JDM imports

How do you import a Nissan Figaro to the UK?

The Figaro was built in 1991 for Japan only, so every one in the UK is an import, and every one is now over 30 years old and long out of production. An original car can be imported at 0% duty and 5% import VAT as a collector’s vehicle and needs no vehicle approval. The checks that matter are rust, the roof, the mileage record on the export certificate and a speedometer that shows mph.

Published 26 September 2026 · 5 min read

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1. A Japan-only car, now over 30

The Figaro was built for the Japanese market only and never sold officially in the UK, so every car here is an import. Auto Express puts production at 20,056 (Auto Express), and the Figaro Owners Club dates it to 1991. That makes every Figaro over 30 years old, and it has long been out of production, so an original car can be imported at 0% duty and 5% import VAT as a collector's vehicle under heading 9705. It is not yet 40, so it pays normal vehicle tax and needs an MOT. Over 10 years old, it needs no vehicle approval.

2. What to check before you buy

Auto Express lists the usual problems: rust in the sills and arches, a fabric roof that shrinks and latches that get damaged, and seized turbochargers. It also warns that a car's history is often impossible to trace, which is why the Japanese paperwork matters so much.

3. Japanese paperwork and the mileage check

The export certificate issued when the car is deregistered in Japan is what the DVLA uses to date it. It is valid for six months (Japan Customs) and records earlier odometer readings, which lets you check the mileage has not been wound back (Andrews Japanese Cars). An auction sheet, if the car came through a Japanese auction, adds a grade and a damage map, but it does not show what is underneath (JDMBUYSELL).

4. Speedometer and registration

Figaros read in km/h. A vehicle first used from April 1984 onwards needs a speedometer able to show mph as well (regulation 35 of the Construction and Use Regulations), so budget for a conversion. Then the steps are the usual ones: import declaration, NOVA within 14 days, MOT and first registration with the DVLA.