do – you definitely won’t get the best exchange rate on cash and there’s also the worry of the theft or loss of the cash.


Credit Card – using your Irish credit card to pay for a car in Sterling (assuming your credit limit is big enough) is not really a good option. The exchange rate might be OK – but the credit card company will charge you between 1.75% and 2.65% on a foreign currency transaction. Based on an average of 2% – this would mean a charge of about €250 on a £10,000 purchase.  More here about Credit Card Fees When Buying Overseas


Other Costs to Consider when importing a car from the UK to Ireland.

VRT Charges on Imported Cars:

Vehicle Registration Tax :- Before you purchase any vehicle in the UK, ensure that you use the  Revenue VRT Calculator in order to find the potential VRT charges that you will have to pay here when registering the vehicle here.
The VRT  due on passenger vehicles (cars)   is based on a percentage of the car’s ” Open Market Selling Price” (OMSP) as determined by the Revenue Commissioners.  This percentage varies, depending on the car’s CO2 emissions.  (VRT Rates on Cars Here)   and NOx emissions Lower emissions mean lower VRT. The lowest rate is 14% – rising to 34% for high CO2 emissions.

NOx Tax

Since January 1st, 2020 the new NOx (nitrogen oxide) tax could add a big chunk to the price of older diesel cars. For example A 2014 Golf 1.6 TDI could end up with a NOx charge of €1,510 because of its emissions of 118mg/km. So it will pay to avoid “dirtier” cars and try to look for ones with low NOx emissions.

  • For example a 2014 BMW 520d has NOx emissions of just 17mg/km, so would only be charged €85 tax here.
  • A 2014 Toyota Prius has NOx emissions of just 8mg/km, equating to a NOx charge of €48.
  • Avoid the 2014 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI diesel which would be charged a whopping €2,385 in extra NOx tax, on top of the approx €1,500 of “regular” VRT to import.

Motor Tax in Ireland 2023

Money Saving Tips

5 thoughts on “Buying a Car in Northern Ireland

  1. It would be best to have the account set up with the chosen exchange company well in advance – (a couple of weeks).
    Then transfer your Euros to them a couple of days before you are buying.
    On the day – arrange a transfer to the dealers account . They will have cut off times to guarantee same day transfers – but in general a transfer request before noon should go through same day. Checked with Fexco – and if you have lodged cleared funds with them – they will do a same day transfer to a UK account if you order it before 12 noon. It usually takes about 2 hours.

  2. Be aware that Revolut has a fee-free exchange limit of £5000 per month. Once you go over that you will be charged 0.5% . So on a transfer of €20,000 into GBP, you would be hit with a fee of €75

  3. Under EU rules – You are covered by a minimum one year legal guarantee when you buy a used car from a professional seller. The guarantee covers manufacturing faults, for which the seller is responsible.

    Under EU law, you may invoke your guarantee at any dealer in the manufacturer’s network, regardless of the EU country in which you bought the car. So if you buy your car in UK and take it back with you to Irelannd , you can go to a car dealership for that make of car that is close to your home to ask for a manufacturing fault to be remedied (within the guarantee period), rather than travelling back to UK.

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