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Guyvonne

Hi all,

I'm considering going over to Germany to buy a campervan ( have around 20000-25000 Euro's). I understand that if the van weighs more than 3 Tonnes the VRT is a flat fee of €60.00. Are there any hidden costs I may not be aware of? Plus any info from anyone who has gone down this route (recomended dealers, sorting paperwork, insurance etc etc) As a first time camper buyer the more info/advice people may have, the better. Look forward to your replys!!!

Thanks : Smile

Metromary

Hi guyvonne,
This was covered in a link a few days ago. If you do a search on Importing from Germany, you'll get all the relevant info. Note that the 3 tonne rule is the unladen weight. Very little extra expense. If you use a reputable seller in Germany, he'll do all the paperwork for you - temporary insurance, export plates and change of ownership. Bill Lupton in Motorcaravanclub of Ireland is very helpful.
Good luck
Mary

DubPaul

Guyvonne,

I've sent you a private message.

johnt

[quote="Metromary"]Hi guyvonne,
This was covered in a link a few days ago. If you do a search on Importing from Germany, you'll get all the relevant info. Note that the 3 tonne rule is the unladen weight. Very little extra expense. If you use a reputable seller in Germany, he'll do all the paperwork for you - temporary insurance, export plates and change of ownership. Bill Lupton in Motorcaravanclub of Ireland is very helpful.
Good luck
Mary[Hi Mary, we are in the process of buying a Knaus in Germany and expect to go over to take delivery in May. We're from Ireland and wonder if you have any helpful advice you could give us. Just did a search on Importing from Germany but couldn't find anything specific to importing into Ireland. Any help would be much appreciated.
Mary & Sean]

aido

Guyvonne mary & sean.

If you look under the Forum Importing , there is enough information there to turn you into experts..aido Smile

Metromary

Hi Mary and Seán, the above posts cover it pretty well. If the van is under 6 months old or has less than 6k miles (I think) the flat vat rate of €60 does not apply. We flew into Frankfurt on cheap flight, the trader handled all the paperwork, and temporary plates and insurance (we had no German). we had booked Irish Ferries oneway from Cherbourg to Rosslare, so picked up basics such as sleeping bags, two piece crockery and cutlery, kettle etc. and groceries in Lidl, cheapest poss. Make sure you have full gas bottle and fill up with water. We actually thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and I think when it's time to change we'll do it again. When you get back to Ireland you have to go to a weighbridge and get an official certificate, showing that the vehicle weight, unladen, is over 3 ton and bring it to your nearest Customs and excise vehicle registration office, along with all your documentation from Germany, to do the paperwork. Strictly this is supposed to be done immediately, but in practice they give a couple of days. By the way, you can get German gas cylinder refill at Calor Gas on the Dublin Docks.
We bought Knaus too, and are very happy with it. If you have any other queries you can pm me. Best of luck!
Mary