Import Process Guide
Every step, from Japan, to your driveway in Nairobi.
Where your
vehicle comes
from.
We source vehicles primarily through the Japanese dealer auctions, the primary marketplace where every
exporter in Japan acquires used vehicles before they reach the rest of the world.
Daily listings run between 15,000 and 40,000 units, and over 100,000 units weekly, spanning everything
from a Toyota Probox to a Rolls-Royce.
The highest
quality
available.
Japan operates one of the most rigorous vehicle inspection regimes in the world, known as Shaken. These regulations require regular, thorough mechanical inspections and effectively prevent the mileage tampering and concealed accident history that are common risks in other used car markets.
The country's general maintenance culture reinforces this. Japanese owners service their vehicles meticulously. When you purchase through us, you are not buying from a secondary market. You are accessing the source, which also means better pricing.
It's all on the auction sheet.
Every vehicle sold at auction comes with an inspection sheet covering exterior and interior grades,
mechanical concerns, including exhaust smoke, warning lights, and gearbox behaviour, and every scratch,
dent, repainted panel, or replaced part. Accident repairs are declared. Mileage tampering is flagged.
This gives us a more accurate picture of a vehicle than a physical walkaround in Kenya ever could.
We also commission an independent inspection on the ground in Japan before bidding, to confirm
the car matches the sheet.
What it costs,
to get
to your door.
Before we begin, we take time to understand exactly what you need: how you'll use the vehicle,
your preferred make and model, key specifications, and your budget. From there we look across both
auction listings and ready stock in Japan to find the right unit.
For auction units, we pull recent auction data to set realistic price expectations, then calculate the full
landed cost to your door. You know exactly what your budget can deliver before you commit.
How we handle payments.
Starts the search.
Due before shipment.
Due on arrival in Mombasa.
Once you're comfortable with the numbers, a deposit confirms your intent and frees us to move when the right car
appears.
From this point, we share shortlisted options from live auctions and ready stock in Japan. Nothing is purchased
without your approval.
Prefer direct control of the transaction? You can pay the Japanese exporter and settle your KRA import duty
directly.
Tokyo Select steps back to facilitation only. Same process, same result, your hands on the money throughout.
We won the bid. Now to export.
Mombasa
to your door.
Once the vessel docks in Mombasa, we manage everything required to bring the vehicle out of the Container Freight Station: duty processing and payment, registration, logbook and number plate processing, and port clearance.
At this stage, we will ask you to arrange insurance before the vehicle can be released from the CFS, we will remind you in good time. Once cleared, we transport the vehicle to Nairobi by car carrier, prepare it for handover, and deliver it to your door.
Seven to nine
weeks.
Your vehicle
is at auction
right now.
Tell us your budget and the car you want. We'll pull the numbers, find the right unit, and handle every step from bid to your driveway.
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