Import a Toyota Vitz from Japan to Tanzania
The Vitz is a small 1.0L or 1.3L city car. Japanese stock runs up to 2019, so you can choose a younger car than with most models. Here is what exporters ask and how TRA tax is worked out.
Ask us about a Toyota Vitz / Yaris WhatsApp us
Updated 7 November 2026
Why the Vitz sells in Tanzania
An exporter guide (TokyoCarZ, March 2026) lists the Vitz and Passo as city cars that sip fuel, suit traffic and are affordable.
The same guide says cars like this often cost 20 – 40% less in Japan, before shipping and taxes, than at a local dealership. That is one guide's claim, but it is the reason people import directly.
BE FORWARD calls the Vitz one of the best-selling hatchbacks in its list of popular cars in Tanzania under USD 1,600. Tanzanian buyers search for both the "new model" and the "old model" Vitz.
Years, engines and grades in Japanese stock
| 2000 – 2004 | NCP13 and NCP15. |
|---|---|
| 2006 – 2010 | NCP91 and NCP95. |
| 2012 – 2019 | NSP130 and NSP135 1.3L; KSP130 1.0L (996cc). |
| Grades seen | F, U, 1.3F, 1.3U, 1.0F Smile Edition, F LED Edition, F Smart Style, Jewela, F Safety Edition III. |
| Newest in stock | 2019. |
| Mileage seen | About 23,000 – 227,000 km; most 2012 – 2017 cars show 30,000 – 95,000 km. |
| Stock in Japan | 482 Vitzes on TCV on 7 November 2026. |
What exporters in Japan ask for a Vitz
USD 1,640 – 6,763 FOB
Dealer asking prices in Japan, checked 7 November 2026
Six listings from five different exporters on TCV: a 2012 1.0L at the low end, a 2019 1.3L F Safety Edition III at the top.
A 2016 – 2018 car is the year range to look at first under the July 2026 rules, and there are plenty of them in stock.
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 Toyota Vitz landed in Dar es Salaam is built. We do not show a total: the TRA used-car calculator could not be reached when we checked on 7 November 2026, and some of the July 2026 excise rules are still unclear.
| Car price (FOB) | Our price for the car in Japan in your quote, including the auction purchase and transport to the port. |
|---|---|
| Freight to Dar es Salaam (RoRo) | Broker estimates for a sedan are about USD 1,100 – 2,000 (undated, low confidence). We quote the current rate for your car. |
| TBS inspection in Japan | Required before the car 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: car price plus freight and insurance. |
| Excise by age | About 18% for 2016 – 2018 cars, 35% for about 2006 – 2015 cars, 40% for about 2005 and older. 2019 cars: no rate found under 8 years. From 1 July 2026. |
| Excise by engine size | 1.0L: 5% from 1 July 2026. 1.3L and 1.5L: guides disagree (0% or 5%). Whether this adds to the age excise is not clear. 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 (single source). Ask your clearing agent. |
Rates come from news reports, a law-firm summary and exporter guides read on 7 November 2026, not from TRA. Which years fall in which age band is our own rough reading, because how TRA counts age is not published in what we read. Confirm the total with your clearing agent or the TRA calculator before you pay a deposit.
Tanzania rules that matter for the Vitz
1.0L Vitz: new 5% excise
The 1.0L Vitz (KSP130, 996cc) is a car of 1,000cc or less. These used to be exempt from engine excise; from 1 July 2026 they pay 5%. The 1.3L and 1.5L versions are above 1,000cc, where guides give different rates. Confirm with your clearing agent.
Age excise: 2016 – 2018 cars pay less
From 1 July 2026 Tanzania charges excise of 18% on cars more than 8 and up to 10 years old, 35% on more than 10 and up to 20 years, and 40% on cars over 20 years. Roughly, a 2016 – 2018 Vitz falls in the 18% band and a 2012 – 2015 car in the 35% band. A 2019 car is about 7 years old; the reports we read give no rate under 8 years. Age is counted from the year of manufacture, and exporters usually list the registration year, so we ask for the manufacture date before you choose.
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 Vitz to Tanzania: questions buyers ask
What is the Toyota Vitz price in Tanzania?
We cannot give one price, because it depends on the car's year, grade and condition and on Tanzanian tax. In Japan, exporters were asking USD 1,640 – 6,763 FOB for the Vitzs we checked on 7 November 2026. Freight, inspection, import duty, excise, VAT and clearing come on top. Send us your budget and we tell you which years fit.
New model or old model Vitz: which is better to import to Tanzania?
Under the July 2026 rules a younger car pays less age excise. The 2012 – 2019 cars (NSP130, KSP130) are the newest in Japanese stock: a 2016 – 2018 car is roughly in the 18% band, while a 2012 – 2015 car pays 35% and older cars 35% or 40%. Tell us your budget and we compare years for you.
Does the 1.0L Vitz pay less tax in Tanzania?
Not automatically. Since 1 July 2026 cars of 1,000cc or less pay a new 5% excise, where they used to pay none. The 1.3L is in a band the guides disagree on. Your clearing agent can compare both for the exact cars.
Can you ship a Vitz to Dar es Salaam for me?
Yes. We bid at the auction in Japan, arrange the TBS inspection, ship the car to Dar es Salaam and send your clearing agent the documents. You approve the auction sheet and photos before we buy, and you pay a company account only.
Other models we help with here
Read our full Tanzania import guide
Sources
- TCV, used Toyota Vitz stock listings from Japanese exporters (read 7 Nov 2026)
- TanzaniaInvest, Finance Bill 2026 tax changes
- BE FORWARD blog, "Most popular used cars in Tanzania under $1,600"
- 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
- TokyoCarZ, "How to import cars from Japan to Tanzania: full guide 2026", Mar 2026
- logi-net, Import regulations in Tanzania for Japan used cars (undated)