Buying a car from Northern Ireland???

[L33]

I'm usually quite good buying and selling cars but one has caught my eye in Northern Ireland and I don't konw whats involved:

1. Can I HPI the car? The HPI type websites state they do not cover Northern Ireland. Is there a sililar company based in Ireland I can check the car through?

2. Import tax? I'm guessing not, but can anyone advise me please?

3. Logbook. Would an Irish log book be any different? Is it easy / expensive to register the car in England?

4. Payment. I'm guessing going into the sellers bank armed with a visa card and cleared funds in my acount is an option? I'm guessing no exchange rates to worry about between England and Northern Ireland?

5. Bring the car home. Anyone know if I can simply turn up at the ferry port in Dublin and by a ferry ticket to bring a car back to England?

6. Is there any other risk I should worry about?



Thanks in advance.

[SteveW8975]

I've recently purchased a car from NI, and it was relatively easy, although the seller did have it on a private plate, so there was a bit of extra paperwork involved.

HPI - no problem - I submitted the private plate and the VIN number via the RAC website. It is the V5 number from NI issued cars that it does not recognise, but this is only one of many checks the HPI carries out. The finance and stolen/insurance bit are still completed as normal.
Money - still use GB Sterling, (although the notes are different) so bank transfers etc are the same.
Regisration - the documents are similar to the UK docs, although they are all issued from Coleraine, near Belfast.

I got the new reg after the seller sorted that out, got insurance and pre-booked the ferry under the new reg, had some plates made up when I got over there, fitted them and took it home. From previous trips to NI, you can turn up and pay on arrival - although the prices are variable depending on capacity and pre-bookings. No import tax was applicable, as it is still within the UK.

I then took all the paperwork (NI V5, MOT, Insurance) to the DVLA office in Manchester, filled out a few forms, and was asked if I wanted it back on UK plates, or keep the NI reg - I chose the latter.
10 days later or so, I received the new UK issued V5 with the NI reg.

No problems at all.

Edited by SteveW8975 on Sunday 8th March 18:11

Edited by SteveW8975 on Sunday 8th March 18:13

[V8A*ndy]

One thing to check is MOT.

First MOT is 4 years in N.I. Don't really know how that effects you in the rest of the UK, but I suppose if you rereg the car and its 3 years old you will need an MOT.

[L33]

Steve / Andy,
Many thanks for the replies - some very worthwhile points / things to consider.

How about road tax? Would I need road tax to driver home?

[MiniMan64]

L33 said:

Steve / Andy,
Many thanks for the replies - some very worthwhile points / things to consider.

How about road tax? Would I need road tax to driver home?

Road tax is the same. It's just issued from a different place.

You have DVLA over here, we have DVLNI over there, very useful to get two licences!

Nothing else should really be a problem, as others said, you'll just need to register it to the DVLA over here when you get but no biggie.

[va1o]

I thought cars in NI usually more expensive than from UK?

In answer to your question nothing to worry about really, as they are still part of UK so same rules apply etc. Its only when you buy from republic things get confusing.

Edited by va1o on Sunday 8th March 20:45

[richyb]

va1o said:

I thought cars in NI usually more expensive than from UK?

This is my experience from living there for two years. Particularly diesels and 4X4s. I knew a few indepednant traders who would bring in a few a month from Liverpool then sell them on in Fermanagh.

[V8A*ndy]

richyb said:

va1o said:

I thought cars in NI usually more expensive than from UK?

This is my experience from living there for two years. Particularly diesels and 4X4s. I knew a few indepednant traders who would bring in a few a month from Liverpool then sell them on in Fermanagh.

Cars I have been looking at are way overpriced here in NI than the rest of the UK. I see loads of used cars on the motorway on transporters with English plates most days now.

Hopefully will be buying in England/Wales this summer if there is any used stock left worth looking at.

[0836whimper]

If the vehicle was originally registered in Northern Ireland and was then registered in the 'UK' a year later (which I understand is very straightforward, just need a NI V5 and no need for conformity certificate), do I need to tell the insurance company it is an import ?

[va1o]

0836whimper said:

If the vehicle was originally registered in Northern Ireland and was then registered in the 'UK' a year later (which I understand is very straightforward, just need a NI V5 and no need for conformity certificate), do I need to tell the insurance company it is an import ?

I don't know for sure, but a car is only usually officaly an import if its from outside the UK.

[oldmanbm]

Last time I looked Northern Ireland was on my British Passport. Would you need to declare it if you bought it in England.

[0836whimper]

Becasue the NI DVLA is different to the 'UK' DVLA. I've seen this :

"If you propose to import a car or light goods vehicle first registered in Northern Ireland on or after 2 December 1985, you need only present evidence of its previous registration in Northern Ireland and, if the vehicle is over 3 years old, a valid MoT roadworthiness certificate.”

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/...

It uses the word 'import'...but I am still not clear if it is classed as an import for insurance purposes.

[va1o]

I think calling a car from NI an import is borderline offensive to NI residents

ETA: Why not just ask your insurance company?

Edited by va1o on Monday 25th May 20:05

[pgilc1]

If you do go ahead, dont forget there are docks in Belfast and Larne. Check out stena line and P&O ferries to see the routes to the mainland.

I sold an AMG to a guy from london. I met him at the international airport (cheap easyjet flight in), he looked at the car, handed over the cash then i drove him to the docks in belfast.

[0836whimper]

Well, I don't make the rules, just trying to understand them. I think the Channel Isles and the IOM are treated slightly differently too. Not sure anyone is going to be suddenly offended by some Department of Transport rules that have been in place for many years.....think you are being hyper-sensitive somewhat there.

The fact is a NI registered car is not registered in the UK (and I'm not talking politics here....I'm talking car registrations)

I will ask my insurance company, as no-one seems to know on here.

[physprof]

Not a problem - we've "imported" 3 GB cars to here and "exported" one to GB. Note use of lower case and quotes - not really in the sense of you doing the business with say France or Germany.

Just make sure you get the NI V5 and MOT cert if applicable. Obviously you need road tax to travel - but I brought last car over here on GB road tax and swansea v5. once back here, sent swansea v5 to the NI DVA office to get reg'ed here and bought the new NI road tax (same price but with NI registration) and then sent back the GB road tax to swansea for refund. nice and simple. insurance is similarly straightforward - don't say it is imported. Most big companies insure us over here now.

Imported in the NI sense tended to refer to bringing cars in from South or rice buckets.

[grumpyscot]

L33 said:

5. Bring the car home. Anyone know if I can simply turn up at the ferry port in Dublin and by a ferry ticket to bring a car back to England?

I'd suggest you use the ferryport in Belfast, since Dublin is in the Republic of Ireland and you will have to import the car there, then export it back to the UK.

[shamrock]

va1o said:

I think calling a car from NI an import is borderline offensive to NI residents

ETA: Why not just ask your insurance company?

Edited by va1o on Monday 25th May 20:05

Not really considering the majority of the residents are Irish, there's no real border and it will be part of Ireland again someday.

[mylesmcd]

shamrock said:

va1o said:

I think calling a car from NI an import is borderline offensive to NI residents

ETA: Why not just ask your insurance company?

Edited by va1o on Monday 25th May 20:05

Not really considering the majority of the residents are Irish, there's no real border and it will be part of Ireland again someday.

just like the rest of europe.

sweriously, no hassles. all forms are the same, issued from differnetplaces but no extra hassles. its all classed as uk.

[Roan]

shamrock said:

va1o said:

I think calling a car from NI an import is borderline offensive to NI residents

ETA: Why not just ask your insurance company?

Edited by va1o on Monday 25th May 20:05

Not really considering the majority of the residents are Irish, there's no real border and it will be part of Ireland again someday.

Let's not get political - the majority of residents are by definition, Northern Irish, not Irish. There is of course a border, otherwise NI wouldn't exist... Northern Irish residents who call themselves British are also incorrect.

Back on topic, there are no issues taking a car from NI to Britain or vice versa. You do have to surrender your tax and apply for a new tax disc from either the DVLNI in NI or the DVLA in GB. The DVLNI will soon be fully amalgamated with the DVLA so the process is probably quicker than when I last did it a few years ago.