Checking your Japanese vehicle export documents

Check the chassis reference, consignee and destination before your car leaves Japan.

Start with the exact vehicle reference. Compare the chassis number on the commercial invoice, Japanese Export Certificate and available vehicle photographs. Ask for any discrepancy to be resolved in writing before payment or shipment. A model name alone is not enough to identify a particular car.

Confirm the consignee name, contact details, discharge port and document delivery address with your clearing agent. The Bill of Lading records the shipment; ask whether originals or an agreed release procedure will be used. Do not assume a scan alone will release your vehicle.

Requirements differ by destination. Your broker should confirm translation, pre-shipment inspection and import-approval requirements before purchase. The destination guides on this site describe the planning document pack, but they are not a substitute for current instructions from the relevant authority.

Keep the quotation, payment receipts, inspection material and shipping correspondence together. Ask the export desk when each document will be available and who is responsible for each outstanding step. Destination duties, taxes, storage and registration are separate from Japan export preparation; confirm those costs with your broker.