Import a Toyota Hiace van from Japan to Kenya
This page covers Hiace vans and microbuses under 7 m first registered in 2019 or later. It does not cover buses or trucks. Here is what is in stock in Japan, what exporters ask and the tax questions to settle with your clearing agent.
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Updated 7 November 2026
Why the Hiace sells in Kenya
Kenyan reports name the Hiace among the top Toyotas imported, and it is number 5 in EVERYCAR's Kenya ranking. It is the van behind the matatu, Kenya's public minibus.
New Hiace sales are rising too: one report puts it second in Kenya's 2025 new light-vehicle market with 19.6% share, up from 12.9%. That counts new vehicles, not used imports.
Buyers search for both uses: "toyota hiace van price in kenya", "hiace matatu price in kenya" and "cost of a 14 seater matatu".
Years, engines and grades in Japanese stock
| Van, 2019 – 2021 | GDH201V 2.8L diesel 2WD, GDH206V 2.8L diesel 4WD, GDH211K / 221K 2.8L diesel wide/long DX, TRH200V / K 2.0L petrol, TRH211K / 221K 2.7L petrol. |
|---|---|
| Van grades seen | DX, DX GL Package, Super GL and "Dark Prime". |
| Wagon, 2019 – 2021 | TRH214W / 219W 2.7L petrol (2WD / 4WD) and TRH224W / 229W Grand Cabin, 10 seats. |
| Mileage seen (2019 – 2021) | Vans: median about 161,000 km at one exporter and 88,000 km at the other. Wagons: about 123,000 km and 49,000 km. |
| Stock in Japan (2019+) | 629 van and wagon listings at two exporters on 7 November 2026. |
Hiace body types
Panel van
Standard roof, 3 or 6 seats in DX and Super GL grades.
Wide / long van
GDH211K and GDH221K DX.
Refrigerated van
Listed in KRA's CRSP list.
Wagon / Grand Cabin
10-seat passenger version, 2.7L petrol.
Commuter (14 seats)
In KRA's list, but its status under the suspended bus ban is unclear. Ask us first.
What exporters in Japan ask for a Hiace
USD 9,200 – 28,896 FOB
Dealer asking prices in Japan, checked 7 November 2026
Eight 2019 – 2021 van and wagon listings at two exporters (SBT Japan and Car From Japan). A 2019 4WD diesel van with 341,000 km at the low end; a 2020 diesel van with 49,000 km at the top. Wagons ran USD 10,070 – 32,196 across both exporters.
These are asking prices in Japan before freight, inspection and Kenyan tax. The cheapest vans have very high mileage.
Indicative only. This is not a price offer from us. The real price depends on the exact car, its grade, mileage and condition, and on the day it is bought.
How the landed cost is worked out
This is how the cost of a van landed in Mombasa is built. We do not show a total: we did not run the KRA calculator, and Kenyan guides disagree on depreciation and on the Import Declaration Fee. For the Hiace we also did not find whether a goods van pays a different import duty from a passenger vehicle.
| Van price (FOB) | Our price for the van in Japan in your quote, including the auction purchase and transport to the port. |
|---|---|
| Freight to Mombasa (RoRo) | Broker estimates for a sedan are about USD 1,100 – 1,600 (undated). We quote the current rate for your vehicle. |
| QISJ inspection in Japan | Required before loading. QISJ issues the Certificate of Roadworthiness. We arrange it and it is in your quote. |
| Customs value | KRA's CRSP value for the exact model, less depreciation for age. Kenyan guides disagree on the depreciation table and on how taxes are backed out of the CRSP value. |
| Import duty | 35% of the customs value. |
| Excise | Petrol 2.0L and 2.7L: 25%. Diesel 2.8L (2,754cc): disputed. One Kenyan guide puts diesel over 2,500cc at 35%; another site's Hiace calculator uses 25%. Confirm with your clearing agent. |
| VAT | 16%, paid to KRA at clearing. |
| Import Declaration Fee and Railway Development Levy | IDF 2.5% (one guide says 3.5%) and RDL 2%, on the customs value. |
| Clearing and port charges | Ask your clearing agent; we have no checked figure. |
KRA CRSP values come from KRA's July 2025 list. Rates come from Kenyan import-duty sites read on 7 November 2026, not from KRA. Confirm the total with your clearing agent before you pay a deposit.
Kenya rules that matter for the Hiace
The 8-year rule: 2019 or newer in 2026, and the 2019 window is closing
Kenya allows cars up to 8 years from first registration (KS 1515:2000). In 2026 only cars first registered on or after 1 January 2019 can enter, right-hand drive only. The cutoff moves every 1 January, so from 1 January 2027 only 2020 or newer cars qualify. Our reading is that a 2019 car must land in Kenya by 31 December 2026, and sea transit to Mombasa takes about 25 – 40 days, so we treat 2020 or newer as the safe choice. Confirm with your clearing agent before you choose a 2019 car.
Vans and microbuses under 7 m only, not buses or trucks
Hiace vans and microbuses under 7 m fall under the same 8-year rule as cars. In 2022 KEBS banned used mini, midi and large buses and used rigid trucks of 3.5 – 30 t. The Environment and Land Court suspended that ban in July 2022, and we found no later ruling, so their status is unclear. We do not offer buses or trucks for Kenya. Whether a 14-seat Commuter counts as a minibus under that notice is not settled, so we confirm with your clearing agent before we quote one.
Weight
KRA lists Hiace vans at a gross weight of 3,040 – 3,265 kg, under the 3.5 t floor of the suspended rigid-truck ban.
Duty and excise for this model
Import duty is 35% on the customs value. KRA's July 2025 CRSP values include: Hiace Van GL QDF-GDH201V, KES 5,761,965; Hiace Van TRH200K, KES 4,645,901; Hiace Van 3DF-GDH211K, KES 6,687,827 – 6,793,495; Hiace Wagon TRH224W, KES 5,831,829 – 6,513,169. We found no row for the 4WD GDH206V. Excise for the 2.8L diesel is disputed (25% or 35%). Confirm with your clearing agent.
Updated 7 November 2026
Paying safely and avoiding scams
Pay a company account, never a personal one
Buyers in Kenya and Tanzania have lost money to fake Japanese exporters, and the Japanese embassy in Kenya keeps a standing warning about them. Pay only into the exporter's company bank account, in the company's name. If anyone asks you to pay a personal account or a different name, stop and ask us on WhatsApp.
Approve the car before you pay
We send you the auction sheet and photos before we bid. You approve the car and the price before any deposit.
Check the inspection certificate and the dates
Kenyan reports describe forged manufacture dates used to beat the 8-year rule, and odometer rollback. Check the first registration date on the export certificate and the QISJ certificate before the car sails.
Watch for copied websites and fake agents
Some scammers copy a real exporter's website or listings, or pose as Mombasa clearing agents. Check the web address carefully, and talk to the exporter on a number you already know before you send money.
Toyota Hiace to Kenya: questions buyers ask
What is the Toyota Hiace price in Kenya for a 2020 van?
We cannot give one price, because it depends on the body, engine, mileage and KRA tax. In Japan, exporters were asking USD 9,200 – 28,896 FOB for 2019 – 2021 vans and wagons when we checked on 7 November 2026. Freight, inspection, duty, excise, VAT and clearing come on top.
Can I import a Hiace matatu (14-seat Commuter) to Kenya?
It is not settled. A 2022 KEBS notice banned used minibuses and buses; a court suspended it the same year, and we found no later ruling. Whether a 14-seat Commuter counts as a minibus is unclear, so we confirm with your clearing agent before we quote one. Vans and 10-seat wagons first registered in 2019 or later follow the normal 8-year rule.
Is a diesel Hiace taxed at 25% or 35% excise?
Kenyan guides disagree. One puts diesel engines over 2,500cc, such as the 2.8L, at 35%; another site's Hiace calculator uses 25%. The petrol 2.0L and 2.7L are 25%. Ask your clearing agent before you pay a deposit.
Can I still import a 2019 Hiace to Kenya?
Only if it lands before 1 January 2027, when 2020 becomes the oldest year allowed. With 25 – 40 days at sea, we treat 2020 or newer as the safe choice and confirm a 2019 van with your clearing agent first.
What should I tell you about the job the Hiace must do?
Send us the job: goods or passengers, how many seats, which roads, and whether you need 4WD or a wide body. Put it in the "Anything else" box at the end of the form, and we search for the code and body that fit.
Other models we help with here
Read our full Kenya import guide
Sources
- SBT Japan, Toyota Hiace Van stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- SBT Japan, Toyota Hiace Wagon stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- Car From Japan, Toyota Hiace Van stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- Car From Japan, Toyota Hiace Wagon stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- KRA, "New CRSP – July 2025" used-vehicle value list (Excel, read 7 Nov 2026)
- Business Radar (Kenya), "Car import duty rates Kenya", updated 1 Nov 2026
- carimports.co.ke, Toyota Hiace import duty page (read 7 Nov 2026)
- Best Selling Cars Blog, "Kenya full year 2025: Toyota Hiace catches up on Isuzu D-Max", 2 Mar 2026
- BusinessToday Kenya, KEBS used-vehicle restrictions list, 28 Apr 2022
- People Daily, "Judge suspends imports ban on second-hand buses and lorries", Jul 2022
- Business Daily (Kenya), "Kenya buys 94pc of used vehicles from Japan", 15 Aug 2023
- EVERYCAR Kenya, "Ranking of the most popular cars in Kenya", 18 Oct 2023
- The Star (Kenya), "Car importers put on notice as deadline for 2018 units nears", 19 Nov 2025
- carimports.co.ke, "Kenya import guide: RoRo vs container shipping to Mombasa" (undated)