Guides
Plain answers to the questions an import raises, in the order they come up. Each guide cites its sources, and the figures in them come from the same rules as the calculator.
Start here
Importing a car from Japan to Ireland, step by step
Every step from finding the car to fitting Irish plates, with the costs to work out before you bid.
Read the guide4 min read
Duty, VRT and NOx
The three charges that decide whether an import is worth it, and how each is worked out.
Import duty on cars from Japan to Ireland: which rate applies
Duty follows the country where the car was built, so two cars from the same auction in Japan can pay different rates.
Read the guide3 min read
VRT explained: rates, bands and how the figure is built
How the CO2 bands, Revenue's valuation and the NOx charge combine into the VRT on a passenger car.
Read the guide4 min read
The NOx charge on imported cars
How the NOx charge is tiered and capped, and what happens when the paperwork has no NOx figure.
Read the guide3 min read
Electric cars and VRT relief
How VRT works on a pure electric car, what the relief covers, and when it ends.
Read the guide3 min read
Before you bid
What to settle before any money changes hands.
Insurance for Japanese imports: get the quote before you buy
Some insurers decline some Japanese imports, so the quote comes before the bid.
Read the guide3 min read
Importing a car from the UK to Ireland: Northern Ireland and Great Britain
When a car from Northern Ireland is free of duty and VAT, when a car from Great Britain enters at 0%, and what proof each needs.
Read the guide4 min read
Kei cars and kei trucks in Ireland: what to check before importing
Kei cars are built only in Japan, which settles the duty question but leaves the VRT category to confirm.
Read the guide3 min read
When the car arrives
The work between the port and the road: the NCTS centre, motor tax, and what to fix.
The NCTS centre: booking the VRT appointment and what to bring
Which NCTS centres do VRT, how to book within the 7 days, the documents that get a car refused if missing, and what happens on the day.
Read the guide5 min read
Motor tax on an imported car: which table applies and what it costs
The three motor tax tables, which one an import falls under, the top rate for a car with no confirmed CO2 figure, and buying the first disc.
Read the guide5 min read
Radio, tyres and what to fix when a Japanese import arrives
The jobs a car built for Japan commonly needs before it suits Irish roads, and how to budget for them.
Read the guide3 min read