Importing a car from Japan
The partnership agreement between the EU and Japan phased out the duty on cars over seven years. The final step came on 1 February 2026. Without a statement on origin from the exporter it is ten per cent, unless you can prove the origin yourself.
The phase-out is complete
The agreement entered into force on 1 February 2019 and the duty on passenger cars was reduced one step every year. This year it reached zero.
- 2019 to 2024
- The duty came down from 8,8 to 2,5 per cent, one step each year on 1 February.
- 1 February 2025
- One point three per cent.
- 1 February 2026
- Zero per cent, with no end date. That is the rate in force today.
- Without proven origin
- Ten per cent. That is the third country rate, unchanged since 1994.
The duty rate over time
That means any text on importing cars from Japan written before February 2026 gives the wrong figure, even if it was correct when it was written. Check the date on what you are reading.
The zero rate is not something you receive. It is claimed in the declaration, and without the exporter's proof you have to prove the origin yourself.
The proof that decides
Japan differs from most agreements the EU has. There is only one certificate, and it is the exporter who writes it. The alternative, importer's knowledge, requires you to show yourself that the car meets the rules of origin.
- What counts
- A statement on origin from the Japanese exporter. It does not need to be signed.
- What does not count
- EUR.1. Movement certificates are explicitly excluded in trade with Japan.
- The alternative
- Importer's knowledge, if you can show yourself that the goods meet the rules of origin.
- Validity
- Twelve months for proofs of origin from Japan.
Proof of origin on import from Japan
The practical problem is that Japanese used car exports largely go to markets that require no proof of origin. The exporter can be entirely reputable and still have no routine for this. Ask before the purchase, not after.
The route after the port
The chain is the same as for all imports from outside the EU, and is set out step by step on the page about importing a car. Customs clearance, then the origin check at the Transport Agency for 1 240 kronor, then registration inspection and identity check, then registration.
The Japanese export certificate, that is the deregistration certificate, is the document corresponding to a foreign registration certificate. Send it as an original and treat it as registered post.
Read on
Is the car coming from the USA? Read about importing a car from the USA.
Common questions
Is the duty on Japanese cars really zero?
Yes, since 1 February 2026. The partnership agreement between the EU and Japan entered into force in 2019 and the duty on passenger cars came down one step a year, from 8,8 per cent to zero. The final step was taken in February this year.
But zero requires proven origin, usually with the exporter's statement on origin. Without it the third country rate is charged, that is ten per cent. On a car with a customs value of 250 000 kronor the difference is 25 000 kronor in duty, plus a further 6 000 or so in VAT, because VAT is calculated on the duty as well.
Who issues the statement on origin?
The Japanese exporter. It does not need to be signed and usually carries the exporter's Japanese company number. You cannot obtain one afterwards from any authority, so the question has to be put to the seller before the deal is closed. Many Japanese used car exporters are used to shipping to markets that require no proof of origin at all, and therefore have no routine for this.
Will a EUR.1 certificate do?
No. Swedish Customs is explicit: in trade with Japan it is not possible to use other proofs of origin, such as a EUR.1 movement certificate. Being offered one is a sign that the other party is not familiar with the agreement. Read more about what EUR.1 is actually used for.
Is it enough that the car is registered in Japan?
No. What matters is whether the car has Japanese origin under the rules of the agreement, not where it has been registered. A car that stood in Japan but was built in the United Kingdom, Germany or the United States is not a Japanese originating product, and then ten per cent applies. Check the country of manufacture before counting on the zero rate.
What applies to a Japanese classic car?
If the car is at least thirty years old, of a model no longer in production and in original condition, it is classified as a collector vehicle. The benefit now lies in the VAT: twelve per cent instead of twenty-five. The duty exemption is no longer worth anything extra, because Japanese passenger cars already carry zero duty with a statement on origin.
On a car with a base of 400 000 kronor the VAT difference is over 50 000 kronor, so the classification is worth pursuing even now.
Does the American 25 year rule apply here?
No. The twenty-five year rule for Japanese cars is American and has nothing to do with importing into Sweden. There is no age limit for importing a car into Sweden. What does exist is the thirty year threshold for collector vehicles, which concerns duty and VAT, not permission.
The car has no EU type approval. Can it be registered?
Yes, if it is used. Registration then goes through the origin check and a registration inspection, and the regulations contain alternative requirements for cars manufactured in large series in or for a third country. That is the mechanism that makes Japanese mass-produced cars registrable.
If the car is brand new, individual approval applies instead, and that cannot be used for used vehicles.
