Car and van imports
Importing a car or van to Ireland
C&L Declarations, an Irish customs brokerage, clears cars and vans into Ireland for private buyers and dealers: we file the import declaration, work out the duty and VAT, and give you the MRN you need at your VRT appointment. Bought in the UK, Northern Ireland, Japan, Dubai or anywhere else outside the EU? Send the invoice and registration document on WhatsApp; we can pay the duty and VAT for you.
Talk to our team
Send us the invoice and the route. We reply the same working day.
WhatsApp or call: 086 846 1240
Email: service@cldeclarations.com
Hours: Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm
Where is the vehicle coming from?
Great Britain
23% import VAT and usually 10% duty. A UK-built car can get 0% duty with proof of UK origin.
Northern Ireland
No duty or import VAT if the car was in NI before 2021 and stayed there, or was properly imported into NI. Otherwise it's taxed as a GB import.
What will you pay to import a car?
Our customs service
The declaration and paperwork for your route, quoted before anything is filed.
Customs duty and import VAT
Paid to Revenue through the declaration. Duty depends on where the car was made; VAT is charged on the price, freight, insurance and duty.
VRT and other costs
VRT is paid at the NCTS at registration. Allow for transport, port charges and insurance too.
How does car import customs work with C&L?
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Send the paperwork
WhatsApp or email the invoice, registration document and travel details. We reply the same working day.
We check and calculate
We classify the vehicle, check its origin and any relief, and confirm the duty and VAT.
We file with Revenue
We lodge the declaration on Revenue's AIS, can pay the duty and VAT through our Revenue account, and answer any Revenue checks.
You book VRT
You get the declaration and MRN for the NCTS. Book within 7 days of the car arriving and register within 30 days.
What documents do you need to import a car?
✓ Purchase invoice or bill of sale With the price and date.
✓ Registration document The V5C, or the foreign registration or de-registration certificate.
✓ Route and arrival date Ferry or container, and the port.
✓ Freight and insurance costs If you paid them separately.
✓ Proof of origin Needed for 0% duty on a UK or Japanese-built car.
✓ Northern Ireland paperwork The NI import declaration, or the car's NI V5C, service and MOT history.
✓ No ID in the first message We ask for personal details only when you go ahead.
Are you a dealer bringing in cars regularly?
We work with dealers as well as private buyers. Each vehicle gets its own declaration and its own paperwork for VRT. Dealers registered for VAT and for Customs and Excise can use postponed accounting for import VAT, so only any duty is paid at import. Need a vehicle moved? We arrange transport through our logistics partners.
Questions we get asked
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay duty or VAT on a car bought in Northern Ireland?
Not if you can prove the car's status. There's no Irish duty or import VAT if the car was in Northern Ireland before 1 January 2021 and stayed there, or was properly imported into NI, shown by an NI import declaration. Otherwise Revenue may accept the NI V5C with NI service and MOT history. Without proof, it's taxed like a car from Great Britain. Revenue doesn't pre-approve cars.
Does a car bought in the UK pay 10% customs duty?
Usually, yes. A car from Great Britain normally pays 10% unless it was built in the UK and you hold proof of UK origin, such as the exporter's statement on origin. A UK registration doesn't prove where a car was made, and a car built in the EU or Japan normally pays 10%. Returned goods relief only applies if the car left the EU within the last three years and the same person brings it back.
I paid VAT in the UK. Do I pay it again?
Yes. Revenue charges Irish import VAT on a car brought in from Great Britain, whatever VAT was paid in the UK. It's 23%, worked out on the price plus transport, insurance and any duty. Private buyers pay it through the import declaration. Dealers registered for VAT and for Customs and Excise can use postponed accounting instead of paying at import.
Is VRT a percentage of what I paid for the car?
No. VRT on a car is a percentage of the open market selling price that Revenue sets, not your invoice price. The rate depends on CO2 emissions, plus a separate NOx charge. Revenue's VRT calculator estimates it for common models; the exact amount is fixed when the car is presented at the NCTS.
How long do I have to register an imported car in Ireland?
Book an NCTS appointment within 7 days of the car arriving in Ireland and register it within 30 days, or you'll pay additional VRT. For a car from outside the EU, the NCTS asks for the customs declaration MRN, so clear customs first. Bring proof of the arrival date, such as the ferry ticket.
Can you clear a van or a classic car?
Yes. Vans pay 10% or 22% duty, mostly depending on engine size, and their VRT is worked out differently. A classic of historical interest, usually at least 30 years old and unmodified, can be declared as a collectors' item: no customs duty and import VAT at 13.5%. Cars over 30 years old also pay a flat VRT charge.
Bought a car abroad? Send us the invoice.
WhatsApp or call 086 846 1240, or send the quote form. We reply the same working day, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, and you get a clear quote before anything is filed.
Or email service@cldeclarations.com · Replies the same working day