Importing Car from UK

[womble]

Hi,
We are looking to relocate to TRNC this year and we were just wondering about bringing our car with us. We understand that we have to pay a hefty import tax but just wondered if you had to of owned the car for a length of time. Any help on this would be much appreciated!

[genghis]

There's some advice on the BRS website. 5 yrs of age seems to be important for ownership. I've imported a classic car (morris minor) but the rules are different (they seem to change with the wind anyway!!!!
You have to use an agent to get through the custom's office. I have used Neveser Mehmetcik (the lady owner) or Nihat Tufeki on 0090 392 225 49 93. Their office is very handy across the road from the Customs Building
Good English and should be able to answer any queries.
Because of the expense the normal advice is to buy here.
Best of luck!!!

[cyprusishome]

This is BRS web site - http://www.brstrnc.com/

You really need to check out all the local dealerships for the type of car you may wish to drive here. The prices are heading in a realistic direction from where they were 4/5 years ago.

Then work out what transport costs would be add on all the potential taxes which could be in excess of 60% if you have a Japanese car. Plus what you may be able to sell for before you leave.

Personally have always thought it not worth all the cost and hassle, sold before we left and bought here. You can now get almost any vehicle you could wish to buy and now there are more and more "Arthur Daleys" as well as main dealers they are falling over themselves.

[ozankoys]

You do not actually have to own a car before importing it, but if the registration document is not in your name you have to pay the import tax before they will let you drive it out of customs.
There are concessions allowing you to import an older car than is normally allowed (5 years old I think) if it has been in your name for a certain amouint of time or you have owned it from new.

[Cyprus Hector]

We imported our car from the UK in 2008 (Dolphin shipping). It was worth 'not a lot' in the UK then. The idea was to save us the cost of hire cars when we visited on holiday to our apartment.

We used the car on UK plates for several months. It was legal to do that then for up to 12 months providing the car had a current UK tax disc.

Despite the doubts of friends we then undertook the wonderful journey through the local bureaucracy and the dread of just how much we would get charged for the import duties. It took a week of much office visiting, car weighing, paying money, being nice to the customs man with his glasses guide etc. The Cyprus44 forum (still missed) was a real boon at the time.

We emerged much poorer but with a legally imported and locally registered car. We have only just traded it in for another locally bought car and got a very good price for it.

At the time there were a lot of UK plated cars being used that were well over the 12 month import time limit. In 2010 the local authorities had a clamp down and any UK plated vehicle was game for seizure. There may have even been a reward for informing the authorities as to the whereabouts of such vehicles. There was no hiding place!

I think most seized vehicles were quickly auctioned off to pay the fines and outstanding taxes, others were taken into use by local officials. Hence why you see so few UK plated cars on the TRNC roads these days.

Having said all this, I think we would do it again for the right vehicle. Financially we have come out on top. One big factor to be borne in mind is the horrendous cost of annual road tax for larger heavier vehicles.

The taxes and procedure in the TRNC change like the wind so it's important to make sure you are up to date before you start. The local customs and tax officials will help if you ask them. Be totally upfront though.

Good luck!

[wanderer]

We imported our 2003 Fiesta 1.25 in 2009 we had had it from new so got round the 5 year age exclusion
The greater value car heavier the car the more cc if its diesel the more the import tax and subsequent road tax

[womble]

Wow - thanks a million for your all your info. This certainly helps and points out things we hadn't thought of. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your experiences.

[Jonnie]

If you know your car history, it is low mileage it probably pays to bring it in. we brought ours over in 2006, kept it on UK plates for 12 months then imported it. It cost about 3K to import it but is now worth around the same as it was in the UK 6 years ago. Unless buying brand new here you can be buying a whole lot of trouble!

[ozonkoyboy]

Womble good luck with this one it a bit of a mine field, as with most things here what was ok last month could now not be

We thought along the same lines as you 3 years ago, with what we had been told and finding out ourselves, we decided to sell our car in the UK and put the money toward a car in the TRNC, personally it worked out cheaper and far less hassle, my car would have cost a fortune in road tax