Drive Japanese Used Cars in Ireland with Clear Costs Upfront

Carbarn Ireland buys direct at the Japanese car auctions. Cars in its own stock are owned by Carbarn before they are listed, and auction cars are bought for you when your bid wins. Ireland puts no age limit on imported cars or vans, so you can buy a recent hybrid hatchback or a much older car — what you buy is your choice, not something a cut-off date decides. The cars Irish buyers look for — the Toyota Aqua, Honda Fit, Nissan Note, Toyota Corolla hybrid and Toyota Prius — are built right-hand drive in Japan, the same as cars sold in Ireland, so nothing has to be converted.

Cars travel from Japan to Dublin or Cork by RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off) ship, which means they are driven on and driven off rather than lifted in a container. Höegh Autoliners sails the route once a month and the crossing takes 28–45 days. Ireland does not require any inspection in Japan before the car ships. The steps that matter happen once the car lands: the customs declaration is made on arrival, and the car must be inspected by the NCTS (National Car Testing Service) within seven days of arriving in Ireland, before Vehicle Registration Tax is worked out and the car is registered.

Three charges are paid in Ireland. Customs duty on the CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) value — the price of the car plus shipping — is 0% for cars made in Japan, 10% for other cars. VAT is 23% of that value plus the duty. Vehicle Registration Tax is set by the car's carbon-dioxide emissions and includes a NOx levy, a charge based on the car's nitrogen-oxide emissions. Every listing carries photographs, the Carbarn inspection comments, the full inspection report and the auction grade, and the duty calculator on this site shows each cost before you order.