Frequently Asked Questions

Each week we record every listing on Ireland's largest car marketplace for the makes, models and years we stock. For any model-year with 10 or more Irish listings we take the median asking price — the middle price, which ignores freak highs and lows. We compare it with our all-in delivered price: the car, VAT, customs, VRT, transport and our fee — what you actually pay to have it on Irish plates in your name.

Savings of €2,500+ we call a Bestseller; €5,000+ a #1 Bestseller. Every badge links to the full maths for that car, including how many Irish listings it is based on and the week it was measured. Irish figures are asking prices; ours is the final price.

We do not adjust for mileage or specification. We measured both: our cars average slightly higher mileage (worth about €585 per 10,000 km) and slightly higher specification (worth about €765). The two cancel to within about €55, so we compare prices exactly as listed. Read more about how the comparison works.

Be specific. There are a huge number of cars on the site, with new stock arriving all day. A very general saved search — just a make, say — matches so many new arrivals that the alert emails stop being useful. Pick the model, a year range, a price range and a mileage cap, and every alert becomes worth opening. If you're open to a few different cars, save several specific searches rather than one broad one.

Act quickly. The best-priced cars in the UK sell within days. The earlier you see a car, the greater your chance of getting it — that's exactly what the alerts are for. Saved searches are checked every 15 minutes, and when the right car lands you can reserve it online immediately with a refundable €2,000 deposit.

Read the full guide to saved cars, saved searches and alerts.

Yes. When you click Place A Deposit (or Reserve Now from an alert email or your notifications page), you can pay the €2,000 deposit securely online by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Payment is processed by Stripe — we never see or store your card details.

The deposit is refundable. As set out in our How It Works steps: if you have opted for the mechanical inspection and the report is not up to your standard, your deposit is returned minus the €395 cost of that inspection.

If you'd rather not pay online, no problem — submit the form without paying and we will get in touch with the next steps.

We offer a range of warranty cover — a policy can offer cover from 3 months to 2 years. Details of the cover on offer can be viewed here. Our warranty partners provide a country-wide support network of garages. Having work done locally makes it easier to manage the inconvenience of repairs.

• Premium Max - 12 months - (€395) – for vehicles less than 6 years old and less than 100,000kms (62,500 miles)
• Premium Plus - 12 months - (€395) – for vehicles less than 8 years old and less than 150,000kms (93,750 miles)
• Premium Component - 12 months - (€395) – less than 10 years old and less than 200,000kms (125,000 miles)
• Premium Powertrain - 12 months - (€295) – less than 12 years old and less than 225,000kms (140,625 miles)
• Premium EV - Electric used vehicle warranty - 12 months - (€395) – less than 8 years old and less than 150,000kms (93,750 miles)

Our new used EV warranty gives customers added peace of mind when buying a pre-owned electric vehicle. For €395, eligible used EVs receive 12 months' mechanical and electrical warranty cover, with unlimited kilometres during the warranty period and protection against sudden, unforeseen failure of covered factory-fitted components. Cover is available for EVs registered in Ireland that are under 8 years old and have covered less than 150,000 km at the start of the warranty.

The warranty includes up to €5,000 per claim, with additional benefits such as a contribution towards diagnostics, vehicle hire where repairs take more than 8 hours, and European cover for up to 60 days. The EV traction battery itself, including battery degradation or loss of range, is not included under this warranty, as these items are generally covered separately under the manufacturer's battery warranty of up to 8 years / 160,000 km. Charging equipment, wear and tear, routine servicing and pre-existing faults are also excluded.

We guarantee your car will arrive as described in the inspection reports. In the unlikely event there is a shortfall in the vehicle in comparison to the inspection report, we promise to bring your car up to the standard described in the inspection report.

We also offer a range of warranty cover — a policy can offer cover from 3 months to 2 years.

Prices for a 12 month warranty are as follows:

• Premium Max (€395) – for vehicles less than 6 years old and less than 100,000kms (62,500 miles)
• Premium Plus (€395) – for vehicles less than 8 years old and less than 150,000kms (93,750 miles)
• Premium Component (€395) – less than 10 years old and less than 200,000kms (125,000 miles)
• Premium Powertrain (€295) – less than 12 years old and less than 225,000kms (140,625 miles)

A UK registered vehicle is due its first MOT 3 years after its registration date; in Ireland the first NCT is after 4 years. Cars younger than 3 years old will not have an MOT. Vehicles between 3 and 4 years old will have an MOT but will not need an NCT until the 4 year anniversary of the first registration. Please remember this when you are looking for details on a vehicle listed on our site.

Observing MOT report findings is an easy way to observe the condition of the vehicle at that time. Unfortunately, since Brexit an MOT can no longer be exchanged for an NCT.

Once VRT is paid and the registration is complete, you should then pay your motor tax online. The Irish logbook will follow in the post a week or so after the tax disk. You will need the logbook before you can complete the NCT.

Car Sourcing Service Explained

Should you see a vehicle other than on ukcarimports that you would like to import then we can price the vehicle for importation. We charge a fee of €50 to do so. We will research the VRT costs including both CO2 and NOX elements. Check the duty due to Rules of Origin and determine if the vehicle is VAT qualifying and therefore the amount of VAT due if any.

We will then forward you a total figure to import the vehicle for you. We will manage every element of the import for you if you wish to go ahead.

As not every vehicle is listed on the VRT calculator, in that circumstance we will therefore offer our best estimate based on our experience.

There is still value to be had buying from the UK and we can help you achieve that value and of course choice.

Up until now it was necessary to target a VAT Qualifying vehicle from Great Britain (GB) in order to get the best value and to achieve savings on prices in Ireland. Since May 2023 it is now possible to reclaim the VAT on any car, meaning that it is no longer necessary to concern yourself with the VAT designation of a vehicle. This new UK government policy is very welcome. It means all GB cars are now cheaper and easier to import, giving you greater choice and better prices than are currently available in Ireland.

This new UK policy does not affect buying a Northern Irish (NI) registered car, as these were never liable for VAT. However, NI cars are generally more expensive than their GB equivalents and of course there is significantly less choice in Northern Ireland vs GB. Please read our FAQ on buying from Northern Ireland as there are potential pitfalls — some vehicles with a NI number plate were originally GB cars and are liable for duty and VAT but not the reclaim this new policy offers.

Please note it will not be possible for members of the public to make VAT reclaims via this new process as only registered garages can do so. This is the structure of the policy as laid out by the UK government.

What does this mean? It means you can pick any vehicle from autotrader.co.uk or motors.co.uk or any other GB based car sales website and benefit from the lower prices that GB cars still offer. It is not a complete return to pre-Brexit trading as duty is still due on many cars over 3 years old (EU produced vehicles are eligible for 'Returned Goods Relief'), however, this development broadens the value through extra choice on offer.

What should I do to avail of this new process? You will need to use an established business in vehicle imports to take advantage of this new development. Our car sourcing page provides a portal through which you can receive a price on a vehicle based in GB. Simply fill out the form and paste in the link of the car you are after. Please be aware there is a charge for this service.

All vehicles listed are located at established garages across Great Britain (no NI cars).

Prices quoted include customs duty (where applicable), transport costs, VAT and VRT. There are no extra costs on top of the prices listed — the mechanical inspection and a warranty are the only optional extras. Our business model allows us to reclaim UK VAT, thus reducing the base on which Irish VAT is charged. We also claim back customs duty where possible. Our service is the most cost-effective way to buy a car from GB.

After Brexit, importing a car from the UK has become more complex, yet there are bargains and greater choice to be had. We provide the know-how to keep the benefits of buying from GB without the hassle. You simply collect your new car from us on Irish plates.

STEP 1 — Reserve your car. Once you have found a car, click 'Place A Deposit'. You can pay the €2,000 refundable deposit securely online there and then — by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, processed by Stripe, so we never see or store your card details. Prefer not to pay online? Submit the form without paying and we will get in touch to arrange the deposit another way.

STEP 2 — Inspection and checks. If you have chosen the optional mechanical inspection (€395), we book a fully qualified mechanic to inspect the vehicle. You can view a template of the report next to the Condition/Mechanical heading under DETAILS. Once completed, you will receive the report by WhatsApp or email, including photos of any issues with bodywork or the interior, and we will follow up any recommended repairs with the garage. A history check is also completed. If the mechanic's report is not up to your standard, we will return your deposit minus the €395 cost of the inspection.

STEP 3 — Balance and purchase. Once you are happy to proceed, we send our invoice for the balance. Once paid, we purchase the car from the GB garage and follow up on any works agreed with the garage. We then complete customs and transport arrangements and arrange a VRT appointment. We will let you know which documents we need to complete the VRT and register the car in your name.

STEP 4 — On Irish plates, in about 2 weeks. We can offer delivery for a fee or facilitate collection in Dublin. Once VRT is complete, we forward your new Irish registration and guidance on paying your motor tax. Your logbook (vehicle registration certificate) is posted to you after you pay the motor tax. If you have purchased a warranty, it is issued on the day of delivery/collection.

Our Guarantee: if your car arrives significantly different from the condition and mechanical reports, we will bring it back up to the standard of the reports at no cost to you.

Prefer it visual? See the step-by-step walk-through on our How It Works page.

We do not offer a trade-in facility. Our advice is to sell your own car privately and get the best price possible and then avail of our service to get the best value on offer when buying your new car.

The Condition and Mechanical reports are extremely reliable — we haven't had anything significant ever differ. However, for total reassurance we guarantee the car will arrive as described based on the Condition and Mechanical Report. If your car does not arrive as described then we will bring it up to the standard required at no cost to you. We advise all our clients to protect their investment with our 12 month warranty. Details of our range of warranties are listed in this FAQ.

While we don't provide financial products for the purchase of cars, we can supply an invoice — an order from us with all the details of the vehicle, the price and so on — for the car you are looking to purchase. This will assist you in your application to a bank for a personal or car loan.

The only requirement is that your deposit is in place. Once it is, we issue the invoice for your bank.

We have helped many buyers arrange finance this way, and it has never failed to work.

The price you see on each car is already the complete, all-in price — the car, VAT, customs duty, VRT, transport from the UK garage, customs clearance and re-registration on Irish plates. None of those elements can be removed: they are what it takes to have the car here in ROI, in your name, on Irish plates.

Two things are optional, and both are extras on top of the listed price:

• The mechanical inspection (€395) — a fully qualified mechanic inspects the car before purchase and you receive the full condition and mechanical report, with photos, before committing. Recommended, but your choice.
• The warranty (from €295) — 12 months' cover through our warranty partners' country-wide garage network. Details of the cover levels are in the Warranty Cover FAQ above.

You choose both when placing your deposit — simply tick or untick them on the car's page. Nothing else on the price can be reduced, and nothing else needs to be: there are no hidden extras to take off.

While signed in, click the heart icon on any listing on our Used Cars page, or on the car's own page. It will fill in red to confirm it's saved.

You can see everything you've saved under My Saved Cars in the menu, and remove one at any time by clicking the heart again.

If a similar car to one you've saved is added to our stock, we'll email you to let you know.

On the Used Cars page, use the filters (Make, price, mileage, features like “leather seats”, etc.) to narrow the results to what you're after. Once at least one filter is applied, a Save this search button appears — click it while signed in.

You can view and manage your saved searches under My Saved Searches in the menu, including re-running one with the View results button.

We check saved searches every 15 minutes and email you a summary if new cars match.

Every email we send about saved cars, saved searches, or promotions has an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Click it and you'll be opted out immediately, with no need to sign in.

Alert emails (saved cars and saved searches) and promotional emails are separate — unsubscribing from one does not affect the other, so you can stop one while still receiving the other.