Regulation by countries

Important information for importing vehicles to your countries

Africa

Botswana

Major Shipping Destination:
Durban (South Africa)
Recommended route:
Durban>>Johannesburg>>Tlokweng>>Gabarone)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-7 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.
Import Tax rates:
Duties 30 -65% if the car is for outside SADEC region
VAT 12%
Excise Tax 5-35%
Recommended banks of Botswana:
BARCLAYS BANK, STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, STANBIC BANK,
ABC BANK,BANK GABORONE,CAPITAL BANK, ABN AMRO, FIRST NATIONAL BANK and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Burundi

Major Shipping Destination:
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-7 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Congo(DRC)

Major Shipping Destination:
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya) => cheaper freight cost because of ro-ro shipment.
Matadi (Congo DRC) => quite expensive freight because of container shipment.
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-7 weeks depending on the vessel schedule (in case of ro-ro shipment)
More than 8-9 weeks depending on container banning schedule (In case of container shipment)
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.
Recommended banks of Congo DRC:
ACCESS BANK, BARCLAYS BANK, CITY BANK, STANBIC BANK, BANQUE COMMERCIALE DU CONGO, TRUST MERCHANT BANK and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Ghana

Major Shipping Destination:
Tema (Ghana)
Age restriction:
Not more than 10 years old vehicles (eg, 2003 and onwards)
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8-10 weeks depending on the container & vessel schedule
Regulation:
All vehicles imported to Ghana should be Left Hand Drive.
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Kenya

Major Shipping Destination:
Mombasa (Kenya), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania)
Age restriction:
Only less than 8 years old vehicles are permitted for importing. (eg, 2005 and onwards).
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-8 weeks
Regulation:
All vehicles imported to Kenya must be Right Hand Drive except special purpose cars (e.g. ambulance, fire engine and etc.)
QISJ inspection is required
Recommended banks of Kenya:
BARCLAYS, STANDARD CHARTERED, CFC STANBIC BANK, EQUITY BANK, BANK OF INDIA, BANK OF AFRICA, CITIBANK, KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK, ABC BANK, ECO BANK, and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Malawi

Major Shipping Destination:
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Durban (South Africa), Maputo (Mozambique)
Age restriction:
No age restrictions BUT less than 9 years old cars (2004 and onward models) have less taxes
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-7 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially. (Radiation inspection is done by seller).
Import Tax rates:
Taxes are about 60% for vehicles less than 9 years old
Recommended banks of Malawi:
NATIONAL BANK OF MALAWI, RESERVE BANK OF MALAWI, STANDARD BANK MALAWI,FIRST MERCHANT BANK MALAWI, MALAWI SAVINGS BANK and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Mozambique

Major Shipping Destination:
Maputo (Mozambique), (partly: Beira, Nacala (Mozambique)) Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Durban (South Africa)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-8 weeks
Regulation:
INTERTEK inspection is required.
Once the payment is confirmed by supplier in Japan, the customer will have to apply for MOZ number at their local INTERTEK office. A special invoice with engine number will be supplied by seller.
Intertek International Ltd
Address: Edificio "Indel" Av. De Angola 2696 - 1 andar Maputo
TEL: + 258 21 467 070
FAX: + 258 21 467 051
Email: info.mozambique.fts@intertek.com
Import Tax rates:
Taxes and clearance charges will be applied by the Mozambique government
Recommended banks of Mozambique:
MILENIUM BANK, BCI BANK, STANDARD BANK, BARCLAYS BANK, ICB BANK, BANK ABC and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Namibia

Major Shipping Destination:
Durban (South Africa), recommended route (Durban>>Johannesburg>>Nakop>>Windhoek)
Age restriction:
Not more than 4 years old vehicles (eg, 2008 and onwards)
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-7 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
Japan Auto Appraisal Institute (JAAI) is required

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Nigeria

Major Shipping Destination:
Lagos, Apapa (Nigeria)
Age restriction:
Not more than 8 years old vehicles (eg, 2005 and onwards)
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8-10 weeks depending on the container & vessel schedule
Regulation:
All vehicles imported to Nigeria should be Left Hand Drive.
No specific inspection required officially.
Certificate of Road Worthiness is required.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Tanzania

Major Shipping Destination:
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya)
Age restriction:
Less than 10 years old vehicles do not have extra damping fee (2003 and onward models).
More than 10 years old cars will be charged extra 30% of CIF value as a damping fee.
Age of the vehicle mentioned above is since the date of manufacture.
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-8 weeks
Regulation:
JAAI, EAA, QISJ inspections are required
Recommended banks of Tanzania:
BARCLAYS, STANDARD CHARTERED, STANBIC, BANK OF INDIA, EQUITY BANK, CITIBANK,INVESTRUST BANK, ABC BANK, ECO BANK, FINANCE BANK, BANK OF AFRICA and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Uganda

Major Shipping Destination:
Mombasa (Kenya), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-8 weeks
Regulation:
JEVIC inspection is required but not a must.(Radiation inspection is done by seller)
Recommended banks of Uganda:
BARCLAYS, STANDARD CHARTERED, STANBIC, EQUITY BANK, DIAMOND TRUST BANK,CITIBANK, ABC CAPITAL BANK, ECO BANK, KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Zambia

Major Shipping Destination:
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Durban (South Africa)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-8 weeks
Regulation:
JEVIC or ATJ inspection is required
Recommended banks of Zambia:
ZANACO, BARCLAYS, STANDARD CHARTERED, STANBIC, INDO BANK, FINANCE BANK,INVESTRUST BANK, ABC BANK, ECO BANK, and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Zimbabwe

Major Shipping Destination:
Durban (South Africa), vehicle is delivered to Beitbridge by your Clearing Agents.
Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Maputo (Mozambique)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 6-7 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.
Import Tax rates:
60-80% for all non commercial vehicles
40% for vehicles with an engine smaller than 1500cc
Surtax is 35%
Recommended banks of Zimbabwe:
CBZ BANK, KINGDOM BANK, BARCLAYS, STANDARD CHARTERED, STANBIC,METROPOLITANT BANK, FBC BANK and etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Oceania

Australia

Major Shipping Destination:
Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle must be more than 20 years old (eg, 1992 year and before)
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No inspection is required if the car is above 15 yrs old.
Each vehicle imported must have an Import Approval Permit completed and approved by the DoTARs government Agency.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Papua New Guinea

Major Shipping Destination:
Port Moresby, Lae, Madang, Kimbe, Rabaul, Kavieng, Alotau, Wewak (Papua New Guinea).
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 4-5 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.
Import Tax rates:
For vehicles with the engine size up to 2,700cc customs duty is 60% of CIF amount.
For vehicles with the engine size more than 2.701 cc customs duty is 110% of CIF amount.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Solomon Islands

Major Shipping Destination:
Honiara (Solomon Islands)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 4-5 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Trinidad and Tobago

Major Shipping Destination:
Port of Spain
Age restriction:
Vehicles must be less than 6 years old from the date of manufacture.
Must be right hand drive
Must not be fitted with a diesel engine.
Delivery Time:
Approximately 9 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

North America

Antigua and Barbuda

Major Shipping Destination:
Saint John`s
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8-9 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.
Import Tax rates:
Custom duties 60%
VAT 15%,
Environmental tax, Excise taxes etc.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Bahamas

Major Shipping Destination:
Nassau, Freeport (Bahamas)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8-9 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Canada

Major Shipping Destination:
Westminister, Vancouver (Canada)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle must be more than 15 years old (eg, 1997 year and before).
Age considered is manufactured year.
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
Federal inspection from the RIV within 45 days (or 1 year for salvage vehicles) from the date of import).

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Grenada

Major Shipping Destination:
Saint George`s, Grenville (Grenada)
Age restriction:
No age restrictions BUT under 4 years old cars have less taxes (eg, 2008 and onwards).
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Jamaica

Major Shipping Destination:
Kingston (Jamaica)
Age restriction:
Private motor cars must be 3 years from year of manufacture.
Pick-ups must be 6 years old.
Trucks, trailers and other heavy industry equipment must be 10 years old.
Buses to be used in the transportation sector will be determined by the Ministry of Finance.
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Major Shipping Destination:
Basseterre (Saint Kitts)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 9 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

South America

Guyana

Major Shipping Destination:
Georgetown (Guyana)
Age restriction:
No age restrictions BUT under 5 years old cars have less taxes (eg, 2008 and onwards).
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Europe

Cyprus

Major Shipping Destination:
Larnaca, Limassol (Cyprus)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle must be less than 5 years (eg, 2008 and onwards).
Small trucks upto 3 tons must be less than 4 years old (eg, 2009 and onwards).
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) certificate is required.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

United Kingdom

Major Shipping Destination:
Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle does not matter, no specific restrictions
Delivery Time:
Approximately 8 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
No specific inspection required officially.

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.

Asia

Bangladesh

Major Shipping Destination:
Chittagong, Dhaka (Bangladesh)
Age restriction:
Age of the vehicle must be less than 4 years old (eg, 2008 year and onwards)
Delivery Time:
Approximately 4-6 weeks depending on the vessel schedule
Regulation:
Japan Auto Appraisal Institute (JAAI) is required

Note:  All information above is subject to change without notification.Please contact your local customs clearing agent and inquire for latest updates.