Import rules and regulations for Japanese used vehicles in Egypt

Japan is a pioneer in the field of automobiles. The automobile industry of the country, started from the very beginning to reach a place where it is now. The Japanese automobile industry is known not only for new vehicles, but also for used vehicles. Numerous vehicles are exported from Japan to many countries across the world. The excellent engineering and high quality features makes these vehicles popular choice among people. Day by day the popularity and the market of Japanese vehicles is increasing tremendously. The presence of many online portal sites helped in the popularity of Japanese used vehicles.

Like other countries across the world, Egypt import many Japanese used vehicles. Importing a vehicle is not a difficult process, but while importing a vehicle, importer should abide by all import regulations to clear customs smoothly. Importation of used vehicle is allowed in Egypt only for diplomats. Used vehicle imported should be under one year from its date of first registration in another country. Importation of only right hand drive vehicles is allowed in the country. Diesel vehicles are strictly prohibited in the country.

Documents required:-

• Original Certificate of Title and Registration
• Original Commercial/Purchase Invoice
• Original Passport
• Original Bill of Lading
• Certificate of Origin
• Authorization letter, locally issued in Egypt

Duties and Taxes:-

• Customs duty between 40% and 135%
• Tax varies between 10% and 35%

Duty Free Importation:-

• Expatriates working within the Egyptian Government are allowed to import vehicle duty free, provided they must guarantee re-exportation of the vehicle.
• Expatriates working for non-governmental sector are allowed to import a vehicle duty free only if the expatriate is the owner or partner of a private company/project in Egypt. In this case, duty can be covered with local bank guarantee.
  Requirements are: proof of ownership/partnership from Egyptian Investment Authority, company commercial registration documents, and taxation documents.
• With Trip ticket system, duty free importation of vehicle is allowed for a maximum period of 6 months, provided the importer should submit trip ticket documentation and plates. Once the period is over, the vehicle should be exported for at least 6 months before shipping back to Egypt again. Licensing fees is only applicable on these vehicles.

Shipping ports:-
Major shipping ports for used vehicles in Egypt are El Iskandariya (Alexandria), Port Said and Damietta. RoRo (Roll-on Roll-off) shipping port is the common shipping method for vehicle shipment. However, on request of customers, more expensive yet safe shipment called container shipment method is used for vehicle shipment.