Importing from Japan

You’ll usually get an email from the shipping agency letting you know your vessel is landing in 2 weeks time or 10 days or whatever. You then contact a customs broker who will clear the car from customs on your behalf.

You just email them the bill of lading, invoice, export cert, proof of payment, screenshot of auction selling price. They will tell you how much you owe and you transfer the money. I can give you a contact for this if you want.

Paying the shipping agency and customs broker is around €200

From there you just wait a few days after the boat lands and your car will usually be cleared. Your given a SAD document and your car is released and can be collected. You just arrive and give your name and it will be on the system that your car is cleared. Best to print to SAD document as this is your proof that its been cleared.

Also just to let you know, if you have only just bought the car recently it probably won’t ship in the next week. I’m having cars sitting at the docks for 6 weeks before they ship. Container prices have increased so everyone is using RoRo now

This is the customs clearance crowd that I use, they charge me €80 per car. Just contact them once you get an arrival date of your boat. They won’t be able to help until the boat has an arrival date

https://carclear.ie/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj-aR6on-8gIVQrTtCh28GA21EAAYASAAEgKXqfD_BwE

Best of luck with your new purchase. Can I ask if you used an agent or done the whole auction process yourself?

Makes no difference if its a hybrid or not. The battery will die on any car coming from Japan. A simple jump start will solve it

No wonder the prices remain high

Is it really worth the hassle

as if are there serious savings to be made by cutting out the middle man?

I’ve noticed most of the jap imports have the basic trim level on DD and Adverts.ie etc

Yes. You can buy lots of stuff simply not available here.

Carfromjapan is one of my favorite websites to browse and ponder. Especially in the vintage section and the sub 3k all in section, some really odd yokes turn up. I'm really liking the kei trucks!

I've imported from the US before but not from Japan.