Many countries let any business import a car once the duty is paid. Others want a licence or permit first — and where they do, the permission almost always has to exist before the car arrives. An application made after landing is not late; in some systems it is simply refused.
The short version
- Permission comes in three forms: trader registration, an import permit, or a licence for restricted cars.
- Jamaica requires the permit before the vehicle arrives; Trinidad and Tobago licenses used right-hand-drive imports.
- Some permit systems reject an application that lacks the pre-shipment inspection certificate.
- Certified dealers can get different volume rules from private importers.
Licences, in one paragraph
First check whether your country requires any permission beyond registering as an importer with customs. If it does, find out when the permit must be issued, which documents the application needs, and whether dealers are treated differently from individuals. Then apply before the car ships, because most permit systems test the car's eligibility at application and expect the permit at the border.
Three kinds of permission
- Trader registration with customs. Not a car licence as such, but a business import cannot happen without it. In the UK, a business importing stock needs a GB EORI number; in Kenya, a KRA PIN or certificate of incorporation.
- An import permit for every vehicle. Jamaica's Trade Board issues a permit for each motor vehicle import, and states it must be obtained before the vehicle arrives.
- A licence for restricted cars. Trinidad and Tobago's Trade Licence Unit licenses used right-hand-drive vehicles; Sri Lanka requires an Import Control Licence for a vehicle above its maximum age limit.
Why the permit has to come before the ship
A permit is the authority's answer to the question "may this car come in?" — so it is asked before the car is committed to the voyage. The Trade Board in Jamaica, for example, rejects an import-permit application for a used vehicle that does not carry its pre-shipment inspection certificate. That makes the order fixed: buy, inspect, apply, then ship.
The order that works
Confirm eligibility → secure the car → pre-shipment inspection where required → apply for the permit with the inspection certificate → book the sailing once the permit is issued.
What does your country require?
| Country | Licences and permits |
|---|---|
| No import licence is needed for a car, but a business importing stock needs a GB EORI number. | |
| No import licence is needed for a car; the import is declared to Revenue and the car registered through the NCTS. | |
| No separate import licence for a car was found in Transport Malta's guidance; the SVA certificate and customs clearance are the gates. | |
| Customs recommends contacting the Road Transport Department before importing, to confirm the car can be registered in Cyprus. | |
| No separate import licence is required; the importer needs a KRA PIN, or a certificate of incorporation for a company. | |
| No separate import licence for a car was found in TRA's guidance; the TBS certificate and TRA's assessment are the gates. | |
| No separate import licence for a car was found; the UNBS certificate and URA's assessment are the gates. | |
| MRA's motor-vehicles page does not cover import permits; confirm with the Mauritian authorities whether your vehicle needs one before it ships. | |
| An import permit from the Trade Board is required, and it must be obtained before the vehicle arrives in Jamaica. | |
| A licence from the Trade Licence Unit is required to import a used right-hand-drive vehicle, and dealer volumes are governed by quota rules. | |
| No import licence is needed; the gates are border inspection, biosecurity clearance and entry certification. | |
| An Import Control Licence is needed for a vehicle over the maximum age limit, and for licensed imports the guidelines require a letter of credit. |
Choose a country for its full rules and the official sources, checked 27 October 2026.
Licences and permits · United Kingdom
No import licence is needed for a car, but a business importing stock needs a GB EORI number.
- GOV.UK exempts only goods that are both uncontrolled and for personal use from the EORI requirement, so a dealer importing to sell needs one.
Sources for United Kingdom, checked 27 October 2026:
- Get an EORI number — GOV.UK
Licences and permits · Ireland
No import licence is needed for a car; the import is declared to Revenue and the car registered through the NCTS.
Sources for Ireland, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importing vehicles and duty-free allowances — Revenue
- Importing a vehicle into Ireland — Citizens Information
Licences and permits · Malta
No separate import licence for a car was found in Transport Malta's guidance; the SVA certificate and customs clearance are the gates.
Sources for Malta, checked 27 October 2026:
Licences and permits · Cyprus
Customs recommends contacting the Road Transport Department before importing, to confirm the car can be registered in Cyprus.
Sources for Cyprus, checked 27 October 2026:
- Vehicles from countries outside the European Union — on payment of import duty and VAT — Cyprus Customs & Excise Department
- Road Transport Department — Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works
Licences and permits · Kenya
No separate import licence is required; the importer needs a KRA PIN, or a certificate of incorporation for a company.
Sources for Kenya, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importation procedure for motor vehicles — Kenya Revenue Authority
Licences and permits · Tanzania
No separate import licence for a car was found in TRA's guidance; the TBS certificate and TRA's assessment are the gates.
Sources for Tanzania, checked 27 October 2026:
Licences and permits · Uganda
No separate import licence for a car was found; the UNBS certificate and URA's assessment are the gates.
Sources for Uganda, checked 27 October 2026:
- The UNBS (Inspection and Clearance) Regulations, 2022 — Uganda National Bureau of Standards
- Uganda Revenue Authority — URA
Licences and permits · Mauritius
MRA's motor-vehicles page does not cover import permits; confirm with the Mauritian authorities whether your vehicle needs one before it ships.
Sources for Mauritius, checked 27 October 2026:
- Customs — motor vehicles — Mauritius Revenue Authority
Licences and permits · Jamaica
An import permit from the Trade Board is required, and it must be obtained before the vehicle arrives in Jamaica.
- Certified dealers have no quantity limit for vehicles imported for resale.
- Individuals and non-dealer companies are limited in how many vehicles they may import every three years.
Sources for Jamaica, checked 27 October 2026:
- Motor vehicle — general information — Trade Board Limited
Licences and permits · Trinidad and Tobago
A licence from the Trade Licence Unit is required to import a used right-hand-drive vehicle, and dealer volumes are governed by quota rules.
Sources for Trinidad and Tobago, checked 27 October 2026:
- Trade Licence Unit — Ministry of Trade, Investment & Tourism
- Declaration for licence to import a used right-hand-drive vehicle — Ministry of Trade, Investment & Tourism
Licences and permits · New Zealand
No import licence is needed; the gates are border inspection, biosecurity clearance and entry certification.
Sources for New Zealand, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importing a used vehicle — NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Licences and permits · Sri Lanka
An Import Control Licence is needed for a vehicle over the maximum age limit, and for licensed imports the guidelines require a letter of credit.
Sources for Sri Lanka, checked 27 October 2026:
- Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report 2025 — Ministry of Finance, Sri Lanka
- Importation of a used motor vehicle under import control licence — Department of Import and Export Control
Dealer status and quotas
Some countries treat a certified dealer differently from a private importer. Jamaica's Trade Board places no quantity limit on certified dealers importing for resale, while individuals and non-dealer companies are limited over a three-year period. Trinidad and Tobago's Trade Licence Unit governs dealer volumes through quota rules. Where such a category exists, qualifying for it is usually the first step for a dealer planning regular imports.
A licence sits inside a wider document set — see the car import documents checklist — and, in Sri Lanka's licence guidelines, comes with a payment condition: a letter of credit. Payment methods are compared in paying overseas car suppliers safely. With the permission route clear, you can send a dealer inquiry. The full sequence is in the dealer's guide to sourcing cars overseas.