Importing a car from japan? any tips?

OtakuHunter said:
Bump on this. Does anyone know if I can Register a car without having to insure it? I'm importing a car from Japan, I want to register it first and then insure it/tax it etc. Is this possible?

Cheers
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Dont think so. Just insure the car on the Vin number. Its fairly pain free. :)
 
just a bit of a bump of an old thread,

just trying to nail down all fees, specifically on this side,

so say i paid all of the shipping and cost of buying the car etc to the import company in japan,

when its close to arriving i get a letter saying its arriving blah blah

i go and pay import duty and vat,

what else should i expect to pay at say, Liverpool docks? is there a handling fee? admin fee? roll-on, roll-off fee etc basically im trying to work out how much money i will need on this end when i go pick it up

then 175 quid to register it after i paid 50 to get it MOT'd?

am i missing anything? any help from experianced people would be great :)
 
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All I had to pay was import tax and vat but kleerfreight handled all that for me before I got to the docks, I just took in the paperwork to collect the car.

I can't remember the exact figure but registration wasn't a lot it just needs taxbuying at the same time.
 
mpls24 said:
All I had to pay was import tax and vat but kleerfreight handled all that for me before I got to the docks, I just took in the paperwork to collect the car.

I can't remember the exact figure but registration wasn't a lot it just needs taxbuying at the same time.
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how much did kleerfreight charge out of interest?
 
Hey guys,

I just read that entire thread and it has enlightened me and relieved my nerves.

So I turned 30 last year and I realised I hadnt owned every japanese car I ever wanted when I was young. Engage mid life crises mode. So over last 14 months Ive bought and sold another S14(because they are fun), an rx8 and a 350z. But turning 31 last month I thought Ive never had an evo. It's like my favourite childhood car....I know I know, not steer from the rear but I need to satisfy the urge!!!

So went looking around at a few and found that they are all fucking rust buckets, high mileage over- priced shit heaps. Enter mid life crises mode again and tradecar view. Just purchased and Evo 5 for £6K to Newcastle with 57k km and very clean(rust free!!!).

Now Ive imported a car from Ireland before and I know about the certificate of conformity but when I went looking for one online for my car it said that mitsubishi may not be able to get one...fucking shock horror!! Images of an evo rotting away and never a number plate. I am so glad that I found this thread and now knowing that over ten years old it really doesnt matter.

Also some good advice here so I say...cheers lads and keep the rear out ;)
 
This is a helpful thread.

I am looking for a garage/MOT near the docks in Southampton as I plan to get my car off the boat get its rear foglight fitted and MOT but I am struggling to find out who can do this?

Thanks
 
naf123 said:
This is a helpful thread.

I am looking for a garage/MOT near the docks in Southampton as I plan to get my car off the boat get its rear foglight fitted and MOT but I am struggling to find out who can do this?

Thanks
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Any reason why you want to do this? Are you in southampton?

There is a garage near the docks that will carry out the conversion work for you that are recommended by a couple of importers i will try and find out the name of the company

My new car arrives 6th July im just insuring it on the chasis number and then driving it to my local MOT station in Sussex where they will do the conversion and MOT
 
blue32 said:
Any reason why you want to do this? Are you in southampton?

There is a garage near the docks that will carry out the conversion work for you that are recommended by a couple of importers i will try and find out the name of the company

My new car arrives 6th July im just insuring it on the chasis number and then driving it to my local MOT station in Sussex where they will do the conversion and MOT
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I am in London. I dont want to drive the car without plates (despite what people saying its OK), and I don't want to ship the car to London.

I want to get the basics done , MOT, rear foglight and DVLA plates and then when I collect it, I can drive it home where I can do further work. Very simple job. But not sure who where or what.

Thanks
 
I think it's sensible not to be driving through London without plates as there is ANPR everywhere and I think the police would take a very dim view...

As for getting it road legal, you've covered the main ones, rear fog, MOT etc. Mine is a J-reg import that came in 2005 and I think it was just registered under the VIN and away you go. Pretty hassle free. :D
 
It's a bit of a process so be prepared for it. You can call around to different companies and they should give you a cost estimate for free. As you do this, be looking out for not just a good price, but a company that can answer all your questions. Things like import taxes, harmonization laws, insurance, and shipping timeframe should all be covered. I've shipped internationally before (using these guys: https://www.a1autotransport.com/) and it's also not a bad idea to check with local government agencies that oversee import/export of vehicles to double check that the shippers have it right. I'd also recommend talking to 3 or 4 before making a decision.
 
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