Your VRT statistical code in Ireland — found in under a minute.
A VRT statistical code is a unique 8-digit Revenue identifier for the exact Make, Model, Version and Variant of your vehicle, and you can find it in minutes through the free ROS eVRT Enquiry service. If Revenue or NCTS has asked you for this code and you are stuck mid-declaration, the lookup is quick, free and entirely official — no jargon and no paperwork required.
Each statistical code links your vehicle to its own Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), the value Revenue uses to work out your tax. Get the right code and your VRT estimate lines up with your actual model; get it wrong and you risk paying for the wrong version of the car.
Last updated June 2026 — written and fact-checked by the Statistical Code editorial team, with figures cross-checked against the Revenue valuation database.
A VRT statistical code uniquely identifies a vehicle's Make, Model, Version and Variant, each tied to its own OMSP set by Revenue.
The fastest way to find it is a free search on the ROS eVRT Enquiry service.
It is not your VIN or registration plate — it identifies a version, not a single car.
You use the code to prefill a VRT calculator and estimate the tax before your NCTS appointment.
Four steps to a VRT figure you can trust
The VRT calculator embedded at the top of this page turns a few details about your import into a full tax estimate. No account, no email — here is what happens between the first click and the final figure.
Launch the calculator
The tool runs right inside this page — scroll up and start typing. Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for, and your details stay between you and the form.
Pick the import route
Tell it where the vehicle is coming from — Britain, Northern Ireland, the EU or further afield. The origin shapes the tax treatment, so it comes before anything else.
Describe the vehicle
Type the number plate and the calculator pulls the spec for you; no plate to hand, just set the make, model and version yourself. Either way it lands on one exact vehicle.
Collect your estimate
The breakdown appears on the spot — OMSP, CO₂ band and NOx levy line by line — and you can export the whole report as a PDF to keep with your import paperwork.
FAQ — VRT statistical code
Quick answers to the most common questions about the VRT statistical code. The full guide below explains where to get the code, how to read it and how to use it for an estimate.
Read the full guideHow do I find the NOx emissions of my car for VRT?
Look in field V.3 of the Certificate of Conformity — that is where the NOx figure (in mg/km) is stated. A common pitfall: older UK import paperwork sometimes omits NOx entirely, in which case Revenue applies a default maximum levy until you supply the COC, so it pays to have it to hand before your appointment. Tools such as myvehicle.ie and listocar can read the figure back for you alongside the VRT total.
How can I check how much VRT is by registration number?
A registration-number lookup only works for vehicles already on the Irish register, so it is no help for a fresh import — there you search by make, model and version instead. Watch two traps: a plate that has been reassigned can pull the wrong record, and any quoted figure is sensitive to the first registration date the calculator assumes. Treat the result as a guide; Revenue sets the binding amount at registration.
Can I reuse a statistical code from a similar car?
No. Even a small difference in version or variant — a different trim, engine or body style — points to a different code and a different OMSP. Always pull the code for your exact specification rather than borrowing one from a near-identical model, or your estimate may be based on the wrong value.
Is the VRT statistical code free to look up?
Yes. The official ROS eVRT Enquiry service returns the code and OMSP at no cost, and the main third-party VRT calculators do the same. The only money that changes hands is the VRT itself at registration — looking up and double-checking the code beforehand never carries a fee.
Do I still need the statistical code after the car is registered?
No. The statistical code is purely a VRT tool: it values the vehicle and sets the tax at the point of registration. Once the car carries an Irish plate, your motor tax and insurance run off the registration number and your own details, so you can file the code away once the appointment is done.
Can I look up the statistical code before I buy a car abroad?
Yes, and it is the smart move. Because the lookup only needs the make, model and version, you can pull the code and its OMSP while a UK or NI car is still on the forecourt — giving you a VRT estimate before you commit, so the tax bill is no surprise once the vehicle reaches Ireland.
What is a VRT statistical code?
A VRT statistical code is an 8-digit numeric identifier assigned by Revenue that uniquely matches one specific Make, Model, Version and Variant of a vehicle to its own OMSP and VRT estimate (source: vrt.ie FAQ, ros.ie). Before you go hunting for your code, it helps to understand exactly what it represents — and what it is not. In practice the code identifies a precise vehicle combination, so two cars of the same make can carry different codes if their version or variant differs.
The code pins down four things:
- Make — the manufacturer (for example, Škoda)
- Model — the model line (for example, Octavia)
- Version — the specific trim or specification
- Variant — the body or engine variation within that version
Statistical code vs VIN vs plate
A statistical code is not the same as a VIN or a registration number. The VIN/chassis number identifies one individual car, and the registration plate identifies one registered vehicle — but the statistical code identifies a version shared by many cars. Mixing them up is a common error, so always check you are entering the code, not the chassis number.
- Statistical code — describes a vehicle type (one code, thousands of identical cars)
- VIN/chassis number — describes your car only (17 unique characters)
- Registration plate — points to a single registered vehicle, but reveals nothing about its version
How the code links to the OMSP
Each statistical code points to one OMSP (Open Market Selling Price), which is the value Revenue places on that exact version of vehicle. Because VRT is calculated as a percentage of the OMSP, the code is effectively the doorway to your VRT estimate: select the correct code and the matching Open Market Selling Price loads automatically. The OMSP tracks market depreciation, so the figure tied to a code is not fixed — Revenue makes monthly adjustments to the valuation database, which is why the same code can return a slightly different OMSP from one month to the next.
Why this matters: a higher-spec version usually carries a higher OMSP, so picking the wrong variant — even of the same model line — can swing your tax by hundreds of euro before Revenue ever reviews the case.
Where do I get the statistical code for VRT?
The fastest way to get your VRT statistical code is to run a free search on the ROS eVRT Enquiry service: enter the make, model and version, and Revenue returns the matching code and OMSP (source: ros.ie). There are three practical routes, and the official one should always be your first choice.
| Source | Official? | Free? | Prefills vehicle? | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROS eVRT Enquiry | Yes | Yes | Yes | One vehicle at a time |
| Revenue VRT service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Estimate only, not final |
| Third-party calculator (motorcheck.ie, myvehicle.ie) | No | Yes | Yes | Unofficial; data must match |
| Vehicle documents/plate | n/a | Yes | No | No code printed on them |
Method 1 — via the ROS eVRT Enquiry service (official and free)
This is the authoritative source, and it costs nothing:
- Open the ROS eVRT Enquiry page at ros.ie/evrt-enquiry.
- Choose Search by Vehicle Details rather than searching by an existing code.
- Enter the make, model and version of your vehicle.
- Read off the statistical code that Revenue displays for the matching record.
The code is generated only when your vehicle is found in the Revenue database, so it confirms the version exists in the system.
Method 2 — via a VRT calculator (estimate + code)
Some third-party tools display both the statistical code and an estimate together. The official vrt.ie VRT calculator shows the code when a match exists, while other tools remain unofficial — only Revenue and ROS are authoritative, so any third-party figure is convenient but never the final word.
Method 3 — if you already have the code (documents/import)
If a previous report or import file already lists a code, you can simply enter the statistical code directly to populate the vehicle details and skip the search entirely.
How to read and decode a VRT statistical code
A VRT statistical code can be decoded back to a specific vehicle: say your 2021 Škoda Octavia 2.0 TDI returns the code 41208512 — that single line confirms you matched the right Make, Model, Version and fuel type before submitting it to Revenue. (The eight digits above are an illustrative example; your own code will differ.) Once the code is in hand, learning to read it is what prevents a costly taxation error.
Decoded example: from code to vehicle
Take the illustrative Statistical Code 41208512: it maps to Make Škoda, Model Octavia, Version 2.0 TDI, fuel diesel. The number itself is an internal reference, so you do not calculate anything from the digits — instead you confirm that the description Revenue returns alongside the code matches your car, then check the first registration date Revenue holds is the one used for your vehicle's age.
Check the code matches your car
Before you rely on a code, run a quick verify statistical code check:
- Make and Model match your car exactly
- Version/Variant matches your trim
- Year and fuel type are consistent with your vehicle
Worked example: what one wrong digit costs in euro
Example: a 2021 Škoda Octavia 2.0 TDI with the DSG automatic gearbox carries a different statistical code than the same car with a manual shift. Pick the wrong one and the OMSP behind it can sit €2,000–€3,000 away from your car's true value — which moves your VRT bill by roughly €320–€480 at a 16% VRT rate.
Common scenario: the same Octavia in the high-spec Style trim — DSG, navigation, heated leather — sits on a code whose OMSP reads €33,500. Strip it back to the entry Ambition trim and the code changes, with an OMSP closer to €30,000. That €3,500 gap is worth about €560 of VRT at 16%, so always make sure the statistical code mirrors your exact trim level before you accept the figure.
How do I use the statistical code to estimate my VRT?
Once you have your statistical code, entering it into a VRT calculator instantly fills in your vehicle details and returns a VRT estimate — though the final amount is always set by Revenue. The code is not the goal in itself; its real value is speeding up the estimate of the tax you will owe.
Enter the code into a VRT calculator
Paste the code into the calculator's statistical-code field and it auto-completes the make, model, version and emissions data, reducing typing errors (source: motorcheck.ie). This makes checking how much VRT is due far faster than entering everything by hand.
Tip: keep the official OMSP visible — treat the on-screen number as a working figure only, since Revenue has the last word at your appointment.
Which factors move the final VRT amount?
Your final VRT depends on more than the OMSP. Revenue classes vehicles into categories (A, B, C, D, M) and EU classifications M1/N1, and the rate is driven by emissions:
CO₂ emissions (WLTP)
Your WLTP CO₂ figure sets the percentage band applied to the OMSP — use the WLTP value from the COC, not an older NEDC number.
NOx emission levy
The NOx emission levy is added on top, based on the car's NOx figure.
Fuel type & engine size
Fuel type and engine size can shift the band.
The estimate can differ from the final figure if Revenue revises the OMSP or emissions data (source: motorcheck.ie). Diesel cars in particular tend to attract a heavier NOx levy, which is why two cars with an identical OMSP can still land on very different totals.
One more cost to budget for: VRT is not always the whole bill on a UK import. Since Brexit, a car brought in from Great Britain can attract customs duty and import VAT on top of the VRT before it can be registered, whereas a vehicle from Northern Ireland is normally free of those charges if it meets Revenue's qualifying conditions. Confirm the customs and VAT position first, because it can dwarf the VRT itself.
What if there is no statistical code for your vehicle?
If no statistical code exists for your vehicle — common with rare, modified or recently imported models — Revenue assesses the VRT manually from the full vehicle details you provide, such as EU classification, make, model and transmission (source: revenue.ie, 23 March 2026). Most cars have a ready-made code, but rare models are the edge case other guides ignore.
Prepare these before contacting Revenue or NCTS
Third-party tools do not always cover rare models, so the official Revenue route is the reliable fallback here.
Cas type — Eoin, importing a Japanese hatchback (2026)
Eoin imported a low-volume Japanese model with no statistical code on the ROS search. He gathered the EU classification (M1), transmission and COC emissions, and Revenue assessed the VRT manually at his NCTS appointment — no calculator code needed.
The right code, the right OMSP
A VRT statistical code uniquely identifies your vehicle's Make, Model, Version and Variant, and each combination is tied to its own OMSP. Get the right code and your VRT estimate lines up with your actual model; get it wrong and you risk paying for the wrong version of the car.
Find your code free on the ROS eVRT Enquiry, confirm the description matches your car, then enter it into the tool above to load your OMSP and estimate the tax before your NCTS appointment. For rare or recently imported models with no code, go straight to Revenue for a manual assessment.