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Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda Car Import Rules 2026: What Changed

Published September 25, 2026 · Rules as of September 25, 2026

East Africa is one of the largest markets for Japanese used cars. Tanzania is now the second-largest destination for Japan's used car exports, Kenya is in the top ten, and Uganda imported more than 38,000 cars from Japan in 2025. All three changed or reviewed their import rules in 2025–2026. Here is what applies now, and what it means for the car you choose in Japan.

Key takeaways

  • Kenya: from January 1, 2026, only right-hand-drive vehicles first registered on or after January 1, 2019 can be imported. Taxes are based on the Kenya Revenue Authority's revised price list (CRSP) introduced on July 1, 2025, not on your invoice.
  • Tanzania: from July 1, 2026, excise duty depends on age: 18% for cars 8–10 years old, 35% for 10–20 years and 40% over 20 years. Cars of 1,000 cc or less, previously exempt, now pay 5%.
  • Uganda: the 15-year limit remains. A plan to cut it to 13 years and add higher environmental levies was withdrawn on April 21, 2026.
  • Across the region, cars under eight years old get the best treatment, and that window moves forward every January.

Kenya: the eight-year rule, applied strictly

Kenya's eight-year limit comes from its standard KS 1515:2000. The limit itself has not changed, but it is now applied by a fixed date. In a notice dated November 13, 2025, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) announced that from January 1, 2026, only right-hand-drive vehicles first registered on or after January 1, 2019 may be imported. Older vehicles had to arrive in Kenya by December 31, 2025.

The date that counts in KEBS's notice is the year of first registration, not the year of manufacture. Some local guides describe it as the manufacturing year; follow the KEBS wording and check the first registration date on the car's Japanese export certificate before you buy.

On July 8, 2025, KEBS added a step in which the Japanese inspection company QISJ verifies the import documents that prove a vehicle's age. A fee of KSh 12,000 per vehicle has been reported, but we could not confirm it in the KEBS notice itself. Vehicles that arrive without the required inspection certificate can be charged an inspection fee of 5% of their customs value (reported).

Taxes follow the CRSP list, not your invoice

On July 1, 2025, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) introduced a revised Current Retail Selling Price (CRSP) list, the first full revision since 2019. It covers more than 5,200 models and raised the import duty rate built into the list from 25% to 35%. For some models, duty rose sharply. The duty on a Toyota Vitz Hybrid, for example, went from KSh 319,501 to KSh 508,927, and some models saw increases of up to 145%.

This matters for how you save money. Kenyan duty, excise, VAT, the import declaration fee and the railway development levy are calculated from the CRSP value, less a deduction for the car's age, not from the price on your invoice. A cheaper car or cheaper freight lowers what you pay for the car and the shipping, but not the taxes. Estimate your taxes from the CRSP before you commit to a car.

KEBS's vehicle inspection arrangements are also under scrutiny: Kenyan lawmakers have examined the cost of the checks, and a court case over the tender is under way. Inspection providers and fees could change.

What it means in practice: exports from Japan to Kenya grew 22.2% in 2025 to 77,286 but only 3.9% in January–July 2026, as the stricter rules took effect. If your car will arrive in 2027, look at cars first registered in 2020 or later, assuming the rule keeps moving forward by a year each January (our estimate). See our Kenya import guide.

Tanzania: age-based excise from July 2026

Tanzania does not ban older cars. It taxes them more. Under the Finance Act 2026, effective July 1, 2026, excise duty on imported used cars depends on age:

Vehicle ageExcise duty from July 1, 2026
8–10 years18% (the bill proposed 20%)
10–20 years35%
Over 20 years40%
1,000 cc or less5% (previously exempt)

Since July 2025, Tanzania has also charged a motor vehicle registration tax of TZS 50,000–250,000 under the Finance Act 2025. Pre-shipment inspection is carried out in Japan by inspection bodies appointed by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards, such as EAA.

Tanzania has become a much bigger market for Japanese cars. Exports from Japan rose 52.6% in 2025 to 119,036, and 74.0% in January–July 2026 to 100,769, making it the second-largest destination. Much of that growth is direct shipping that replaced cars previously re-exported through Dubai. Unloading at Dar es Salaam has also improved: after waiting times averaged 6.7 days in November 2025, DP World's new car-carrier handling was reported in July 2026 to have cut discharge times by 90%. See our Tanzania import guide.

Uganda: the 15-year limit stays, for now

Uganda allows imports of vehicles up to 15 years from manufacture. For the 2026/27 budget, the government proposed cutting this to 13 years and raising the environmental levy in steps, from 10% for nine-year-old cars to 50% for 13-year-old cars. Parliament was concerned about higher prices and freight costs, and the related bill was withdrawn on April 21, 2026.

Uganda imports about 5,000 vehicles a month, around 85% of them used, at an average price of about $7,000 (reported). It is a very price-sensitive market. Under current rules, cars up to eight years old are reportedly exempt from the environmental levy; we could not confirm this in the Uganda Revenue Authority's own documents. The shelved proposal could return in a future budget. See our Uganda import guide.

Why "under eight years" is the sweet spot

Kenya's age limit, Tanzania's excise threshold and Uganda's levy exemption all fall at roughly eight years. Demand across East Africa therefore concentrates on cars under eight years old, and that window moves forward by a year every January.

Those cars will also get harder to find. New-car sales in Japan fell 7.5% in 2024, so fewer three-to-five-year-old cars will reach the export market in 2027–2029 (our estimate). Cars that meet the rules are likely to attract more bidders at Japanese auctions.

Checklist before you buy

  • Confirm the first registration date on the export certificate, not only the model year.
  • Plan the arrival date. A car that is legal when you buy it may not be when it lands, especially around January 1 in Kenya.
  • Estimate taxes from the official values: the CRSP list in Kenya, and the age band in Tanzania.
  • Book the right pre-shipment inspection for your country (for example QISJ for Kenya, EAA for Tanzania).
  • Watch for new proposals, especially Uganda's shelved age limit.

Buying for Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda? Tell us your budget and port. We only offer cars that meet your country's age rules, arrange the pre-shipment inspection and show you the estimated taxes before you pay. Find my car

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Import rules and tax rates change; confirm the current requirements with KEBS, KRA, the Tanzania Revenue Authority or the Uganda Revenue Authority before you import.

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