EK4

Honda Civic SiR EK import cost and road tax

What a Honda Civic SiR EK from Japan costs by the time it’s registered here. We’ve filled in a 1997 car with the B16A; change the price, year and engine to match the one you’re looking at.

Price in Japan (yen)

The winning bid or the dealer’s price, before any fees.

First registered in Japan

Month and year, e.g. 1995-03.

Fuel

Engine size (cc)

Shipping

Duty and VAT

Standard rates10% duty and 20% VAT. What most private imports should budget for.Claim the UK-Japan trade deal rateNo duty, if the exporter gives you a statement on origin for a car made in Japan.Historic vehicleNo duty and 5% VAT for an unmodified car over 30 years old.

Change the estimates

Costs in Japan (yen)

Auction fee, agent, transport, export papers. We assume ¥150,000.

Shipping quote (£)

Leave blank to use our estimate for the method.

Marine insurance (%)

Yen to £1

Leave blank for the rate we fetched.

UK port and customs agent (£)

UK conversion work (£)

CO2 figure (g/km)

Only if DVLA will accept one, from a UK or EU certificate. Most Japanese imports have none.

List price new over £40,000 (£50,000 electric). Only matters for cars registered from April 2017.

Every sum is worked out on our server from what you type. Nothing is saved.

Estimated cost on the road

£13,448

Car, shipping, 10% duty, 20% VAT, MOT and registration. Before insurance and road tax.

Road tax a year

£375

Age of the car

29 years

Cost breakdown
Car (price paid in Japan)Converted	£7,191
Costs in Japan: auction fee, agent, transport to port, export papersOur estimate	£719
Shipping to the UK: Roll-on roll-off (RoRo)Our estimateDriven onto a car carrier. Usually the cheapest. The car must run, and nothing can be left inside.	£1,500
Marine insurance (1.5%)Our estimate	£141
Customs duty (10%)Official rateStandard UK rate for cars from outside the UK.	£955
Import VAT (20%)Official rateCharged on the customs value plus duty.	£2,101
UK port handling and customs entry by an agentOur estimate	£450
UK conversion work: mph speedo, rear fog lightOur estimate	£250
MOT test (maximum fee)Official rateCars over 10 years old don’t need IVA, but need an MOT before registering.	£55
DVLA first registration feeOfficial rate	£55
UK number platesOur estimate	£30
Total	£13,448

How the duty choice changes the total

Standard rates: 10% duty, 20% VAT£13,448
With proof of Japanese origin: 0% duty, 20% VAT£12,301
Unmodified car over 30 years old: 0% duty, 5% VATNot for this car: it’s under 30 years old.–

If the car qualifies, proof of Japanese origin would save about £1,146.

Road tax: £375 a year

Taxed on engine size: over 1549cc.

2026 to 2027 rate for 12 months, paid in one go. Source: GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates, cars registered before 1 March 2001.

Customs value £9,551: the car, costs in Japan, shipping and insurance, converted at HMRC’s October 2026 rate for customs, ¥209 to £1. Duty rates checked against the UK Trade Tariff today. Lines marked “our estimate” are typical figures, not quotes: get real ones from your agent and shipper. This is a guide for Great Britain, not tax advice; Northern Ireland follows different rules. See sources.

Road tax on the EK4

Engine	Size	A year, no CO2 figure
B16A	1595cc petrol, over 1549cc	£375

Japanese imports rarely come with a CO2 figure DVLA accepts, so most are taxed on engine size whatever their age. If yours has a UK or European certificate with one, put it in the calculator under “Change the estimates”. None are old enough for the historic tax class yet; that needs a car built more than 40 years ago.

Duty, VAT and the EK4’s age

Built 1995 to 2000. Cars built in 1995 to 1996 are over 30 years old, so an unmodified one can be imported as a historic vehicle: no duty and an effective 5% VAT. Later cars pay the normal rates. Only a car in its original state qualifies (commodity code 9705 10 00 45); one with a swapped engine or modified chassis, steering or brakes normally doesn’t.

Otherwise duty is 10% of the price plus shipping and insurance, or 0% under the UK-Japan trade deal if the exporter gives you a statement on origin showing the car was made in Japan. VAT is 20% on top of both.

Every EK4 is over 10 years old, so it doesn’t need IVA, just an MOT before registration.

How duty, VAT and road tax are worked out

Before you buy a EK4

Our Honda Civic SiR EK guide covers its chassis codes, known problems and what to look for on the auction sheet. Ask the seller for the sheet and read it with our auction sheet translator, then check the car’s Japanese recalls.

Questions

How much is road tax on an imported Honda Civic SiR EK?

Most imported EK4s have no CO2 figure DVLA accepts, so they’re taxed on engine size: £375 a year for the B16A in 2026 to 2027.

How much is import duty on a Honda Civic SiR EK?

10% of the price plus shipping and insurance, or 0% with proof that the car was made in Japan under the UK-Japan trade deal. Cars built in 1995 to 1996 are over 30 years old, so an unmodified one can be imported as a historic vehicle: no duty and an effective 5% VAT. Later cars pay the normal rates.

Does an imported EK4 need IVA?

Every EK4 is over 10 years old, so it doesn’t need IVA, just an MOT before registration.

Import costs for other models

The import cost calculator for any car

Sources

We checked every official figure against these on 23 October 2026. Shipping, agent, port and conversion costs are our own estimates of typical prices, not quotes.