JDM imports

How do you import a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo to the UK?

An original Evo I, II or III is now over 30 years old and long out of production, so it can come in at 0% duty and 5% import VAT as a collector’s vehicle. Later Evos pay 20% VAT, with 0% duty if you prove Japanese origin. The Evo VI was the first imported officially, so earlier cars in the UK came from Japan, often without underseal and with a history to check.

Published 26 September 2026 · 5 min read

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1. Which Evos are over 30

The Lancer Evolution arrived in 1992, and the first three generations were built by 1996, so an original Evo I, II or III is now over 30 years old, of a model no longer in production, and can be imported at 0% duty and 5% import VAT as a collector's vehicle under heading 9705. An Evo IV built in 1996 is on the line; later cars, including the Evo V and VI, pay 20% VAT, with 0% duty if you can prove Japanese origin (proof of origin), otherwise 10%. Check the build date of the actual car, not the model's launch year.

2. Why most Evos here came from Japan

evo magazine notes that the Evo VI was the first Evolution imported in any official capacity (evo), so earlier cars in the UK are Japanese imports. The same guide warns that Japanese cars had no underseal from new, so you should check one was undersealed on arrival, and that some sellers remove the warning bulb for the active yaw control to hide faults. Rally-bred and often tuned, an Evo also needs checking for originality before you count on the 5% rate.

3. The Japanese paperwork

An Evo bought in Japan comes with an export deregistration certificate rather than a registration document you keep, and that certificate is what proves its age to the DVLA. Japan Customs notes it is valid for six months from issue (Japan Customs). Because it carries a history of odometer readings, compare it with the dashboard before you commit (Andrews Japanese Cars). There is no approval test to pass on a car of this age (GOV.UK), but the speedometer must be able to display mph for UK roads (regulation 35 of the Construction and Use Regulations).