Car Shipping from UK to Kenya — Mombasa Port

Kenya is one of the strictest used-vehicle import markets in Africa. Two rules dominate: vehicles must be right-hand drive (LHD imports are restricted to special-use cases), and the car must be less than eight years old at the time of arrival at Mombasa. Both rules are enforced by KEBS at the pre-shipment inspection stage, so an ineligible car will be rejected before it is even loaded in the UK.

The eight-year clock counts from the year of manufacture — not the registration date. A car manufactured in 2018 can be imported up to 31 December 2026; from 1 January 2027 it becomes ineligible. Always verify the year of manufacture from the VIN before committing to a shipment.

Every used vehicle imported into Kenya must pass a pre-shipment inspection of road-worthiness, conducted at the country of export by an approved agent — currently QISJ (QI Services Japan) for shipments out of the UK. The inspection verifies VIN, year of manufacture, RHD configuration, emissions, brakes, tyres and overall road-worthiness. A Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR) is issued, which is required for KRA clearance at Mombasa.

We arrange the QISJ inspection at our UK warehouse before the car is loaded. The CoR usually takes 5–10 working days to issue. Failing the inspection means rectifying the defects in the UK before re-presenting the car — so always confirm tyres, brakes and lights are in good order before booking the inspection.

On top of the QISJ Certificate of Roadworthiness you will need the original V5C, passport copy, bill of lading, the importer's KRA PIN, and an IDF (Import Declaration Form) lodged on the iCMS Kenya platform. Most shippers use a Mombasa-based clearing agent who handles the IDF, KRA declaration, port release and onward delivery to Nairobi.

The KRA values vehicles using the Current Retail Selling Price (CRSP) database, not the actual purchase invoice. This means the duty is largely outside your control — the CRSP for any given make and model is published, and your agent can quote the duty figure before you even ship.

Kenya's import duty regime stacks several layers. Import duty is 25% of CRSP. Excise duty is 25% for cars under 1,500cc, 35% for 1,500–2,500cc and 35% (sometimes 40%) for engines above 2,500cc — petrol or diesel. VAT is 16%. Additional levies include Import Declaration Fee (3.5%), Railway Development Levy (2%) and IDF/MERP charges.

For a typical 2017 Toyota Premio 1.8 the total duty can run to KSh 800k–KSh 1.1m on top of the CIF cost. A 2.5L Toyota Prado of the same vintage can attract KSh 2m+ in clearance. Always run a CRSP-based duty calculation with your agent before booking — Kenya is unforgiving on undercosted shipments.

UK to Mombasa is one of the longer routes — sailings transit via the Mediterranean, Suez Canal and Indian Ocean. Direct RoRo is 28–35 days port-to-port from Southampton. Container service runs 35–42 days, plus container packing in the UK.

After arrival, KRA clearance typically takes 7–14 days. Onward road haulage to Nairobi is 12–14 hours, or 8 hours on the SGR (Standard Gauge Railway), and adds £400–£700 to the landed cost.

Buy cars that fit Kenya's tax sweet spot — under 1,500cc attracts lower excise. Toyota Vitz, Mazda Demio, Honda Fit and Toyota Premio (1.5/1.8) all benefit from lower excise rates. Always check the CRSP figure before bidding at UK auction.

Plan your import around the eight-year deadline — a 2018 car shipped in September 2026 will arrive in late October 2026, leaving comfortable headroom. Cars cutting it close to the deadline risk rejection at Mombasa if there is any delay in sailing.