UK Vehicle Exporters > Import Cars to Kenya

Vehicle Import / Export to Kenya

UK Vehicle Exporters has been exporting new and used vehicles to Kenya for many years. Before you decide to import a car into Kenya, there three basic rules you need to be aware of, which you can fully review in our page regarding guidance on importation of vehicles to Kenya. In summary:

 * The vehicle should not be more than 8 years old, and this is a very strict law as stipulated by the Kenya Bureau of Standards KS1515:2000. Cars older than 8 years old will be destroyed.

 * The car imported in Kenya must be the Right-hand drive, as Left-hand drive vehicles are not allowed for registration unless under very special circumstances.

 * The vehicle must pass a safety and mechanical inspection by by QISJ (Quality Inspection Services Japan) who are authorised by Kenya Bureau of Standards to inspect vehicles. The cost of inspection by QISJ is set by KEBS at £200.

Subject to the above, you can export any vehicle you wish from the UK, and we are able to supply ANY motor vehicle available in the UK market, at very competitive prices. If you wish to export a vehicle from the UK, the following are the steps that you will need to undertake:

Stage 1 – About us?

You will need to find a reliable and credible car supplier and exporter. Our staff have over 17 years’ worth of experience in the shipping and export industry. We specialise in the supply and shipping new and used vehicles from the UK, for clients worldwide, including private individuals, international car dealers, governments, NGOs, Embassies (including US embassy in Nairobi), & other commercial organisations worldwide. We are also recognised and listed in the UK Government’s Department for International Trade, for our vehicle export services.

Stage 2 – Car Selection

There are various ways that you can express your interest in exporting a vehicle from the UK.

1) You can search our online database, select a vehicle and submit a request for a shipping quotation to Kenya.

2) If you cannot find a vehicle on our website that matches your requirements, you may get in touch with us by phone, emails, or online enquiry, to order you specific vehicle. We would need you to provide details of the vehicle you want, such as its make, model, year of manufacture, colour, transmission, engine size, etc. We would then provide you with several vehicles from either our database or vehicles or our network of car dealers across the country. We usually respond to requests within minutes.

3) In this internet age, we appreciate that you may also do your own research for vehicles online through avenues in addition to our website. You may locate another vehicle through another UK car dealer, a private seller, or another UK car website. In that case, we can act as your agent, and inspect, negotiate, purchase, and ship the vehicle to you. This would safeguard your money since we will first ensure that it is not a fraudulent sale or a stolen car, or one that has been written off and is being sold as a lemon. We would simply need the details of the seller to initiate this process and our fees can be found in our page regarding buying a vehicle in the UK on your behalf (see menu).

Stage 3 – Vehicle Identified

Once there is an agreement on the vehicle you wish to export, we will send you pictures and video walkthrough so that you can be satisfied of the vehicle you are purchasing. If it is a vehicle that you have found online, we will send you the inspection and background reports.

Stage 4 – Booking and Invoicing

If you are happy to proceed with the purchase and export of the vehicle following the reports and pictures, we would then issue you with a proforma invoice for the vehicle and shipping costs. We would need your full name, address, contacts, and one form of government issued ID, which we will need for customs declarations.

Stage 5 – Payment

When you have received the invoice from us, you will need to make payment promptly, as vehicles cannot be reserved for a prolonged period of time unless funds are received from you. We accept most payment methods, but payment by bank transfer is preferable.

Stage 6 – Shipping and Export

Once payment is received, we will start making arrangements for the collection and/or delivery of the vehicle to the port. We will make sure it is cleaned and fully tested before being loaded onto the ship, and we would send you pictures of the vehicle and mileage when being loaded into the ship. The vessel would then depart with your vehicle destined for the next stop in Mombasa.

Step 7 – Customs Clearance & Documentation

We would submit customs declarations to Her Majesty’s revenue service, we would prepare insurance if you pay for this, we would prepare shipping documentation which include the Bill of Lading, then we would collate all these documents and ship them to you by tracjked DHL which takes about 3 days to get to Kenya, well in advance of the ships arrival. These are the documents your agent will need to clear the vehicle when it gets to Mombasa. If you do not have an agent, we can recommend our Kenya (Mombnasa) Clearing Agents who we have worked with for many years, and they would be able to give you a competitive quote and clear you vehicle very swiftly upon its arrival in Mombasa.

IMPORTATION OF DUTY FREE CARS INTO KENYA

  • The importer should have attained the age of 18 years
  • The importer should have resided outside Kenya for at least 2 years
  • The importers should not have resided in Kenya for 90 days or more within the 2 years before returning to Kenya.
  • The motor vehicle should be imported within 90 days from the importer’s arrival
  • The motor vehicle should be personally owned and registered in the importer’s name or spouse’s name.
  • The importer should have used the motor vehicle to be imported for at least twelve months prior to the importation.
  • The motor vehicle should meet the Kenya standard code of practice for inspection of road vehicles ( KS 1515 : 2000 – code):  a) The motor vehicle should not be over eight years old; b) The motor vehicle should be a right-hand drive except for special purpose vehicles.

TEMPORARY IMPORTATION OF DUTY FREE CARS INTO KENYA (NON-KENYAN RESIDENTS WISHING TO USE PERSONAL VEHICLE)

  • The motor vehicle owner is exempt from liability to Import Duty.
  • The motor vehicle owner is to deposit given security for the amount of import duty payable on the vehicle.
  • The motor vehicle owner is to submit temporary importation papers
  • A pass sheet or any other similar importation documents issued under guarantee of an authorized association in respect of the motor vehicle.
  • Motor vehicles should be re-exported within such a period not exceeding twelve months from the date of importation.

IMPORTATION OF DUTY FREE CARS INTO KENYA

  • The importer should have attained the age of 18 years
  • The importer should have resided outside Kenya for at least 2 years
  • The importers should not have resided in Kenya for 90 days or more within the 2
    years before returning to Kenya.
  • The motor vehicle should be imported within 90 days from the importer’s arrival
  • The motor vehicle should be personally owned and registered in the importer’s
    name or spouse’s name.
  • The importer should have used the motor vehicle to be imported for at least
    twelve months prior to the importation.
  • The motor vehicle should meet the Kenya standard code of practice for inspection
    of road vehicles ( KS 1515 : 2000 – code)
    a) The motor vehicle should not be over eight years old
    b) The motor vehicle should be a right-hand drive except for special purpose
    vehicles.

TEMPORARY IMPORTATION OF DUTY FREE CARS INTO KENYA (NON-KENYAN RESIDENTS WISHING TO USE PERSONAL VEHICLE)

  • The motor vehicle owner is exempt from liability to Import Duty.
  • The motor vehicle owner is to deposit given security for the amount of import
  • duty payable on the vehicle.
  • The motor vehicle owner is to submit temporary importation papers (Carnet
  • de Passage en Douane)
  • A pass sheet or any other similar importation documents issued under
  • guarantee of an authorized association in respect of the motor vehicle.
  • Motor vehicles should be re-exported within such a period not exceeding
  • twelve months from the date of importation.
Compare