Buying a car from Japan, start to finish
Four to eight weeks from deposit to your port, depending on destination and sailing schedule. Here is exactly what happens at each stage.
- 01
Set your destination, then choose
Pick your country and discharge port once, so we can quote the way you actually pay: the full cost, including ocean freight, marine insurance and any inspection your country requires.
Nothing is committed at this stage and no account is needed.
- 02
We confirm and issue a proforma invoice
Send us the stock reference. We re-confirm the unit is unsold, hold it for you, and issue a formal proforma invoice showing FOB, freight, insurance, inspection and the total payable. The invoice is valid for seven days.
Ask for undercarriage photos and the auction sheet before you commit. We send them free.
- 03
Pay a deposit to reserve
A deposit takes the vehicle off the market immediately. Pay by card for speed, or by telegraphic transfer for larger amounts. For bank transfers you upload the SWIFT copy and we confirm receipt as soon as the funds clear.
Deposits are typically $500 to $2,000 depending on the value of the unit.
- 04
Inspection and vessel booking
Where your destination requires pre-shipment inspection (JEVIC, QISJ or equivalent) we arrange it and send you the certificate. Then we book space on the next suitable sailing, RoRo or container depending on what you chose.
We tell you the vessel name and estimated departure as soon as it is fixed.
- 05
Settle the balance, receive documents
Once the vehicle is loaded we issue the Bill of Lading. On final payment we courier the original B/L, export certificate, commercial invoice and inspection certificate to you or direct to your clearing agent.
Scanned copies go out the same day so your agent can start clearance early.
- 06
Track and collect
Follow the vessel to arrival. Your clearing agent presents the original documents at the port, pays local duty and VAT, and releases the vehicle to you.
Duty and port charges are set by your customs authority and are not included in our quote.
What the landed price includes
We quote every car landed (CIF) at the port you choose: one figure made of four parts, so you compare cars the way you pay for them.
- FOB price
- The car's price in Japan, delivered to the port and loaded on the vessel.
- Ocean freight
- Priced on the car's size and the route it sails, by RoRo or container, to the port you choose.
- Marine insurance
- 1.5% of the FOB price, at least $45. Strongly recommended, and yours to leave out.
- Pre-shipment inspection
- Where your country requires it (JEVIC or equivalent), arranged by us in Japan before the car sails.
Not included: import duty, VAT and other taxes, port handling and clearing in your country. Your customs authority sets them and your clearing agent pays them at the port. For a country we have no freight rates to yet, we quote the FOB Japan price, and freight, insurance and inspection to your port on WhatsApp before any payment.
RoRo or container?
Both are quoted on every vehicle. Neither is universally cheaper. It depends on the volume of the unit and the route.
Roll-on / Roll-off (RoRo)
The vehicle is driven onto a purpose-built car carrier. Usually cheapest for a single vehicle, and the fastest to discharge at the other end.
- · Best for one unit at a time
- · No personal effects may be left inside
- · Slightly higher exposure to handling marks
Container
The vehicle is sealed inside a 20ft or 40ft container. Better protection, and the per-unit rate drops sharply when two or more vehicles share a 40ft box.
- · Best value for two or more units
- · Fully protected from weather and handling
- · Adds a few days for loading and devanning
Paying safely
Card deposit
Fast and secure for the reservation deposit. Processed by Stripe; we never see your card details.
Telegraphic transfer (T/T)
The standard route for the balance. Our bank details appear on the proforma invoice; upload your SWIFT copy and we confirm on clearance.
What we never do
We will never ask you to send money to a personal account, or to an account whose name differs from the one on your invoice. If you ever see that, stop and call us.
Transit times and import rules by country
Freight, insurance and inspection are already included in the price we send you, quoted to your port. These are the sailing times and import rules to plan around.
| Country | Landed at | Sailing time | Age limit | Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | ~30 days | 8 years | Not required | |
| Tanzania | ~32 days | None | Not required | |
| Uganda | ~30 days | 15 years | Not required | |
| Zambia | ~32 days | None | Not required | |
| Zimbabwe | ~38 days | None | Not required | |
| Malawi | ~32 days | None | Not required | |
| Mozambique | ~40 days | None | Not required | |
| South Africa | ~38 days | None | Not required | |
| Namibia | ~42 days | None | Not required | |
| DR Congo | ~32 days | None | Not required | |
| Botswana | ~38 days | None | Not required | |
| Pakistan | ~22 days | 5 years | Not required | |
| Bangladesh | ~24 days | 5 years | Not required | |
| Sri Lanka | ~20 days | 3 years | Not required | |
| Mauritius | ~28 days | 4 years | Not required | |
| Trinidad & Tobago | ~50 days | 6 years | Not required | |
| Jamaica | ~48 days | 6 years | Not required | |
| Guyana | ~52 days | 8 years | Not required | |
| New Zealand | ~18 days | None | Not required | |
| Australia | ~20 days | None | Not required | |
| Cyprus | ~40 days | None | Not required | |
| United Kingdom | ~45 days | None | Not required |
Sailing times are from departure and indicative. Rates are indicative and confirmed on your proforma invoice. Age limits are the ones our prices apply; import rules change and have exceptions, so check with your local authority before you pay a deposit. Destination duty, VAT and port charges are excluded.
Every country we ship to
We ship to 209 countries. In our main markets, underlined, we quote the full landed cost. Everywhere else we quote the FOB Japan price, and our team adds the shipping to your port on WhatsApp.
Africa (54)
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo (Republic)
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Djibouti
- DR Congo
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Asia and the Middle East (46)
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Georgia
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
The Americas (45)
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Falkland Islands
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sint Maarten
- Suriname
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- United States
- Uruguay
- US Virgin Islands
- Venezuela
Europe (43)
- Albania
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
Oceania (21)
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Guam
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Nauru
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Niue
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
Ready to start?
Browse stock with your port already selected, or tell us your budget and let us send you three options.