Importing a car from Japan to Ireland is a well-worn path — thousands of vehicles make the trip every year — but most explanations online either oversimplify it into “just pay VRT” or bury you in forum threads. Here’s the process from purchase to plates, in the order it actually happens, with the costs split out by what they’re actually for.
The six stages, in order
1. Choose the vehicle
Japanese vehicles sold through auction come with an auction sheet: a standardised condition report an inspector fills out before the car goes to auction, using a grade like 4.5 / B — a number for exterior condition, a letter for interior condition. This is the single most useful piece of information you’ll get before the car ships, because you won’t see it in person until it lands. Read the grade, not just the photos.
2. Purchase and export paperwork
Once a vehicle is bought — at auction, from a dealer’s stock, or from a private seller — it has to be deregistered from Japan’s domestic registry before it can be exported. This produces an export certificate, which you’ll need at the other end for Irish customs and, later, for NCT pre-registration.
3. Shipping
Most cars travel by RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) from a Japanese port — Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka are the common ones — to a European port, then on to Ireland. Transit is typically 6–8 weeks door to port, though it varies by sailing schedule and season. Container shipping is also used, usually for higher-value or modified vehicles, at a higher cost.
4. Customs clearance
This is where the EU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement matters: passenger cars imported from Japan are duty-free. You still pay 23% VAT, but it’s charged on the CIF value — the vehicle price plus shipping and insurance — not on some inflated “market value.” A lot of older guides still quote pre-2019 duty rates; if a calculator is charging you customs duty on a Japanese car, it’s out of date.
5. VRT and the NCT import inspection
This is the step that trips people up, because it’s charged on a different number than customs. Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) is calculated as a percentage of the OMSP — Revenue’s estimate of what the car would sell for on the Irish market — not what you paid for it in Japan. The percentage itself depends on the car’s WLTP CO2 emissions band, from 7% at the low end up to 41% for the highest emitters. By law, you must present the vehicle for its NCT VRT inspection within 30 days of arrival in the State.
6. Registration
Once VRT is paid, the car is registered and issued Irish plates. From here it’s a normal Irish-registered vehicle — insurance, motor tax, and NCT on the usual schedule apply from that point.
What it actually costs
Because duty, VAT, and VRT are each charged on a different base value, adding them up by hand is where most estimates go wrong. Our Ireland landed cost calculator keeps the four numbers separate — vehicle price, shipping, VAT, and VRT — so you can see exactly where each euro goes instead of trusting one blended figure.
Frequently asked
Do I pay customs duty on a car from Japan?
No. Passenger cars from Japan are duty-free under the EU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which has been in force since February 2019.
Is VRT based on what I paid for the car?
No — VRT is based on OMSP, Revenue’s estimate of the car’s value on the Irish market, not your Japan purchase price or your total landed cost.
How long does the whole process take?
Budget roughly 8–12 weeks from purchase to plates: sourcing and export paperwork, 6–8 weeks of shipping, then customs clearance and the NCT VRT appointment, which must happen within 30 days of arrival.