How to import a car from Japan to the UK

Importing a car from Japan to the UK means shipping it over, clearing customs, paying the VAT, and registering it with the DVLA. The good news on cost: thanks to the UK-Japan trade deal, a Japanese-built car pays 0% customs duty with a valid origin claim. It still pays 20% VAT if it is under 30 years old, or just 5% VAT if it is a classic over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production. Here is the whole process, and where Japanese imports need extra care.

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Why Japan is popular

Japan is a popular source of imported cars for UK buyers, and for good reason. Japanese cars are often exceptionally well kept, the domestic market has models never sold here, and the shared habit of driving on the left means many are already right-hand drive.

For enthusiasts, the appeal is the JDM scene: cars like the Skyline, Supra and RX-7 that have a following far beyond Japan. For everyone else, it is simply access to clean, low-mileage cars at sensible prices.

What it costs: duty and VAT

This is where Japan has a real advantage. The UK and Japan have a trade agreement, and with a valid origin claim a Japanese-built car comes in at 0% customs duty. That removes the 10% that a car from most other countries would pay.

So a modern Japanese import pays 0% duty and 20% VAT. A JDM classic over 30 years old, original and no longer in production pays 0% duty and just 5% VAT. Remember the two stack in order: any duty is worked out first, then VAT sits on top. We explain that in detail in our guide on how to pay import duty and VAT.

A Skyline over 30 years old, original and no longer in production pays 0% duty and 5% VAT. On a £20,000 car, that is around £1,000 in tax.

The steps, start to finish

The process is the same shape as any import, with Japan-specific shipping at the front.

1. Buy and book shipping. The car is bought, often through an exporter or auction agent in Japan, and booked onto a vessel to a UK port.
2. Ship it over. Sea freight from Japan takes several weeks. The car arrives at a UK port to be cleared.
3. Clear customs and pay the tax. The car is declared, the 0% duty and the VAT are settled, and it is released.
4. Notify HMRC. HMRC is told the car has arrived, and that notification is cleared.
5. Register with the DVLA. With the tax side done, we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post. A car under 10 years old needs an IVA test first, plus a UK MOT where one is required. Once the V5C arrives, you tax the car and fit UK plates.

JDM classics and the 30-year rule

For a Japanese classic, the 30-year mark is the line that matters. Over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production, the car qualifies for 0% duty and 5% VAT, and the origin question stops mattering because the classic rate does not depend on where the car was built.

Many sought-after JDM cars from the 1990s are now crossing that line. If the car you are looking at is close to 30 years old, the exact build date is worth checking carefully. We cover it in our guide to tax on a 30-year-old car.

What to watch out for

Two things catch Japanese imports out. First, the origin claim: the 0% duty depends on the car qualifying as Japanese in origin, and the right evidence being presented. Get it wrong and the duty is not zero.

Second, originality. Japanese auction sheets grade cars closely, but a car sold as original needs to be original to claim the classic rate. Modifications, common on JDM cars, can affect whether HMRC accepts it as a collector's piece.

This is exactly where an agent who imports Japanese cars earns their fee: presenting the origin claim correctly and getting the classic treatment where it applies.