Japanese Export Certificate Explained
The export certificate is the identity document destination customs actually read: chassis, engine, manufacture year, and first registration. Keep the original.
When a used car leaves Japan it is deregistered. The export certificate (export certificate / 輸出抹消) is the official identity document. Auction sheets, invoices, and marketing copy do not replace it.
What it shows
- Chassis number and model designation
- Engine number and capacity
- Year of manufacture
- First registration date in Japan
- Colour, body type, and type-designation numbers (needed for UK IVA and NZ entry cert)
Why destinations care
- Kenya — KS 1515 uses first registration (2019+ in 2026) and manufacture within one year of first registration.
- Tanzania — age from manufacture for TRA bands.
- Bangladesh — IPO age from the year after chassis manufacture.
- UK — original foreign registration/export evidence for DVLA; IVA comparable standards.
- New Zealand — proof of ownership and standards evidence at entry certification.
How we handle it
KMC JAPAN prepares the export certificate with the shipping file. Never put the only original in a path you cannot retrieve. Scan it, but destinations often want the paper original (DVLA may not return it).
See also import documents from Japan.
Ready to import from Japan?
Tell us the destination and the vehicle. We check eligibility before you commit.