Import a Toyota Hiace from Japan to Tanzania
The Hiace comes as a goods van and as the Commuter minibus, with petrol and diesel engines from 2.0L to 3.0L. 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 Tanzania
Japanese exporters name Tanzania as a Hiace market. One calls the 3.0L diesel Hiace van very popular in Kenya and Tanzania, and in September 2026 it shipped a Hiace Commuter to Tanzania for uses such as hotel transfers, tourism, company transport and school runs. These are exporter claims, not sales figures.
Tanzanian buyers search for it by name. For "toyota hiace price in", Google's first suggestion from Tanzania is Tanzania, and buyers also type "hiace for sale in tanzania" and "bei ya gari hiace".
Years, engines and grades in Japanese stock
| Van engines (codes) | 2.0L petrol (TRH200V), 2.5L diesel (KDH200V, KDH205V), 3.0L diesel (KDH201V 2WD, KDH206V 4WD) and 2.8L diesel (GDH201V, 2020). Codes ending in K, such as KDH201K, are high-roof vans. |
|---|---|
| Commuter engines (codes) | 2.7L petrol (TRH223B), 2.5L and 3.0L diesel (KDH222B, KDH223B) and 2.8L diesel (GDH223B, 2020 – 2026). |
| Grades seen | DX, DX GL Package and Super GL on vans; "Super-Long DX" titles on Commuters. |
| Commuter seats | 9 – 22 seats on one exporter's list; 14 is the most common on 2025 – 2026 units. |
| Mileage seen | Vans at the cheap end of the lists: about 165,000 – 359,000 km. Commuters from 2009 – 2020: about 21,000 – 100,000 km. |
Hiace body types
Panel van
The standard-roof goods van.
High-roof van
Codes such as KDH201K and KDH206K.
Commuter (minibus)
14 seats in Japan-market form is common; some listings are Super-Long Commuters.
Regiusace
The same van under another badge on some listings.
What exporters in Japan ask for a Hiace
USD 4,100 – 39,500 FOB
Dealer asking prices in Japan, checked 7 November 2026
Eleven listings from three exporters (SBI Motor, carused.jp and TokyoCarZ). 2007 – 2017 vans: USD 4,100 – 9,300. 2020 vans: USD 15,200 – 25,100. Commuters from 2011 to 2025: USD 17,700 – 39,500.
These are asking prices in Japan before freight, inspection and Tanzanian 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 Hiace landed in Dar es Salaam is built. We do not show a total: we have no TRA calculator result for a van or minibus, and it is not clear which excise rules apply to them after July 2026.
| Van price (FOB) | Our price for the Hiace in Japan in your quote, including the auction purchase and transport to the port. |
|---|---|
| Freight to Dar es Salaam (RoRo) | We quote the current rate for your van. |
| TBS inspection in Japan | Required before the van is loaded. We arrange it and it is in your quote. |
| Import duty | 25% of the customs value. Exporter guides work it out on the CIF value: price plus freight and insurance. |
| Excise by age | Before July 2026, goods vans (HS 87.04) and minibuses for 10 or more people (HS 87.02) paid 5% as utility vehicles. Whether the July 2026 bands (18%, 35%, 40%) now apply to them is not clear. Confirm with your clearing agent. |
| Excise by engine size | We found no engine-size excise rule for vans or minibuses. Confirm with your clearing agent. |
| VAT | 18%, paid to TRA at clearing (exporter guides). |
| Railway Development Levy | 1.5% of the customs value. |
| Port and clearing charges | One exporter guide gives about TZS 1.5 – 3 million for port charges, depending on vehicle size (single source). Ask your clearing agent. |
Rates come from news reports, a law-firm summary, the EAC tariff page and exporter guides read on 7 November 2026, not from TRA. Confirm the total with your clearing agent or the TRA calculator before you pay a deposit.
Tanzania rules that matter for the Hiace
Van or minibus: the seat count decides the heading
A Commuter for 10 or more people is a bus (HS 87.02); a goods van is HS 87.04. The same GDH223B Commuter is listed with 10, 14 or 22 seats, so we check the seat count on the export certificate before you choose.
Age excise from July 2026: not settled for vans and buses
The Finance Act 2026 bands are 18% for vehicles more than 8 and up to 10 years old, 35% for more than 10 and up to 20, and 40% for over 20. Reports describe them for imported used vehicles and do not say whether they cover vans and buses, which paid 5% before. If they do, a 2017 – 2018 van falls in the 18% band and a 2015 – 2016 van in the 35% band. We found no rate under 8 years.
Inspection
Every Hiace needs a TBS inspection and roadworthiness certificate in Japan before it ships. We arrange it.
Updated 7 November 2026
Paying safely and avoiding scams
Pay a company account, never a personal one
Buyers in Tanzania and Kenya have lost money to fake Japanese exporters. 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
Your car needs a TBS roadworthiness inspection in Japan, and TBS names EAA Company Ltd as the agent for Japan. Ask for the certificate and check it before the car sails.
Watch for copied websites
Some scammers copy a real exporter's website or listings and give their own bank details. Check the web address carefully, and talk to the exporter on a number you already know before you send money.
Toyota Hiace to Tanzania: questions buyers ask
What is the Toyota Hiace price in Tanzania?
We cannot give one price, because it depends on van or Commuter, year, engine and condition, and on Tanzanian tax. In Japan, exporters were asking USD 4,100 – 9,300 FOB for 2007 – 2017 vans and USD 17,700 – 39,500 for 2011 – 2025 Commuters when we checked on 7 November 2026. Freight, inspection, duty, excise, VAT and clearing come on top.
What is the Toyota Hiace van price in Tanzania compared with the Commuter?
In the listings we checked, Commuters cost more than vans of a similar age. A 2011 petrol Commuter was about USD 17,700 FOB against USD 7,100 for a 2012 petrol van, and a 2020 diesel Commuter about USD 26,300 against USD 15,200 – 25,100 for 2020 diesel vans. The Commuters also had lower mileage.
Is a Hiace taxed as a van or a bus in Tanzania?
It depends on the seats. A Commuter for 10 or more people is a bus heading, a goods van is a goods heading. Both paid 5% age excise before July 2026, and we found nothing on whether the new 18% – 40% bands now apply to them. Ask your clearing agent before you pay a deposit.
Is a Town Ace the same as a Hiace?
No. The Town Ace is a different, smaller Toyota van. This page covers the Hiace only. If you want a Town Ace, tell us on the form.
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 high roof. 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 Tanzania import guide
Sources
- SBI Motor Japan, Toyota Hiace stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- SBI Motor Japan, Toyota Hiace Commuter stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- carused.jp, Toyota Hiace Van stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- carused.jp, Toyota Hiace Commuter stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- TokyoCarZ, Toyota Hiace Van listing (read 7 Nov 2026)
- EVERYCAR, "CAR Catalogue & Record KDH201V / KDH206V TOYOTA", 21 Mar 2022
- EVERYCAR, "CAR Catalogue & Record HIACE COMMUTER TOYOTA", 30 Sep 2026
- The Citizen (Tanzania), "Importing a used car now costs more as Finance Act takes effect", 1 Jul 2026
- Clyde & Co, "Tanzania Tax Update: Finance Act 2026 Highlights", 3 Jul 2026
- East African Community, Customs and Excise duty tariff regimes (undated)
- TokyoCarZ, "How to import cars from Japan to Tanzania: full guide 2026", Mar 2026