Buy phone in EU/Ireland and taking it back to the UK

CKhalvashi

twopenny said:

If it was your phone, a 'working phone' then it would have a UK sim for it and some numbers, apps in place.

It would have to be sim free to work for you here, using an Irish sim and system may bring difficulties or may not.

There is the point about frequencies etc. All needs checking out.

You say it's a bit cheaper? Enough for return flights, parking etc?

Interestingly, I had a look in an electronics store in Poland with a Polish resident who was buying a new phone last year.

The cost savings could be in excess of 25% on higher end equipment, well worth a £250+ saving if refunded and declared correctly.

I've had week long trips for 2 that have cost less than that all in.

daveyjp

I've just been to Belfast from England by air through Belfast City airport.  There were no passport or customs checks on departure or arrival.

DullGreyGuy

daveyjp said:

I've just been to Belfast from England by air through Belfast City airport.  There were no passport or customs checks on departure or arrival.

There wouldn't be passport checks as you've not left the UK, you normally need to use some form of ID and many use passports but other forms are acceptable. 

Customs may apply depending on your direction of travel, residency etc... haven't been post Brexit so dont know how they've implemented it. 

martindow

Is there any advantage to buying in NI?  I read the OP's question as considering buying somewhere in the EU where the price may be cheaper. 

DullGreyGuy

martindow said:

Is there any advantage to buying in NI?  I read the OP's question as considering buying somewhere in the EU where the price may be cheaper. 

They said they were looking to buy it in "Ireland" some may claim its an ambiguous term given you have the island of Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Given the rest of the statement only one of those fuller terms applies. Dont know if others are suggesting possibly crossing into N.Ireland and returning from there to reduce the Customs risks.

eDicky

Customs officers have better things to do than check the fiscal origins of phones carried by arriving passengers.

During the last thirty years all my handsets have been purchased overseas and I've never given a single thought to UK arrival with them in my personal use.

However, if officers happen to be on duty at the time of OP's arrival, a passenger with an air of being 'super worried' is quite likely to be pulled up for a check.

DullGreyGuy

eDicky said:

Customs officers have better things to do than check the fiscal origins of phones carried by arriving passengers.

During the last thirty years all my handsets have been purchased overseas and I've never given a single thought to UK arrival with them in my personal use.

However, if officers happen to be on duty at the time of OP's arrival, a passenger with an air of being 'super worried' is quite likely to be pulled up for a check.

I suspect the majority of people that travel have gotten away with tax evasion by not declaring they are over duty free limits... not sure that means it should be advocated. 

Buying mobiles overseas is slightly more complex these days, at least with Apple, as different regions use different bands for 5G and phones aren't universal. In North America iPhones have no physical sim slot, in china they have two physical sim slots, in the rest of the world they have one physical and one esim. Not insurmountable things but more research is required to understand any limitations you'll have with an overseas phone beyond the warranty issues.