Kenya car import duty can add thousands of pounds to your shipment, and the difference between a smart import and a costly mistake almost always comes down to one thing: understanding the numbers before you ship, not after your car lands in Mombasa.
If you’re planning to import a car to Kenya from the UK, whether by RoRo shipping or container shipping to Kenya, the sticker price of your vehicle is only half the story. Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) charges import duty, excise duty, VAT, and additional levies on every vehicle entering the country, and these charges are calculated on a benchmark value most buyers have never heard of: CRSP. Get this number wrong, or skip verifying it, and you risk landing at Mombasa port with a bill that wipes out whatever you saved on the vehicle itself.
This guide breaks down exactly how Kenya’s import duty system works in 2026, with real numbers you can use to budget accurately before you commit to shipping.
What Is CRSP, and Why Does It Decide Your Whole Bill?
Every duty calculation starts with CRSP, the Current Retail Selling Price, a benchmark value that KRA assigns to each vehicle model. This is not the price you paid for the car. It’s an official reference value that KRA uses as the starting point for your Customs Value, which is then reduced by depreciation based on your vehicle’s age, up to 60-70% for a car that’s 7 to 8 years old.
Your final Customs Value, the depreciated CRSP figure, is what every duty and tax charge is calculated on, not your invoice price. This means two identical cars can attract different tax bills purely based on age and KRA’s current CRSP listing for that model.
Kenya Car Import Duty Rates: What You’ll Actually Pay in 2026
Once the Customs Value is set, five separate charges stack on top of it. Here’s the breakdown that matters:
Import Duty
Charged at 35% of the Customs Value. This is the single largest component of your bill and the figure most buyers underestimate, since older guides and calculators online still quote outdated 25% figures.
Excise Duty
Calculated on Customs Value plus import duty combined, and the rate depends entirely on engine size and fuel type. Expect roughly 20% for engines under 1500cc, 25% for 1500cc to 3000cc, and up to 35% for larger engines.
Value Added Tax (VAT)
Charged at 16%, calculated on Customs Value plus import duty plus excise duty combined, not on Customs Value alone. This compounding effect is exactly why the total often surprises first-time importers.
Import Declaration Fee (IDF)
Charged at 3.5% of the Customs Value, calculated directly on the initial figure rather than the compounded total.
Railway Development Levy (RDL)
Charged at 2% of the Customs Value, also calculated on the initial figure.
Because import duty, excise, and VAT each build on the last, a single increase in your Customs Value ripples through every subsequent calculation. IDF and RDL, by contrast, stay tied to the original Customs Value regardless of what duty and excise add on top.
Rates are set by KRA and reviewed periodically, so always confirm current figures on the official KRA motor vehicle import duty page or with a licensed clearing agent before budgeting your shipment, since even a small percentage shift changes your total significantly on higher-value vehicles.
A Real Example: How the Numbers Stack Up
Say your vehicle has a depreciated customs value of £8,000, with an engine between 1500cc and 3000cc. Here’s roughly how the charges compound:
- Import duty (35%): £2,800 added to Customs Value
- Excise duty (25% for this engine band): calculated on £10,800 (Customs Value + duty)
- VAT (16%): calculated on Customs Value + duty + excise combined
- IDF (3.5%) and RDL (2%): calculated separately on the original £8,000
By the time every layer is applied, total Kenya car import duty and tax can add up to well over half your vehicle’s Customs Value, and for larger-engine vehicles taxed at the higher excise band, it can approach or exceed the Customs Value itself. This is precisely why getting a professional to run your specific numbers before you ship, rather than relying on outdated online estimates, protects your budget.
Kenya’s Age Restriction: The Rule That Catches People Out
Before duty even becomes relevant, your vehicle has to clear Kenya’s age restriction. Vehicles older than 8 years from the year of manufacture are not permitted entry. This rule is strictly enforced at the point of clearance, so confirming your vehicle’s exact manufacture date before booking shipment saves you from a shipment that can’t legally land.
Kenya also requires all imported vehicles to be right-hand drive, which works in favour of most UK-registered cars, and mandates a PVoC certificate for vehicle shipping inspection before your vehicle leaves the UK.
Documents That Affect Your Duty Calculation
Getting your paperwork right isn’t just a formality, it directly affects how smoothly your assessment goes:
- Original vehicle registration and V5C logbook
- Commercial invoice showing genuine purchase price
- Bill of Lading
- Import Declaration Form (IDF), submitted through KRA
- Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the PVoC inspection
Missing or inconsistent documentation is one of the most common reasons duty assessments get delayed or disputed at the Kenyan port, adding storage costs while the issue is resolved. Our guide on documents required to ship a car covers the UK-side paperwork in full.
How to Avoid Overpaying on Kenya Car Import Duty
- Check your engine size band before you buy. The jump from 20% to 35% excise duty between engine bands can add hundreds of pounds, so this single spec detail changes your total significantly.
- Get an accurate freight quote before you ship. Freight and insurance feed into your overall shipping cost, and pairing that with the right customs value estimate gives you a realistic landed cost.
- Confirm your vehicle’s exact age in months, not just the model year. Kenya’s 8-year rule and depreciation bands are calculated precisely, and assumptions here can be costly.
- Work with a shipping partner who provides full landed-cost estimates, not just a UK-side freight quote, so you see the complete picture before committing.
Ready to Ship Your Car to Kenya the Right Way?
Understanding Kenya car import duty is only half the job, the other half is working with a shipping partner who gets your paperwork right the first time. If you’re ready to move forward, see our complete car shipping to Kenya service for current RoRo and container pricing, transit schedules, and a free personalised quote.
For official guidance directly from Kenya’s tax authority, you can also consult the Kenya Revenue Authority website for the most current duty rates and customs procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CRSP in Kenya car import duty calculation?
CRSP stands for Current Retail Selling Price, a benchmark value KRA assigns to each vehicle model. It’s depreciated based on your car’s age to produce the Customs Value, which is the base figure used for every duty and tax charge on your import.
How much is import duty on a car in Kenya?
Import duty is charged at 35% of the Customs Value, with excise duty (20% to 35% depending on engine size) and 16% VAT calculated on top in sequence, plus IDF and RDL on the original value.
Can I import a car older than 8 years into Kenya?
No. Kenya enforces an 8-year age limit from the vehicle’s year of manufacture, and vehicles outside this limit are not permitted to clear customs regardless of condition.
Does engine size affect how much duty I pay in Kenya?
Yes. Excise duty ranges from around 20% for engines under 1500cc to 35% for larger engines, and since excise is calculated before VAT is applied, a bigger engine increases your total tax bill at every stage that follows.
Who calculates my exact duty and tax bill before shipping?
A licensed customs clearing agent in Kenya or an experienced UK shipping partner can run your vehicle’s specific customs value and current KRA rates to give you an accurate Kenya car import duty estimate before you commit to shipping.