Import a used car into Kenya
Kenya Revenue Authority Customs, with KEBS and NTSA · sources read 30 Sep 2026
Make sure the car is under 8 years old from its first registration and right-hand drive, get it inspected abroad by a KEBS-appointed agent, then use a customs clearing agent to declare it and pay the taxes. After clearing, the car is registered with NTSA to get a Kenyan logbook and plates.
- Fee
- KSh 1,750NTSA inspection and e-sticker when registering the car
- How long
- NTSA registration: plates and logbook in about 3 working days each
- Where
- Through a customs clearing agent (KRA Customs), then NTSA registration on the NTSA service portal via eCitizen
What you need
- Original commercial invoice
- Original logbook from the exporting country, cancelled there (NTSA needs it to issue your Kenyan logbook)
- Original bill of lading
- Pre-shipment inspection certificate (certificate of roadworthiness)
- Copy of your KRA PIN certificate (companies: certificate of incorporation)
Steps
- Before the car is shipped, it gets a roadworthiness inspection by a KEBS-appointed inspection agent in the country you're buying from.
- Hire a licensed customs clearing agent. Importing a car needs one, and the agent declares the car to KRA Customs for you.
- Pay the taxes before the car is released: import duty, excise duty, VAT, the Import Declaration Fee (IDF) and the Railway Development Levy (RDL), all worked out on the car's customs value.
- Register the car with NTSA: on the NTSA service portal, the dealer or agent account enters the KRA entry and PIN, adds the owner's details, attaches the import documents in one PDF and pays for inspection and the e-sticker.
Watch out
- Import duty alone is 25% of the customs value (0% for ambulances and hearses), before excise, VAT, IDF and RDL are added.
- Excise duty depends on engine size and fuel type. For example, a petrol car above 1,500 cc up to 3,000 cc pays 25%; a fully electric car pays 10%.
- A car older than 8 years needs an authorization letter from the Minister of Industrialization before NTSA will register it.
Who can apply
- The car must be less than 8 years old, counted from the year it was first registered.
- The car must be right-hand drive.
Official sources (4)
- Procedures for Motor Vehicle kra.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- How to Import kra.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- NTSA services: Application for registration of second-hand motor vehicles (ids 18 and 20) ntsa.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- NTSA Service Portal serviceportal.ntsa.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026