Importing a car into Ireland is really easy. You need to pay VRT, tax and insurance, the only difference is, your new car has never been in Ireland before so the VRT is new.

If you bring a vehicle into Ireland from abroad you must show proof of ownership - the vehicle registration document and present a Certificate of Permanent Export which you will receive from the seller

Once in Ireland you then need to pay the applicable VRT by the end of the next working day following its arrival into Ireland. As the car is used, you will need to fill out a VRT4 form. You pay the VRT charged after your vehicle has been inspected at the VRO.

Once the vehicle has been registered by the Revenue Commissioners and the VRT paid, you will receive: A receipt for the VRT paid showing the registration number assigned to your car. You can obtain vehicle registration plates from any motor dealer.

You will receive your new Irish registration certificate after you have applied for motor tax.

N.B: If your imported car is over 4 years old you need to through the NCT (National Car Testing) process. The NCT on an imported vehicle is due on the anniversary date of first registration in the country of origin. To complete your NCT: Simply take your Vehicle Registration Certificate to your nearest NCT centre and have the vehicle input on the NCT database so that a record of your vehicle is kept. The next day, a test can be booked for your vehicle by contacting NCT.

Obviously this should be done immediately after the registration ticket is received if the car is already over 4 years old.