The Kenya Car Shipping Resource

The 2003 deadline for cars going to Kenya is fast approaching, kindly ensure your 2003 vehicles are shipped in November ensuring they arrive well before 31st of December 2010 for a smooth clearing and registration process.

From 2011, only vehicles registered in the year 2004 and onwards will be allowed into Kenya.

Kindly call or email us if you require any further information or clarification.

Please go to our shipping page for the latest schedule on vessels going to Mombasa.

A lot of Kenyans in the Diaspora are moving back to Kenya so we felt this article will help many of those looking to take their treasured vehicle back with them.

Firstly, the regulations for exporting cars to Kenya still apply hence they still have to meet the age limit set by the government; they would still need their vehicles inspected by JEVIC and the vehicle should not be LHD. Please read more on our other post on rules and regulations for exporting cars to Kenya.

Please also find other requirements for duty free car imports as follows:

• The person must have attained the age of 18 years
• The vehicle is registered in his/her name for a period of at least 365 days excluding the shipment period.
• The vehicle should arrive within 90 days of the owners arrival
• The owner must have stayed in the foreign country for more then two years
• Within the two years that the owner has been away, they ought not to have made a visit and stayed in Kenya for a period exceeding in aggregate of 90 days. Hence if you travelled in 2009 for 60 days and then travelled in 2010 for a 60 days – in total those are 120 days and hence if this was within the past two years from when you were returning you would not meet the requirements.

Documentation required for clearing the vehicle:

• Original passport to confirm the above
• Vehicle Log book to confirm the above
• Bill of Lading
• Pre Inspection Certificate
• KRA Pin Card

As many of you may know, KRA have become very strict in their requirements and they recently published an article in the Daily Nation with respect to vehicles imported by returning residents. Please see below:

Lastly, please find a file with the East Africa Community Customs Management Act – Fifth Schedule below:

EACCMA – Fifth Schedule.pdf

As always, Auto Kenya, can be contacted at any time for further information or clarification.

Auto Kenya are often asked about the requirements for shipping a car to Kenya from the UK and we hope the following article will assist all those who are interested in doing so.

The Regulations:
8 year age limit:

Only vehicles which are registered in the past 8 years are allowed into Kenya. Please see frequently asked questions below:

• Q: In 2010, does 8 years mean 2002 cars and onwards or 2003 cars and onwards?
  A: The correct answer to this question is cars registered in the year 2003 and onwards.

• Q: So if we are in July in the year 2010, does that mean a January 2003 car would not be allowed?
  A: No, any vehicle registered in the year 2003 from January to December would be allowed as well as subsequent years i.e. 2003 and onwards

• Q: If I purchase an imported car registered in the UK in 2003 but manufactured in the year 1996, would this be allowed?
  A: No, the difference in the year of manufacture and the year of registration must not be more than one year.

Kenya Roadworthiness Inspection:

To stop un-road worthy vehicles being imported into Kenya, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has made it a requirement that all vehicles coming into Kenya must be inspected by their appointed inspection company in the foreign country prior to import to avoid being fined in Kenya for not having done an inspection.

• Q: What company shall I contact for inspections in the UK?
  A: JEVIC UK who can be reached on +44 1483 276900 – they are the only company that can carry out the inspection.

• Q:  What if I do not do the inspection?
  A:  An inspection in Kenya will be done at a fee of 15% of the CIF value as well as the importer having to execute a redeemable bond of a similar amount pending verification. Our advise would be to do it in the country of export as it is cheaper to do so.

• Q: What do JEVIC check in the inspection?
  A: A detailed list of items checked can be found on the JEVIC website at http://www.jevic.co.jp/en/activities/regulatory-inspections/kenya/

Left Hand Drive Vehicles:

With Kenya being a Right Hand Drive country, only right hand drive vehicles are allowed to be imported into Kenya