JDM imports

How do you import a Suzuki Jimny from Japan to the UK?

A Japanese-market Suzuki Jimny comes into the UK as an ordinary used car: 20% import VAT, plus 10% duty, or 0% duty if you prove the car was made in Japan. A Jimny more than 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production can instead pay 0% duty and 5% VAT as a collector’s vehicle.

Published 2 October 2026 · 5 min read

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1. Which Suzuki Jimny can you import from Japan?

The Jimny has been made since 1970. For a UK buyer the useful split is by Japanese chassis code. The JA11 arrived at the start of the 1990s with a 657cc engine, the JB23 ran from October 1998 to June 2018 with a 0.66-litre turbo engine capped at 64 PS under the kei rules, and the current JB64 appeared in 2018 (JDM Buy Sell, JB23 guide; Autocar India). Production dates differ a little between sources, so the build date on the Japanese export certificate is what counts for each car.

On the Big Jimny forum, a member who had researched the costs said a full import came out below the price of used UK Jimnys, and warned that Japanese and UK cars differ in specification (Big Jimny forum, November 2021). The JB23 guide above names frame rust in the rails, sills and body mounts as the first thing to inspect.

2. How much import tax does a Suzuki Jimny pay?

A 660cc petrol Jimny is a used car under the 8703 21 heading, which the UK Trade Tariff shows at 10% duty for most countries, 0% for Japan and 20% VAT. The Japan rate is not automatic: you need proof of origin, and the rule is where the car was made, not where you buy it (GOV.UK, proof of origin).

The collector’s rate under heading 9705 needs all three conditions: at least thirty years old, in its original state without substantial changes to the engine, suspension or body, and a model or type no longer in production. A lifted, re-engined or heavily modified early Jimny can lose the 5% rate.

3. What does a Japanese Jimny need to be used in the UK?

Vehicle approval depends on age. GOV.UK says a vehicle first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago might not need approval, so a JB23 can often avoid it, while a newer Jimny such as the 2018 JB64 is likely to need it (GOV.UK, vehicle approval). Tell us the first registration date and we will say where a car stands.

Japanese-market cars read in kilometres per hour. A car first used from 1 April 1984 must have a speedometer that can show both miles per hour and kilometres per hour, together or by a switch (regulation 35 of the Construction and Use Regulations). That is a job for a garage before the MOT. The customs declaration, NOVA and the DVLA forms are ours.

4. Buying in Japan: which papers do you need?

A car leaving Japan has an export certificate (the certificate of registration deletion), which dates the car for the DVLA. Japan Customs says it is valid for six months from the date of issue (Japan Customs), so the car should ship well within that time. Keep the invoice: it is the proof of what you paid.

Once the car lands, HMRC must be told through NOVA within 14 days of bringing it in, and a customs agent can do it for you (GOV.UK). The car then needs an MOT where it is due, and the DVLA registration: we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post.