How do you import a car from Japan to Zambia, and what does it cost? (2026)
Last reviewed by AVON INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD., licensed USS member dealer (card L-1525)
Zambia charges 25% customs duty and 20% excise (30% above 1,500 cc) on the CIF value of a used car, then 16% VAT on CIF plus duty and excise. Together that adds about 68% of CIF for a car up to 1,500 cc and about 80% above it. ZRA assesses most used cars from fixed Kwacha amounts in its specific duty schedule. Cars must be right-hand drive; there is no age ban.
Worked example: a 2016 Honda Fit 1.3 L costs about 251,000 to 274,000 ZMW (US$12,600 to US$13,800) delivered to Lusaka, at exchange rates of 14 October 2026.
Car import duty calculator for Zambia
Zambia drives on the left and imports right-hand-drive cars, so Japanese auction stock fits the steering rule as built. There is no outright age ban on used imports, which keeps older cars available, but tax still rises with engine size. The country is landlocked. Cars from Japan are normally landed at Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and driven or trucked about 1,860 km to Lusaka, either straight to a buyer or to the Lusaka inland container depot. The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) requires the import declaration to be lodged in ASYCUDA World before the car arrives, at least 5 days ahead of the vessel since May 2024. For used cars ZRA publishes a specific duty schedule: fixed Kwacha amounts by vehicle type, age and engine size that bundle customs duty, excise, VAT and processing fees into one figure, updated periodically. A carbon emission surtax is charged separately. The car is inspected in Japan before shipping, and the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) issues a fitness certificate before registration.
Can you import a used car from Japan to Zambia?
- Steering
- Right-hand drive only
- Age limit
- No outright age ban. Vehicles over 5 years old pay a 20% Motor Vehicle Surtax on CIF in addition to customs duty and excise. ZRA uses a Specific Duty Rates schedule (fixed ZMW lump sums by type/age/engine cc) for used cars that bundles customs duty, excise duty, VAT (16%), motor vehicle fee, and ASYCUDA processing fee into a single figure — the carbon emission surtax is charged separately. Transit via Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (road ~1,860 km to Lusaka). JEVIC pre-shipment inspection mandatory.
- Inspection
- JEVIC pre-shipment inspection (done in Japan before shipping); RTSA fitness certificate on arrival in Zambia
- Special rules
- ZRA publishes a Specific Duty Rates schedule for used motor vehicles (ZMW lump sums by type/age/engine). Rates are updated periodically (last update November 2024). Hybrid/electric vehicles assessed at reduced rates. ZRA pre-clearance via ASYCUDA World required at least 5 days before vessel arrival (since May 2024).
- Entry ports
- Lusaka ICD (via Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)
How do you import a car from Japan to Zambia, step by step?
Check the car's engine size and the ZRA schedule
Engine size sets the excise band, 20% up to 1,500 cc and 30% above. Look up the car's type, age and engine size in the current ZRA specific duty schedule before buying.
Register a ZRA TPIN
Import declarations need the importer's Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN) from ZRA. Register before the car ships.
Buy the car and pass inspection in Japan
After purchase the Japanese registration is cancelled and an export certificate is issued. The car is inspected before shipping (JEVIC), and the certificate travels with the shipping documents.
Ship to Dar es Salaam and pre-clear with ZRA
The car is shipped to Dar es Salaam. The clearing agent lodges the Zambian declaration in ASYCUDA World at least 5 days before the vessel arrives.
Transit through Tanzania to the Zambian border
The car moves under a Tanzanian transit entry by road to the Zambian border and on to Lusaka. Port charges at Dar es Salaam and the haul are paid separately from Zambian taxes.
Pay the specific duty and carbon surtax
ZRA assesses the specific duty for the car's type, age and engine size, plus the carbon emission surtax. The car is released once payment is confirmed.
Get an RTSA fitness certificate and register the car
RTSA inspects the car, issues a fitness certificate and registers it, issuing Zambian number plates and a registration certificate.
Documents checklist
- Commercial invoice from the seller in Japan
- Japanese export certificate with English translation
- Pre-shipment inspection certificate (JEVIC)
- Original bill of lading showing Zambia as final destination
- Importer's ZRA Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN)
- ASYCUDA World import declaration lodged before arrival
- Tanzanian transit documents
- Proof of payment of specific duty and carbon emission surtax
- RTSA fitness certificate and registration application
What import duties and taxes does Zambia charge?
| Tax | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Customs duty | 25% | CIF value |
| Excise duty (engine cc) | 20%–30% by engine size | CIF value |
| VAT | 16% | CIF + duty + earlier taxes |
Customs duty
Rate: 25%. Charged on: CIF value.
Excise duty (engine cc)
Rate: 20% up to 1,500 cc; 30% above 1,500 cc. Charged on: CIF value.
VAT
Rate: 16%. Charged on: CIF + duty + earlier taxes.
On the value-based method used in the table, customs duty is 25% of CIF and excise is 20% of CIF for engines up to 1,500 cc and 30% above. VAT of 16% is charged on CIF plus customs duty plus excise. For most used cars ZRA does not work from the invoice: it publishes a specific duty schedule, last revised in 2024, that sets a fixed Kwacha amount for each vehicle type, age band and engine size. That amount bundles customs duty, excise, VAT, the motor vehicle fee and the ASYCUDA processing fee, so the real assessment can differ from a value-based estimate in either direction. The schedule treats hybrid and electric cars more favourably. A carbon emission surtax is charged on top, and RTSA registration fees are separate.
How much does it cost to import a car from Japan to Zambia?
| Car (year, engine) | FOB Japan | CIF Lusaka ICD (via Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) | Duties & taxes | Door-to-door, low to high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Honda Fit 1.3 L | US$4,140 | US$6,780 | US$4,62068% of CIF | ZMW 251,000 – 274,000US$12,600 – US$13,800 |
| 2017 Toyota Aqua 1.5 L hybrid | US$8,740 | US$11,400 | US$7,76068% of CIF | ZMW 405,000 – 428,000US$20,300 – US$21,500 |
| 2019 Toyota RAV4 2.0 L | US$22,700 | US$25,900 | US$20,60080% of CIF | ZMW 953,000 – 979,000US$47,900 – US$49,200 |
Assumptions: typical auction price for the model and year plus ¥70,000 export costs (FOB), route freight from −12% to +15%, port and clearing charges from the dataset, inland delivery to Lusaka. Customs assesses the final duty, sometimes on its own valuation.
Zambia has complex or fast-changing import taxes, so this is an indicative range only. Customs may assess a different amount.
How long does shipping take, and which ports?
| Port | Method | Transit (days) | Freight from (sedan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lusaka ICD (via Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) | RoRo or container | 30–45 | US$2,600 |
| Dar es Salaam + inland to Lusaka | RoRo or container | 34–55 | US$2,500 |
Cars for Zambia are landed at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and continue overland.
Road distance from Dar es Salaam to Lusaka is about 1,860 km, so the overland haul is a large share of shipping cost.
Which Japanese cars are popular in Zambia?
- Models and prices
Toyota Corolla Axio
A 1.5-litre sedan in the 20% excise band, widely used in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt.
- Models and prices
Honda Fit
A 1.3 or 1.5-litre hatchback, also sold as a hybrid. The petrol versions stay in the 20% excise band.
- Models and prices
Toyota Aqua
A 1.5-litre hybrid hatchback with low fuel use. Hybrids are assessed at reduced rates in the ZRA schedule.
- Models and prices
Suzuki Swift
A 1.2-litre hatchback that is cheap to run and stays in the lower excise band.
- Models and prices
Toyota RAV4
A 2.0-litre SUV sold in Japan again from 2019. Above 1,500 cc it pays 30% excise.
How much is inland delivery to cities in Zambia?
| City | From port | Sedan | SUV / wagon | Extra days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lusaka | dar-es-salaam | US$1,040 | US$1,300 | 9 |
| Kitwe | dar-es-salaam | US$970 | US$1,210 | 9 |
| Ndola | dar-es-salaam | US$950 | US$1,190 | 9 |
| Livingstone | dar-es-salaam | US$1,230 | US$1,540 | 9 |
| Chingola | dar-es-salaam | US$970 | US$1,210 | 9 |
| Kabwe | dar-es-salaam | US$1,000 | US$1,250 | 9 |
How do you avoid scams when buying a car from Japan?
- Check that the exporter is a registered Japanese company: look up its corporate number and address, and prefer members of the Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporters Association.
- Ask for the original auction sheet and, after purchase, the export certificate. Both name the chassis number, which should match the invoice.
- Pay only to a company bank account in the exporter's name, never to a personal account or a money-transfer agent.
AVON INTERNATIONAL company and licence details are on the About page, and the JUMVEA member list is public. JUMVEA (exporters association) · About AVON INTERNATIONAL · Is buying a car from Japan safe?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of importing a car from Japan to Zambia?
- Taxes add about 68% of CIF for a car up to 1,500 cc and about 80% above, on the value-based method: 25% duty, 20–30% excise and 16% VAT. ZRA's fixed specific duty can differ. Shipping and the Dar es Salaam haul are extra.
- How is duty on used cars calculated in Zambia?
- For most used cars ZRA charges a fixed Kwacha amount from its specific duty schedule, set by vehicle type, age and engine size. It bundles duty, excise, VAT and fees into one figure.
- Is there an age limit for importing a car to Zambia?
- No. Zambia has no outright age ban on used cars. Age does change the amount in the ZRA specific duty schedule.
- How much excise does a car pay in Zambia?
- 20% of CIF for engines up to 1,500 cc and 30% above. That makes a 1.5-litre car noticeably cheaper to clear than a 2.0-litre SUV.
- Which port do cars for Zambia come through?
- Usually Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, then about 1,860 km by road to Lusaka. Allow about 30 to 55 days from Japan in total.
- Do I need to pre-clear a car with ZRA before it arrives?
- Yes. Since May 2024 the import declaration must be lodged in ASYCUDA World at least 5 days before the vessel arrives.
- Does Zambia require inspection of cars from Japan?
- Yes. The car is inspected in Japan before shipping (JEVIC), and RTSA issues a fitness certificate in Zambia before registration.
- What is the carbon emission surtax in Zambia?
- A separate surtax on motor vehicles, charged on top of the specific duty when the car is cleared. It is a small amount compared with the duty itself.
- Are hybrid cars cheaper to import to Zambia?
- Usually. ZRA assesses hybrid and electric vehicles at reduced rates in its specific duty schedule.
- Where do Japanese used cars for sale in Zambia come from?
- Most are bought at auctions in Japan and shipped to Dar es Salaam and then by road to Zambia, by local dealers or by buyers importing directly. A buyer who imports directly pays the customs duty, excise and VAT shown on this page.
- Is there a car import tax calculator for Zambia?
- Yes. The calculator at the end of this page applies the ZRA customs duty, excise and VAT to the car, year, engine size and city you choose, using the same rates as the tables above.
Sources
- Zambia Revenue Authority — Specific duty rates for used motor vehicles (PDF) — checked 15 October 2026
- Road Transport and Safety Agency — checked 15 October 2026
- Tanzania Ports Authority — checked 15 October 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Zambia, Other taxes (VAT) — checked 15 October 2026
Car import duty calculator for Zambia
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Estimate only. Duties are assessed by customs on arrival, freight rates move, and rules change. Check current figures before you buy.