My sister's former husband has had a generous streak (only because he is emigrating and cannot sell the car so he is giving it to her!) and is giving her a 2004MY Astra 1.8SRi 3 door with 12000 miles on it (he wouldn't give her his red RS4 convertible would he? Oh no. ) which is on Northern Ireland plates and has NI equivalent of an MOT. He is bringing it over on the ferry for my sister to collect but we are not sure what the situation is with NI registered cars coming permanently over to the mainland. Do we need to re-register it, does it need to have a UK MOT or can we just run it just like it is a normal UK mainland registered vehicle? Can anybody help? 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Dont know about the running of the car over here as normal, im sure you can , what i do know is that the number plates can be transfered between NI and the main land though, if that is any help  some of my Previous cars
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P38 Range Rover Autobiography
RRS 2.7 HSE Silver
RRS TDV8 HSE silver
FFRR Vogue black
Disco3 HSE silver
RRS 2.7 HSE silver
RRS 3.0 HSE BALTI BLUE
______________________________
current vehicles
RRS 3.0 L494 Autobiography
Audi R8 V10 Spyder
AC Cobra
Landrover Defender 90
Landrover Defender 110
Suzuki Jimney

Tim,

I'm doing the same shortly. The way I understand it :-

Simply put, the car needs to be UK MOT'd if it has been subject to EEC testing already. I.E. Anything that was sold as new (not imported) in the EU. Take the Mot cert to the DVLA with the Irish registration document and register in the UK.

(Would love to know how a car with Irish plates is going to pass a UK MOT though - is the font and spacing the same?).

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Buyin...DG_4022583

If it's something funky, like a US car for example, it needs to pass a SVA. Single Vehicle Approval (more time more money etc etc).

caio.  2022 P440e AB

The car is a Vauxhall Astra 1.8SRi, so that bit shouldn't cause too many headaches............ they are all made in the Eu as far as I know! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

PauloAmore wrote:

(Would love to know how a car with Irish plates is going to pass a UK MOT though - is the font and spacing the same?).


caio.

I too used to have an Irish plated car and found no MOT problems. Looks like Paulo is on the money with the rest of it. Your sister obviously didn't have a good enough divorce lawyer, Tim I'd have gone straight for the RS4....  

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OK, we called the DVLA phone number on the link that Paulo posted and they were very helpful, basically it isn't a problem to bring the car into the UK and drive it (with the correct insurance they added!), we can use it for 6 months and in that time if it's NI MOT runs out then it has to be MOT'd, BUT it must have a UK MOT before the 6 months is up, regardless.(at least that's my intereptation of what was said!) It can be registered no problem on it's NI plates provided the letters/numerals are correctly spaced.
For once the DVLA could not have been more helpful. No taxes required to be paid other than the VED when that is due. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Tim, I thought it was straightforward too. However, what's most unusual is the DVLA being helpful???  MY12 SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ebony/Piano/Sidesteps/Privacy/Overfinch Olympus/JLR DRLs

Are you sure you didn't end up speaking to the cleaner?  

2009 Outstanding Contribution Award - Joint Runner Up
2009 'Tech-Head Of The Year' Award - Runner Up

Like it here? Then Donate to RRSPORT!!

would of got more sense out of the cleaner  some of my Previous cars
--------------------------------
P38 Range Rover Autobiography
RRS 2.7 HSE Silver
RRS TDV8 HSE silver
FFRR Vogue black
Disco3 HSE silver
RRS 2.7 HSE silver
RRS 3.0 HSE BALTI BLUE
______________________________
current vehicles
RRS 3.0 L494 Autobiography
Audi R8 V10 Spyder
AC Cobra
Landrover Defender 90
Landrover Defender 110
Suzuki Jimney

 MY12 SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ebony/Piano/Sidesteps/Privacy/Overfinch Olympus/JLR DRLs

Would never have got through if it had been the cleaner - they always unplug everything so they can plug in their vacuum cleaners 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW