VRT Statistical Code : vrt calculator & instant OMSP check 2026

01 · How It Works

Price Any Import in Five Short Steps

The estimator at the top of this page turns a car you're only considering into a concrete tax figure. No spreadsheet, no rate tables to decipher — here's the route from "spotted it online" to "I know my VRT".

1

Open the estimator form.

It sits directly under the headline above — nothing to download, nothing to install. Scroll up whenever a car catches your eye.
2

Choose where the car is coming from.

Select the country of origin — for most Irish importers that's Great Britain or Northern Ireland, and the choice matters because it frames the rest of the estimate.
3

Identify the exact car.

Type the registration plate for automatic matching, or pick the make, model and variant by hand. Precision here is what separates a solid estimate from a nasty surprise.
4

Read your instant VRT estimate.

The result breaks the bill into its moving parts: the OMSP value, the WLTP CO₂ band applied, the NOx levy and the total tax in euro.
5

Download the PDF report.

Save the breakdown to compare several candidate cars side by side, or bring it along when negotiating — a seller argues less with a printed figure.

02 · Costly Errors

Why the Wrong Variant Quietly Inflates Your VRT

Every clean calculation assumes one thing: that the statistical code truly matches your exact car. When it doesn't, Revenue applies the wrong OMSP and the same maths turns against you — your VRT can be off by thousands of euro, a gap you only discover at the NCTS appointment.

Importers on forums such as carsireland regularly report online estimates that don't survive the registration inspection. In one reported case, a mismatched variant swung the VRT figure between roughly €12,425 and €1,325 — driven entirely by which OMSP the code pointed to.

Check these three things before NCTS

1

Trim and version.

Does the code's variant match your exact specification — engine, drivetrain and equipment line? Same badge, different trim means a different OMSP.
2

Model year and fuel.

Confirm the year is right and that the entry reads as diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric correctly — fuel type reshapes the entire calculation.
3

The CO₂ figure.

Check the WLTP CO₂ attached to the code against the car's documented emissions. One band up or down moves the rate — and the bill — immediately.

If the OMSP looks inflated: lodge a valuation appeal

When the code has caught a higher variant than the car in front of you, you can ask Revenue to review the valuation. Bring documented proof — the Certificate of Conformity, the correct WLTP CO₂ figure and evidence of the exact trim — so Revenue can reassign the code to the right entry and recalculate. The code is only an estimate until it's confirmed at your NCTS registration appointment, so do this checking before you go.

03 · The Code Itself

What Your Car's Statistical Code Actually Tells Revenue

A VRT statistical code is an 8-digit reference that pins your car to one exact make, model, version and variant in Revenue's valuation database. You never fill in a form to get one — Revenue generates it the moment your vehicle is matched during a VRT calculation. Behind that number sits a single figure, the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is the value Revenue believes your car would sell for on the Irish market. That OMSP is the base your Vehicle Registration Tax is charged on, which is why the code matters far more than it looks.

The framework itself is set out in the Finance Act 1992, and the codes are maintained by the National VRT Service in Wexford on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners. Revenue publishes this vehicle data openly under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence, so the figures behind your code are auditable rather than arbitrary. The code also carries your car's EU classification — M1 / Category A for a passenger car, N1 / Category B for a van — which decides which rate table applies to you.

How the 8 Digits Map to Your Exact Car

Think of the code as a vehicle identifier, not a serial number. Each 8-digit statistical code isolates one precise combination: engine and fuel type, body style, model year and trim level. Two cars that look almost identical on a forecourt can hold two different codes and two different OMSPs — each OMSP–statistical-code pairing is unique to that one variant.

Case in point: a 2021 Hyundai Tucson 1.6 CRDi diesel and a 2021 Tucson 1.6 T-GDi petrol are the same shape and badge, yet Revenue files them under separate statistical codes with separate values — because fuel type, CO₂ and market demand differ. We run both through the maths in the example below.

04 · The Maths

From Code to Bill: A 2026 Worked Example

Having the code is only half the story; what most importers really want to know is the number at the end of it. Since 1 July 2025, passenger-car VRT has been calculated from WLTP CO₂ emissions, and passenger-car rates were left unchanged in Budget 2026, so the maths below reflects the current system. For diesels, a separate NOx levy is added on top of the CO₂-based VRT.

Here's the chain run end to end on the two Tucson variants from the previous section — same badge, two codes, two very different bills.

Example — 2021 Hyundai Tucson: Diesel Code vs Petrol Code

Each variant is matched to its own statistical code in ROS eVRT, which returns its own OMSP — and from there the bills diverge. Figures are illustrative estimates only; confirm them on Revenue's official calculator before you buy or register.

Variant A — 1.6 CRDi diesel

Statistical code	8-digit diesel entry
OMSP (from the code)	~ €26,500
WLTP CO₂ band (~139 g/km)	20%
CO₂-based VRT: 20% × €26,500	~ €5,300
NOx levy (~45 mg/km, diesel)	~ €275
Total VRT payable	~ €5,575

Variant B — 1.6 T-GDi petrol

Statistical code	Separate petrol entry
OMSP (from the code)	~ €25,000
WLTP CO₂ band (~162 g/km)	30%
CO₂-based VRT: 30% × €25,000	~ €7,500
NOx levy (~21 mg/km, petrol)	~ €105
Total VRT payable	~ €7,605

Reading the diesel column. The code returns an OMSP of roughly €26,500. The car's WLTP CO₂ figure of around 139 g/km lands it in a 20% band, giving €5,300 of CO₂-based VRT. Because it's a diesel, a NOx levy of about €275 — charged on its ~45 mg/km NOx rating — is added, for a total near €5,575.

Reading the petrol column. The petrol variant's code points to a slightly lower OMSP, yet its higher CO₂ pushes it into a 30% band and the bill climbs past €7,600 — roughly €2,000 more tax on a cheaper car. The petrol NOx levy is small, but the band jump dwarfs it. Two codes, same badge, and the "cheaper" car costs more to register.

Note that an electric import would instead qualify for the €5,000 BEV relief, extended to 31 December 2026 under Budget 2026 — a reminder that fuel type reshapes the whole calculation. The figures above are illustrative: your final VRT is set by Revenue and confirmed at your NCTS registration appointment.

05 · Where to Look

Where to Find Your VRT Statistical Code in 2026

There are four routes that matter, and one of them is the official reference every other tool is measured against. Not every route suits every importer: standing in a UK dealership, an instant lookup wins; finalising the exact bill, the official source does. The table sets out the trade-offs.

Method	What you enter	Cost	Speed	Reliability
Revenue ROS eVRT search	VIN or UK/NI registration	Free	Instant	Highest — official source
Revenue VRT calculator route	Vehicle details / registration + mileage	Free	Instant	High — Revenue data
Third-party plate-lookup tool	UK/NI plate	Often paid	Instant	Varies — confirm against Revenue
Revenue VRT helpline (01 738 3676)	Phone request with VIN + specs	Free	2–5 working days	High — human check

Step by Step: Pull the Code From Revenue's ROS System

The official Revenue Online Service enquiry needs no login and returns the code alongside an OMSP and VRT estimate. Work through it in order:

Open the ROS eVRT enquiry and choose "Search by Statistical Code" (or the registration search if you don't yet have the code).
Enter your car's VIN or its foreign registration number — the UK or NI plate works directly.
Add the details it asks for, such as fuel type and mileage, so it matches the right entry.
Read the result: the assigned 8-digit statistical code, the OMSP Revenue holds for it, and an estimated VRT figure.

The Revenue VRT Calculator Route

The calculator route (via vrt.ie) works from vehicle details or a registration plus current mileage rather than the statistical code itself. It draws on the same Revenue data and returns the matched code with its estimate, which makes it a good cross-check when you want a second reading of the same car — free and instant, like the eVRT search.

Third-Party Plate-Lookup Tools

Commercial lookup services take a UK or NI plate and hand back the code and estimate in seconds — handy when you're comparing several candidate cars from a dealer forecourt. Many charge for the convenience, and reliability varies, so treat their output as a first pass and confirm the figure against Revenue before money changes hands.

The Revenue VRT Helpline

If the system can't find your car automatically, call the Revenue VRT helpline on 01 738 3676 and supply the VIN, make, model, year, engine size and fuel type. Expect a reply within 2 to 5 working days — slower than the online routes, but with a human checking the match, which is exactly what you want for an unusual spec.

06 · Edge Cases

When Your Car Isn't in Revenue's Database

Sometimes the search comes back empty: no code, no OMSP, no estimate. That doesn't mean the car can't be registered — it means Revenue has never valued that exact variant before. It happens most often with:

Models never previously presented for registration in Ireland
Rare trims and low-volume special editions of common cars
Cars sourced outside the UK and EU, such as Japanese-market imports
Very recent releases that haven't reached the valuation database yet

The fix is direct: contact the National VRT Service with your Certificate of Conformity and supporting specifications. Revenue can assign a code based on your car's actual make, fuel, year and body type rather than leaving you without one.

Do this before the car ships, not after — an import sitting on Irish soil without a code is a car you can't register, and the VRT clock starts running once it arrives.

The Short Version

A VRT statistical code is the 8-digit reference that locks your car to one make, model, version and variant — and to its OMSP in Revenue's database. The right code means the right OMSP, the right CO₂ band and a bill you saw coming.

Since 1 July 2025, passenger-car VRT is calculated from WLTP CO₂ emissions, with a NOx levy added on top for diesels. The fastest free route to the code is Revenue's ROS eVRT search using your VIN or UK/NI registration — no account needed.

Before your NCTS appointment, verify the trim, model year, fuel type and CO₂ figure against the code — and if the OMSP has caught a higher variant, lodge a valuation appeal with your Certificate of Conformity in hand.

Estimate My VRT Now

08 · Questions

VRT Statistical Code: Frequently Asked Questions

Beyond the core process, a few recurring edge cases decide whether your import goes smoothly.

Why do some lookup tools charge when the statistical code itself is free?

Because you're paying for convenience, not for the code. Revenue's ROS eVRT search and the official calculator route return the code at no cost. Paid plate-lookup services layer extras on top — automatic decoding of a UK plate, mileage and history checks — but the statistical code and OMSP they show come from the same Revenue data.

How long does a statistical code stay valid before I register?

The code itself stays stable, but the OMSP behind it is reassessed over time, so the value can move between your lookup and your registration date. Register within the required VRT timeframe after the car arrives in Ireland, and re-run the estimate if weeks have passed.

Do vans and commercial vehicles have statistical codes too?

Yes. Vans are classed N1 / Category B — light commercials with a GVW of 3,500 kg or below — and follow their own rate table: since 1 July 2025 they're charged 8% if CO₂ is 120 g/km or below, or 13.3% above that, rates left unchanged in Budget 2026.

What happens if the CO₂ figure is missing from the code?

Revenue applies the highest default rate when no CO₂ value is present, which can add thousands to the bill. Supply the documented WLTP CO₂ figure — the Certificate of Conformity is the cleanest source — to have the correct band applied and avoid overpaying.

Do I need the statistical code before booking my NCTS appointment?

No — the booking process doesn't ask for it. But pulling the code first means you arrive knowing the OMSP Revenue holds for your exact variant, so the figure quoted at the inspection can't ambush you. The code is confirmed, not created, at the appointment.

Can I estimate my VRT from a similar car's statistical code?

Only as a rough budgeting aid. Every code pins one exact variant to its own OMSP, and a near-identical trim can sit in a different CO₂ band with a different value. Use a similar car to sense-check an offer, then run your actual VIN or plate before you commit.

Does the statistical code still matter after the car is registered in Ireland?

Its main job ends at registration, once the VRT is charged. Keep a copy of the result all the same: the CO₂ recorded against the code feeds your motor tax band, and the printout is useful evidence if you ever lodge a valuation appeal.

Check your VRT statistical code before you buy