From first chat to your driveway.
Importing from Japan can feel complicated. Here is exactly how we guide you through it, with no surprises along the way.
- Stage 1
Get in touch
Contact us by WhatsApp, phone, Instagram or the contact form. We note your details so we can follow up personally.
- Your name, address and contact number
- How you heard about us, including the name of anyone who referred you
- Stage 2
High-level inquiry
Tell us about the vehicle you have in mind.
- Make, model, grade and year
- Preferred mileage and any other preferences
- Your budget
- Stage 3
High-level quotation
We prepare a first estimate of the total cost, for you to approve.
- Based on current JPY and USD exchange rates
- Checked against the yellow book price and average auction prices
- Approximate exporter fee, insurance, LC commission, clearing, tax and extra charges, plus our consultation fee
- If it does not work for you, tell us why and we will see what we can change
- Stage 4
Detailed inquiry & agreement
Once you approve the high-level quotation, we pin down the exact vehicle and prepare a detailed quotation.
- The exact make, model, grade, year and mileage
- Updated exchange rates, auction prices and cost estimates
- A detailed quotation for your approval
- An advance payment and a signed agreement letter
- Stage 5
Vehicle purchase & LC
With the detailed quotation approved, the advance paid, the agreement signed and your TIN certificate in hand, your vehicle is bought at auction in Japan.
- Vehicle bought at auction and the pro forma invoice issued
- A letter of credit (LC) placed with your bank for the invoice value
- Bank commission, insurance and any extra charges paid
- Shipped and landing dates tracked
- The vehicle document set requested before landing and sent by courier, with a tracking number
- Stage 6
LC settlement & temporary VAT
When the documents arrive, the LC is settled and the paperwork for clearing is prepared.
- LC settled with your bank
- Vehicle document set collected
- Temporary VAT paid, using the invoice, bill of lading (BL), LC and your TIN
- Stage 7
Customs clearance
Your vehicle is cleared through customs and collected from Hambantota.
- Needed: insurance receipt, vehicle document set, temporary VAT and your email address
- Document set submitted to the clearing agent
- Tax assessment received and tax paid
- Clearing and port charges paid
- Clearance completed and the vehicle collected from Hambantota
- Stage 8
RMV registration
Finally, your vehicle is registered with the RMV so you can drive it on Sri Lankan roads.
- Registration documents submitted to the RMV (see the checklist below)
- RMV charges, insurance, the green test and the revenue licence
- The vehicle book for your car
We keep track, so you don’t have to.
From the auction in Japan to shipping, temporary VAT, clearance at Hambantota and RMV registration, we tell you what is happening, what is needed from you and what comes next.
What you will need for registration.
The RMV needs a full set of documents to register your vehicle. Some come from you, and the rest are collected during the import. We help you keep track of all of them.
From you
- TIN certificate, with all your tax returns filed
- Copy of your ID, certified by a Justice of the Peace (JP)
- 2 photographs (2 × 2.5 inch), certified by a JP
- An affidavit, if your address is not the same across your documents
- MTA 2 form
- Your email address (needed for clearing)
Collected during the import
- Vehicle document set from Japan
- Invoice and bill of lading (BL)
- Export certificate (original and copy)
- JAAI certificates: pre-shipment inspection, vehicle condition and odometer
- Customs goods declaration document
- Assessment note
- Insurance, green test and revenue licence
Good to know: registration is done at the RMV, so plan to go early in the morning. How long each stage takes depends on the vehicle, the auction, shipping schedules and clearance, so we give you realistic expectations for your case rather than promising fixed dates.
Start with a free consultation.
Share the car you have in mind and your budget, and we will walk you through the next steps.