COMPLETE GUIDE ON IMPORT USED CARS FROM JAPAN TO KENYA

used cars for sale

Japanese cars are of high quality and manufactured with the best technology. Japan is a big-time exporter of used cars for sale in Kenya and other countries. Japanese cars are most preferred for the reason of high quality with low prices. They also offer safety features which the other European motor brands can offer only at a higher price. Japanese cars are used not only for selling purposes but also for manufacturing the cars in Kenya using the parts from Japanese cars’ model. In 2014, more than 100,000 used cars from Japan were imported to Kenya for manufacturing a variety of vehicles. We will provide you with a complete guide on the import of used cars from Japan to Kenya before you plan your action of purchasing a Japanese car model or planning to begin your business of import of used cars for sale in Kenya

Rules and regulations of importing a car from Japan

There are certain rules and regulations maintained by the Kenya Bureau Of Standards (KEBS) in coordination with the Kenya Revenue Authority and are enforced by the Kenya Customs at the port of Mombasa because the entry point for car imports in Kenya is the East African region. The rules are as follows:

  1. The imported vehicle should not more than be eight years old from the year of manufacturing if less than 1500cc and not more than five years old if more than 1500cc. 
  2. There should not be a difference of more than a year between the dates of manufacturing and registration dates. 
  3. Vehicles should be exempted with right-hand-drive (RHD) made only for special purpose vehicles such as ambulances and fire engines. 
  4. All the necessary measures should be passed by the vehicle to be safe for road usage and be environmental conserved.
  5. The vehicle should be inspected by the Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre (JEMVIC) before leaving Japan’s shores.

Documents required for the import of used cars from Japan to Kenya:

  1. Original national ID/ Passport
  2. Pre-inspection certificate from Japan
  3. KRA Pin
  4. Vehicle’s foreign logbook
  5. Original bill of lading
  6. Port release order, evidence of insurance cover, import declaration form, Clean Report of Findings, Import duty receipts
  7. For commercial purpose vehicles, Vehicle Inspection Report is important

Important costs for import used cars from Japan to Kenya

There are duty fees on every product which is exported or imported in countries. While importing the used cars from Japan, one has to keep in mind the following cost-

  1. 25% of import duty is imposed on vehicles as the current retail selling price (CRSP) by the Kenya Revenue Authority. 

CIF 

  • amount as import Declaration Fee is 2% of the total amount or KSh 5000, whichever amount is higher.
  1. Excise duty imposed is from 25%-30%, which counts for customs value+Import Value
  2. Value Added Tax or VAT is 16%, including the CIF amount +import duty+ excise duty

There are other costs too while importing a vehicle from Japan which can be the container’s cost to be paid to the shipping company beforehand. Other costs like CFS or container freight station fee, amount to be paid to the agents in advance to track your shipment, Mombasa Port car park charges, the budget for the repairs too, and more.

Benefits of buying used cars from Japan

More than half of the used Japanese cars are sold in Kenya, and there are good benefits. First and the most important is that Japanese cars have right-hand driving seats, like Kenya’s, which saves the cost for fixing the steering wheel on the other side. Kenya has cheap service centres and parts for the cars from Japan, making it a low maintenance car for Kenya. The people who import used cars from Japan to Kenya find it cheap to import the cars as the costs are low for the businessmen, so it is affordable for most people in Kenya to afford a car. The most selling car in Kenya is the Toyota from Japan.

It is a thorough guide for purchasing the car, and hence you may now decide to buy the car after looking at all the necessary costs and certification required for the same. 

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