Beginner's guide
Importing from Japan,
explained slowly.
If this is your first time importing a vehicle from Japan, this guide walks the entire journey end-to-end, auction to plates, with the numbers, documents, and pitfalls a first-timer needs to know.
End-to-end timeline
Week 0
Brief & shortlist
Week 1-3
Bid & buy
Week 3
Pay & inspect
Week 4-9
Sea voyage
Week 9-10
Customs
Week 10-11
Registration
Week 11
On the road
01
Choose the vehicle
Decide model, year, mileage, transmission, fuel and budget. We circulate a daily auction sheet matching your brief, typically 30 to 80 candidates a week.
Takeaway
Send us a wishlist with hard limits (e.g. under 80,000 km, under 8 years old, RHD).
02
Bid or buy
Most stock is bought at auction (USS, TAA, HAA, JU) on your behalf. You set a maximum yen bid; we bid in real time. Some units come from dealer stock with fixed prices.
Takeaway
Auction wins are final, there is no cooling-off period.
Every car ships with its original auction grade sheet. 03
Pay the proforma invoice
Once we win, we issue a proforma invoice (vehicle CIF + service). Bank-wire (T/T) settlement within 5 working days secures the unit and starts clearance.
Takeaway
Wire SWIFT in USD or JPY; small balance is paid against BL release.
04
Inspection (JEVIC / JAAI)
Many destinations require pre-shipment inspection. JEVIC (or JAAI/QISJ) verifies roadworthiness, odometer integrity and absence of pests. We book and pay it for you.
Takeaway
Mandatory for Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa.
05
Shipping (RoRo or container)
RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) is the cheapest method for running vehicles on common routes. Container is safer for high-value units, modified cars, or destinations RoRo doesn't serve.
Takeaway
Typical sea time Yokohama to Mombasa: ~28 days; Yokohama to Jebel Ali: ~18 days.
RoRo loading at Yokohama — your car drives on, drives off. 06
Documents in transit
We courier the original Bill of Lading (BL), export certificate (deregistration), commercial invoice, JEVIC report and packing list. Some destinations want a scanned set 7 days before arrival.
Takeaway
Don't lose the original BL, replacement is slow and expensive.
07
Customs clearance
Your local clearing agent files SAD/CUSDEC, pays import duty, VAT and excise. Duties are usually based on CIF value adjusted by reference book (KRA, etc.). We can recommend a vetted agent.
Takeaway
Budget 5 to 10 working days from vessel arrival to gate release.
08
Registration & plates
Most countries require a registration inspection (TIMS in Kenya, BRTA in Bangladesh, RTA in the UAE etc.), insurance and number plates before road use.
Takeaway
Expect 3 to 10 working days for registration in most markets.
First sunrise at your port — keys in hand.
Anatomy of the price
Where every dollar goes.
Vehicle (auction hammer)
What you paid at auction, the largest line.
Auction & yard fees
USS/TAA buyer fee, transport to our yard, recycling.
Export service
Our margin: bidding, paperwork, deregistration, BL.
Inland trucking Japan
Yard to port of loading (Yokohama / Kobe / Nagoya).
Sea freight (RoRo / container)
Ocean carrier charge to your destination port.
Pre-shipment inspection
JEVIC / JAAI fee where mandatory.
Marine insurance
Optional but recommended, ~1.5-2% of CIF.
Destination duties
Import duty + VAT + excise, paid in-country.
Clearance & registration
Agent fees, port handling, plates, road tax.
Mistakes first-timers make
What to avoid.
Ignoring auction grade
Grade 4 is the trade baseline. 3.5 means cosmetic damage; R/RA means accident repair history. We'll always show you the full auction sheet.
Forgetting your country's age limit
Kenya: under 8 years. Uganda: under 15. Pakistan: 3 years (passenger). Mozambique: under 5. Importing an over-age unit means rejection at port.
Right- vs left-hand drive
Most JDM stock is RHD. LHD requires sourcing from the small JDM LHD pool or US/UAE re-exports.
Underestimating duties
In many EAC markets, total taxes can exceed the vehicle price. Always run our shipping calculator before bidding.
Choosing the cheapest shipping blind
RoRo is cheap but exposes the unit to handling. Container is safer for low units, modified cars, parts inside.
Skipping insurance
A vessel incident is rare, but uninsured CIF is a total loss. 1.5% is cheap protection.
Ready to start?
Tell us what you want, your country, and your budget. We come back with a shortlist within 24 hours.