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Import a Car from Japan to Kenya in 2026: Process and Cost

Published October 26, 2026 · Rules as of October 26, 2026

To import a car from Japan to Kenya in 2026, you need a right-hand-drive car first registered on or after January 1, 2019, a roadworthiness certificate from QISJ, the inspector used by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), and a licensed clearing agent in Mombasa. The voyage takes about three weeks. After the car itself, the biggest cost is usually tax, which the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) calculates from its own price list, the CRSP, not from your invoice. In our example, a 2020 Mazda CX-5 pays about KSh 1.12 million, nearly what the car is assumed to cost in Japan.

Key takeaways

  • Eligibility: right-hand drive and first registered on or after January 1, 2019 for arrivals in 2026; probably 2020 or later from January 1, 2027 (our reading).
  • Taxes: 35% import duty, 20–35% excise, 16% VAT, a 2.5% import declaration fee (IDF) and a 2% railway development levy (RDL), on a customs value derived from KRA's July 2025 CRSP list.
  • Clearing: a licensed customs agent is mandatory, clearance is due within 21 days of arrival, and since September 1, 2026 KRA also requires the export declaration from Japan.
  • Time: 17–21 days at sea; two months or more from purchase to Kenyan plates (our estimate).

Step 1: Check that the car can enter Kenya

Under the KEBS standard KS 1515:2000, a used car may be at most eight years old, counted from the year of first registration, and must be right-hand drive. A KEBS notice of November 2025 fixed the date: from January 1, 2026, only cars first registered on or after January 1, 2019 may enter, and cars that break the rule are rejected at the importer's expense. Our East African rules article covers the change.

  • The arrival date counts. If the cut-off moves to 2020 on January 1, 2027, as the eight-year rule implies (our reading; we found no KEBS notice for 2027 yet), a 2019 car must reach Mombasa by December 31, 2026.
  • A tighter limit has been proposed. A government plan reported in January 2026 would cut the limit to five years by 2027. Car importers objected, and as of October 2026 it was not a rule.
  • Check the papers. KEBS and KRA use the first registration date on the Japanese export certificate, not the model year.

Step 2: Inspection in Japan and the documents

Cars from Japan need a Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR) from Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan (QISJ), KEBS's inspector for used vehicles in Japan and five other countries. QISJ checks the car against KS 1515:2000 and verifies its papers, including the first registration date and chassis number. KEBS's inspection manual of February 19, 2026 reportedly lists US$155 per car in Japan. A car arriving without a valid certificate is inspected in Kenya at a reported 5% of its customs value.

KRA asks for the original invoice and bill of lading, the cancelled Japanese registration (the export certificate, which NTSA needs to issue a Kenyan logbook), the CoR and your KRA PIN certificate.

New from September 1, 2026: section 23B of the Tax Procedures Act, added by the Finance Act 2026, requires importers to obtain and keep for five years an export declaration, or equivalent, from the country of export, showing the exporter, importer, goods, value and tariff code. Vehicles were reported held at Mombasa when it started. Ask your seller for the export declaration filed in Japan.

Step 3: How KRA calculates the taxes

KRA starts from the Current Retail Selling Price (CRSP), what the same model costs new in Kenya, in a list of more than 5,200 models applied from July 1, 2025. A High Court order suspended it on June 30, 2025, pending a hearing. It remains KRA's newest list, but in September 2026 KRA said a valuation dispute was before the courts, so values may change.

KRA's valuation template removes a 25% margin from the CRSP, deducts depreciation and divides out the duty, excise and VAT in a Kenyan retail price. Depreciation follows the East African Community (EAC) schedule KRA adopted on September 1, 2023, counted from first registration: 20% for cars over one year old, then 30%, 40%, 50%, 55%, 60% and 65% for cars over seven years old.

The taxes are then charged in this order:

TaxRate in 2026Charged on
Import duty35%Customs value
Excise duty20% petrol up to 1,500 cc; 25% petrol 1,501–3,000 cc, diesel up to 2,500 cc and hybrids; 35% petrol over 3,000 cc or diesel over 2,500 cc; 10% fully electricCustoms value + import duty
VAT16%Customs value + import duty + excise
Import declaration fee (IDF)2.5%Customs value
Railway development levy (RDL)2%Customs value

Excise rates as listed by KRA; some calculators use 20% for small diesel and hybrid cars, so confirm yours with your agent.

The 35% duty is Kenya's exception to the EAC's 25% rate, applied since July 2023 and extended for one more year from July 1, 2026. KRA's import page still shows an older 3.5% IDF; KRA's 2023 template and PwC's July 2026 summary use 2.5%. The RDL rose to 2% under the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024.

Worked example: a 2020 Mazda CX-5 (illustration)

Assumptions: a 2020 Mazda CX-5 20S (2.0-litre petrol, 25% excise); its CRSP of KSh 6,839,016 as reported from KRA's 2025 list; the over-six-to-seven-year band (60% depreciation); our reconstruction of KRA's template, with the 35% duty factor of the 2025 list; Central Bank of Kenya rates of October 15, 2026 (KSh 129.81 per US dollar, KSh 81.70 per ¥100).

StepCalculationKSh
CRSPKRA list, July 2025 (reported)6,839,016
Less 25% margin÷ 1.255,471,213
Less 60% depreciation× 0.402,188,485
Customs value÷ (1.35 × 1.25 × 1.16)1,118,000
Import duty35% of 1,118,000391,300
Excise duty25% of 1,509,300377,325
VAT16% of 1,886,625301,860
IDF2.5% of 1,118,00027,950
RDL2% of 1,118,00022,360
Total taxes1,120,795

One age band either way moves the total by about KSh 140,000, and KRA's assessment at entry is final. Adding the costs before arrival:

ItemAssumptionKSh
Car in Japan, FOB¥1,500,000 (assumed)1,225,500
Ro-Ro freight to MombasaAbout US$1,800, indicative for a mid-size SUV233,658
QISJ inspectionUS$15520,121
Kenyan taxesFrom the table above1,120,795
SubtotalAbout 2.6 million

Not included: Japan-side fees, marine insurance, port charges, the agent's fee and registration. See shipping costs from Japan and how the yen affects prices.

Step 4: Shipping to Mombasa and clearance

On one exporter's schedule for July–September 2026, Ro-Ro car carriers left Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe about every two weeks and reached Mombasa in 17–21 days. Containerized cars also need KRA's Advance Cargo Declaration (since August 2026) before loading.

KRA says a licensed customs agent is mandatory to lodge the import entry; pay the taxes to KRA directly, not through intermediaries. Clear the car within 21 days of arrival, or customs warehouse rent accrues on top of Kenya Ports Authority storage charges (new tariff since December 22, 2025).

Step 5: Registration with NTSA

Registration fees are paid with the customs taxes. After release, the car's details pass to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), and you accept the car in your NTSA account on eCitizen, under the same KRA PIN as the import documents. The logbook and plates take about one to two weeks, according to one import agent's guide.

How long it takes

StageTypical time
Buying, export papers, QISJ inspectionUntil the next sailing (about every two weeks on one route)
Sea voyage to Mombasa17–21 days
Customs clearanceWithin 21 days of arrival
NTSA registration and platesAbout 1–2 weeks (reported)

Plan on two months or more from purchase to plates (our estimate).

Frequently asked questions

How do I import a car from Japan to Kenya step by step?

Follow steps 1–5: eligibility, QISJ inspection, shipping, clearance through a licensed agent, NTSA registration.

How much does it cost in total?

The car, Japan-side fees, freight (indicatively US$1,300–1,800), inspection and Kenyan taxes, plus port, agent and registration charges. Our 2020 CX-5 example reaches about KSh 2.6 million before those last charges.

What year of car can I import in 2026?

Right-hand drive, first registered on or after January 1, 2019. For arrival from January 1, 2027, plan on 2020 or later and watch for KEBS's notice; last year's came in mid-November.

How is duty calculated (CRSP)?

KRA derives the customs value from the CRSP, less a 25% margin, depreciation and Kenyan taxes, then charges the taxes in the order shown in step 3. Your invoice price does not change the result.

How long does it take to arrive in Mombasa?

17–21 days at sea, plus the wait for a sailing and any port delay.

Do I need a clearing agent?

Yes. KRA requires a licensed customs agent and publishes a list of them. Get a written quote before the car ships.

Importing a car from Japan to Kenya? Tell us the car you want, your budget and your port; the enquiry is free and without obligation. We search Japanese dealers and auctions, itemize the Japan-side costs before you decide, buy only the car you approve within your limit and arrange export to Mombasa. Find my car · Kenya import guide

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, tax rates and CRSP values change; confirm the current position with KEBS, KRA, NTSA or a licensed clearing agent before you import.

Sources

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