Is It Worth Importing a Car from the UK to Ireland in 2026?
The Short Answer
Yes – but only for certain vehicles, and only when the process is handled correctly.
Post-Brexit, three charges stack up when importing from Great Britain to Ireland: customs duty, Irish VAT, and VRT. On the wrong car, they wipe out any savings. On the right car, a high-value SUV, an EV, or a classic, the savings can still run to tens of thousands of euros. And for buyers who want a specific model in a specific spec, the UK is the only place with enough stock to find exactly what they want.
This article gives you real numbers on real cars so you can judge your own situation.
What Does It Actually Cost? (Post-Brexit Breakdown)
The most important thing to understand is that importing from Great Britain and importing from Northern Ireland are two completely different calculations:
| COST | GB-SOURCED (England / Scotland / Wales) | NI-SOURCED (Northern Ireland) |
| Customs Duty | 10% of vehicle value | 0% |
| Irish VAT | 23% | 0% |
| VRT | 7-37% of OSMP | 7-37% of OSMP |
| Shipping | approx £1,200 – £2,000 | approx £600 – £1,200 |
VRT (Vehicle Registration Tax) is charged by Revenue on the OMSP – what Revenue assesses the car would sell for in Ireland. Rates run from 7% (lowest CO2 band/EVs) to 37% (highest emitters). Cars over 30 years old pay a flat €200 regardless of value.
Northern Ireland note: Under the Windsor Framework, NI-sourced cars are treated as EU goods when imported to Ireland. No customs duty. No import VAT. Only VRT applies.
MHH sources vehicles from both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. If you’re unsure which route gives you the best deal on your specific car, ask us – we’ll run the numbers for you before you commit to anything.
When Importing IS Worth It – Real Cars, Real Numbers
The bigger the UK-to-Irish price gap, the better the case. Here are six vehicles that illustrate the range of outcomes:
| VEHICLE | UK RETAIL | IRISH RETAIL | ROUTE / IMPORT FEES (excl VRT) | SAVING |
| Range Rover Sport 3.0 D300 | £85,000 | €105,000+ | NI route – all taxes incl. | €16,000+ |
| Volvo XC90 B5 AWD | £58,000 | €82,000 – €83,000* | NI route- €4,000 fees | Significant + far winder choice * |
| BMW 5 Series 530d M Sport | £55,000 | €68,000 | NI or direct Republic | €6,000 |
| Tesla Model 3 Long Range | £44,000 | €52,000 | NI or direct Republic | €6,500 |
| Classic Defender (pre-1996) | £32,000 | €42,000 | €200 flat VRT only | €9,500_ |
| Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI | £28,000 | €33,000 | Direct Republic | -€500 |
* XC90 note: The Irish retail price of €82,000–€83,000 is typically for a higher-spec variant – meaning UK-sourced buyers can secure a comparable or equivalent specification at £58,000, a saving of potentially €24,000+ before VRT. Irish stock at any given time also tends to be limited to a handful of vehicles. The UK market typically carries hundreds of XC90s across all trim levels, specs, and configurations. For buyers who need a specific specification – 7-seat, a particular engine, or a precise colour – the UK is the only viable source. The saving is additional to that.
Five Vehicles Worth Looking at Closely
Range Rover Sport 3.0 D300: The Clearest Case
Large luxury SUVs have the widest UK-to-Irish price gaps. A Range Rover Sport retailing at £85,000 in the UK will typically sell for €105,000–€115,000 through an Irish dealer. With MHH sourcing from Northern Ireland – where no customs duty or import VAT applies – the total landed cost sits around €89,000. That is a saving of €16,000 or more on an identical car. The bigger the vehicle and the higher the spec, the wider this gap tends to be.
Volvo XC90: The Real-World Case Study
The XC90 illustrates how the import process works in practice. Take a typical XC90 at £58,000 in the UK, with an Irish retail price of €79,000, where a handful of options exist on the market. MHH routes this via Northern Ireland: no customs duty, no Irish import VAT. The buyer pays approximately €4,000 in import fees (excluding VRT), has the car delivered to their door in Ireland, and gets access to hundreds of UK-sourced XC90s in every possible spec – not just the three or four that happen to be available in Ireland at that moment.
The route decision matters here, too. For a VAT qualifying XC90, a buyer who wants to collect the car in person can fly over, inspect it, and drive it to the ferry themselves – MHH handles road tax. The total cost works out at broadly similar figures, but suits buyers who prefer to see the car before it arrives. For margin scheme cars, the NI route is the only viable option – and it still delivers meaningful savings over Irish retail.
Tesla Model 3 Long Range – The EV Advantage
Electric vehicles benefit from two compounding advantages. VRT sits at just 7%, the lowest band. The SEAI grant (up to €3,500 on used imports at the time of writing) applies on top. A Tesla Model 3 Long Range retailing at £44,000 in the UK can be landed in Ireland for approximately €45,500 all-in, against an Irish retail price of over €52,000.
Pre-1996 Classic Cars: The Hidden Opportunity
Vehicles over 30 years old pay a flat VRT charge of €200, regardless of value. A classic Land Rover Defender, early Range Rover, or vintage BMW commanding £30,000–£50,000 in the UK attracts only €200 in VRT when registered in Ireland. One of the most straightforward financial cases in the import market.
BMW 5 Series 530d M Sport: A Solid Mid-Range Case
A well-specced 530d retailing at £55,000 in the UK will typically list at €68,000–€72,000 in Ireland. With MHH, the landed cost comes in around €62,000 – a saving of €6,000–€10,000 depending on sourcing location and spec.
When Importing Is NOT Worth It
Not every car clears the bar. For standard, widely available mid-range vehicles, the taxes often swallow most or all of the price differential.
Example: Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI: A Golf retailing at £28,000 in the UK might list for €33,000 in Ireland, a gap of roughly €5,000. After customs duty (if GB-sourced), Irish VAT, VRT, and shipping, the landed cost can end up within a few hundred euros of the Irish dealer price. There is no meaningful saving.
The import case stacks up when at least one of these conditions is true:
- The UK-to-Irish price gap is large – luxury, high-spec, and rare vehicles tend to have the widest differentials
- The car is in a low VRT band – EVs and low-emission hybrids attract 7%
- The car qualifies for flat-rate VRT – classics over 30 years old pay €200 regardless of value
- The car can be sourced from Northern Ireland – eliminating customs duty and import VAT entirely
The specific model or spec you want simply isn’t available in Ireland – sourcing from the UK is the only option
Which Route Is Right for Your Car? (The Three Options)
Not all imports follow the same path. MHH uses three distinct routes depending on the vehicle, its VAT status, and what the buyer prefers:
| ROUTE | HOW IT WORKS | BEST FOR |
| A: NI delivery (home drop-off) | MHH sources from GB or NI, routes via Northern Ireland. No customs duty, no Irish import VAT. UK VAT at 20% is settled in NI. The car is delivered to the buyer’s door. MHH handles all paperwork, RGR evidence, and NI customs clearance. | Cars £40,000+ | Buyers who want convenience | Margin cars |
| B: Buyer collects in person (Republic direct) | VAT qualifying cars only. Cleared directly into the Republic at 23% Irish VAT. Buyer flies over, inspects, drives to the ferry. MHH handles road tax. Total cost is broadly comparable to Route A, suits buyers who want to see the car before it arrives. | VAT qualifying cars | Buyers who prefer to inspect in person |
| C: Margin car via NI | Margin scheme cars (typically ex-fleet/auction) cannot be routed direct to the Republic, as UK VAT cannot be separated out and reclaimed. The NI route is the only viable option, and it still delivers meaningful savings over Irish retail. | Ex-fleet | Auction-sourced | Dealer margin cars |
The Hidden Variable: Getting the Process Right
The maths can look right and still go wrong. VRT is assessed by Revenue on their own valuation of the car, not what you paid, and a miscategorisation or CO2 discrepancy can push you into a higher band. Paperwork has hard deadlines, and missing one means delays, penalties, or re-inspection.
Having imported thousands of UK cars to Ireland we know where it can g wrong, our job is to make sure it doesn’t.
Not sure whether your car is worth importing?
Tell us the make, model, spec, and approximate UK price. We will give you an honest assessment of whether the numbers work, and which route makes most sense for your car. No obligation. No sales pressure.
