The BIG thread on how to import from Japan

I read some of the posts here that you need to pay vat for cars imported from Japan. Doesn't the Japan and EU free trade agreement which should take the vat away?

Thanks...thought was too good to be true.

For example if I buy a car in Japan for €30,000 and ship for about €800, then I need to pay 10% of cost of car + shipping along with 23% of cos lt of car + shopping, which is then around another €10,000 totalling about €40,000 and then the VRT on top, is that correct?

That the worst about the first post in this thread. It a good post guiding you what to do but it was 11 years ago and prices have all gone up since then along with shipping costs.

The OP paid less then 3 grand for a car that worth significantly more now.

Is the customs Duty now 3.8% on jdm cars?

But let's say you went to Japan and paid for the car in cash, how would they then calculate n check the vat?

Jesus that's a bit extreme. You think they'd sort out the paper work themselves(not talking about Japanese paper work but somehow slide the system since they are the system) and sell on the cars. There was probably some great cars gone to the crusher over the years.

Yes, but they will also check the OMSP and query why yours cost half of that or to a reasonable amount

Not saying bought by auction but if one was physically in Japan and did that...would that work?

User1998 I see you post here on a lot and just want to ask you a question if that's okay, Wanting to import in a gt86 manual now the thing is that they don't list the jap 86 manual but they have the automatic listed and they have the UK gt86 manual/automatic listed.. Im just a bit worried of what type of figure they'd give me on a budget aswell as is and unsure..

cheers

hello, thanks for the help previously, my car is successfully loaded in the container with the rest of our goods and on the way, hopefully by mid March it will arrive.

i have sorted out all the paper work and am aware of the necessary steps here in Ireland, the only open question I have is: once the container is unloaded they will deliver the goods to our house but the car I need to pickup from their warehouse. How can I bring this legally to the nearest NCT center? A friend here said he just rode his plateless motor bike from port to the center, no questions asked.. can I apply for temp plates or something? The car has no plates, unregistered in Japan etc..

in Japan I attached temp plates and could drive a pre registered route from house to container load point etc.. anything similar? Or would I need to get a flatbed to transport it etc?? Thanks

What agent?

Customs? This is under a ToR import, I have a company here in Ireland that will receive the container and do the customs stuff etc but when I asked them this question they didn’t mention temp plates being possible etc.

No duty once it's over 30, and VRT will be a flat €200

Any chance for a picture of what these temp plates would look like? Are we talking about the plates with a red diagonal? These are the Japanese “仮ナンバー” that I also used to bring the car to customs after deregistering it in Japan.

Or carne plates? Our something else?

thanks

just use the last reg of the car, it could be the temp or the reg you were issued when driving around japan, both are probably on the de-reg cert.

That’s incorrect. The car needs to be exported from Japan and unregistered before export, else customs will not approve. Under ToR you need the export certificate from Japan.. so, before exporting it you need to unregistered it. For ToR I need to show proof it was in use (maintenance slips/insurance certificate etc) for more than 6 months and that we lived in Japan for more than 1 year, both no problems as we actually used it..