How to import a car to Kenya, step by step

Last updated 27 October 2026 · Cada car guides

To import a used car to Kenya you choose a car first registered within the last eight years (the KS 1515 age rule), pay the exporter, have it inspected for roadworthiness before shipping (QISJ does this in Japan), ship it to Mombasa, then a licensed clearing agent lodges the entry with KRA, you pay import duty, excise, VAT, IDF and RDL on KRA's CRSP-based value, and the car is registered with NTSA in your name. From Japan the whole process usually takes about two months.

Key facts
Age limit	Less than 8 years from first registration on arrival (KS 1515)
Steering	Right-hand drive only; converted vehicles are not allowed
Inspection	Pre-export roadworthiness inspection (QISJ in Japan)
Taxes	Import duty 35%, excise 20–35%, VAT 16%, IDF 2.5%, RDL 2% (KRA July 2025 template)
Customs value	KRA's CRSP list less age depreciation, not the price you paid
Port	Mombasa; entry lodged by a licensed clearing agent
Typical time from Japan	About 6–10 weeks door to door

Which years qualify now

Car arrives in Kenya in	Oldest first-registration year allowed
2026	2019
2027	2020

A car paid for today would typically arrive around 22 December 2026.

The steps

Check the car qualifies: right-hand drive, first registered within the 8-year window on the expected arrival date, and less than one year between manufacture and first registration.
Get your KRA PIN ready. You need it to clear, register and insure the car.
Choose the car from a Japanese exporter or auction and agree the price (FOB or CIF).
The car is inspected before export. In Japan the KEBS-appointed inspector is QISJ; it checks roadworthiness (and radiation for cars from Japan) and issues a Certificate of Roadworthiness. Since July 2025 KEBS also requires a car arriving without that certificate to have its export documents validated first.
The car ships roll-on/roll-off to Mombasa, usually three to five weeks at sea.
A licensed clearing agent lodges the customs entry with the bill of lading, commercial invoice, Import Declaration Form, the cancelled (de-registered) Japanese registration and the inspection certificate.
KRA assesses the taxes from its CRSP schedule. You pay them, port and shipping-line charges, and the agent's fee.
The car is registered with NTSA, number plates are issued and the logbook is in your name. Insure it before you drive.

What goes wrong most often

The car is bought in December and lands in January, when the 8-year window moves on a year. Count from the arrival date, not the purchase date.
The car arrives without a pre-export inspection certificate. KEBS then inspects at destination and the penalty rules are expensive (5% of the approved customs value under Legal Notice 78 of 2020).
The budget only covers the car and shipping. Taxes on a mid-size car are often more than the car's price in Japan.

Importing with Cada

Cada sources cars from Japanese exporters on request, checks the 8-year rule against the arrival date, and shows the full landed cost line by line (car, shipping, KRA taxes, port, clearing, registration) before you pay. The estimate uses KRA's own CRSP schedule.

Common questions

Can I import a car older than 8 years to Kenya?

Not as a normal import. KS 1515 limits used cars to less than eight years from first registration. Returning residents follow a separate KRA rule based on the year of manufacture.

Who pays for the inspection in Japan?

The importer, usually through the exporter's invoice. Ask the exporter to show the inspection fee as its own line.

Can I clear the car myself?

KRA requires the entry to be lodged by a licensed customs clearing agent, normally within 21 days of arrival.

On Cada

Sources

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority named in the sources before you pay.