An odometer is a number on a dial. A mileage history is a series of readings recorded by someone else, on known dates. Only the second is evidence, and several source markets publish it — if you know where to look.
The short version
- Japan records the odometer at each statutory inspection (shaken).
- The UK publishes readings from every computerised MOT test, free on GOV.UK.
- A reading lower than an earlier one, or long gaps, need an explanation before you pay.
- Where mileage cannot be verified, say so when you sell the car.
Mileage checks, in one paragraph
Before buying, collect every recorded reading for the car from the source market's official records, put them in date order, and check that they only ever rise, at a believable rate. Compare the latest recorded reading with the odometer in the photographs and on the auction sheet or advert. Anything that goes down, or does not fit, needs a documented explanation, such as a replaced instrument cluster.
Where mileage records live in each source market
| Market | Official record | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Readings taken at each shaken inspection, supplied by AIRIA | Includes the highest recorded reading and its date where a reading went down; linked to the export certificate's reference number |
| United Kingdom | GOV.UK MOT history | Readings at each MOT; cars under three years old have no MOT yet |
| Elsewhere | Service records, registration and inspection records where the market keeps them | Ask the seller for the official record the market holds |
Japan's statutory inspection runs on a fixed cycle — the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sets it at three years for a new private car and two years after that — so a Japanese car's record has regularly spaced readings. AIRIA, the body that provides inspection-registration data, makes them available. See importing cars from Japan as a dealer.
Signs the reading is wrong
- A recorded reading lower than an earlier one.
- A long gap in the record with no explanation.
- Wear on the pedals, seat bolster and steering wheel out of keeping with the reading.
- An odometer reading on the auction sheet or advert that differs from the official record.
- A replaced instrument cluster with no paperwork.
Inspection rules where you import
Some destinations require an inspection that also checks the car's documents and identity before it ships. Choose your country.
| Country | Inspection before or after shipping |
|---|---|
| No pre-shipment inspection is required; the checks happen after the car lands. | |
| No pre-shipment inspection is required; the car is examined at an NCTS centre when it is registered. | |
| A used car from outside the EU needs a Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) certificate confirming it can be registered in the EU and stating its CO₂ emissions. | |
| No pre-shipment inspection is required; the car passes an MOT and gets a CO₂ certificate from the Road Transport Department before registration. | |
| Every used vehicle is inspected for roadworthiness by a KEBS-appointed agent in the country of export, and arrives with a Certificate of Roadworthiness. | |
| Used vehicles are checked against Tanzanian standards by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards — before shipment where TBS has an agent in the exporting country, or on arrival where it does not. | |
| Every used vehicle needs a Certificate of Roadworthiness from the country of export under the UNBS pre-export verification programme. | |
| MRA's customs page sets no pre-shipment inspection; the car is examined for registration in Mauritius. | |
| A used vehicle from the USA, the UK, Japan, Singapore or the UAE needs a pre-shipment inspection certificate, and every used vehicle must be sanitised before shipment. | |
| Confirm with the Trade Licence Unit whether your vehicle needs an inspection certificate before it ships. | |
| Every imported used car has a border inspection by an NZTA-approved organisation and must be cleared for biosecurity by MPI. | |
| For a licensed import, the guidelines require an assessment report from an accepted institution in the exporting country and a certificate that the car is free of mud and soil. |
Choose a country for its full rules and the official sources, checked 27 October 2026.
Inspection before or after shipping · United Kingdom
No pre-shipment inspection is required; the checks happen after the car lands.
- Vehicle approval (usually IVA) for a car under 10 years old, carried out by DVSA in the UK.
- An MOT for a car over three years old, before registration.
Sources for United Kingdom, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importing vehicles into the UK — GOV.UK
- Vehicle approval — GOV.UK (DVSA)
- Vehicle registration: new registrations — GOV.UK (DVLA)
Inspection before or after shipping · Ireland
No pre-shipment inspection is required; the car is examined at an NCTS centre when it is registered.
Sources for Ireland, checked 27 October 2026:
Inspection before or after shipping · Malta
A used car from outside the EU needs a Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) certificate confirming it can be registered in the EU and stating its CO₂ emissions.
Sources for Malta, checked 27 October 2026:
- SOPV 02 — Registering and licensing of new and used motor vehicles (January 2026) — Transport Malta
- Registering a vehicle — documents required — Transport Malta
Inspection before or after shipping · Cyprus
No pre-shipment inspection is required; the car passes an MOT and gets a CO₂ certificate from the Road Transport Department before registration.
Sources for Cyprus, checked 27 October 2026:
- Running and growing your business — registering a vehicle — Business in Cyprus (Government of Cyprus)
- Road Transport Department — Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works
Inspection before or after shipping · Kenya
Every used vehicle is inspected for roadworthiness by a KEBS-appointed agent in the country of export, and arrives with a Certificate of Roadworthiness.
Sources for Kenya, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importation procedure for motor vehicles — Kenya Revenue Authority
- KEBS: only newer vehicles to be allowed (report of the KEBS notice of 17 November 2025) — Business Today (press report of the official notice)
Inspection before or after shipping · Tanzania
Used vehicles are checked against Tanzanian standards by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards — before shipment where TBS has an agent in the exporting country, or on arrival where it does not.
- TRA will not register the car until TBS has issued its roadworthiness certificate.
Sources for Tanzania, checked 27 October 2026:
- Tanzania Bureau of Standards — TBS
- Central Motor Vehicle Registration System — guide — Tanzania Revenue Authority
Inspection before or after shipping · Uganda
Every used vehicle needs a Certificate of Roadworthiness from the country of export under the UNBS pre-export verification programme.
- UNBS states that the certificate is valid for twelve months from issue; a vehicle with an expired one goes to destination inspection instead.
Sources for Uganda, checked 27 October 2026:
- The UNBS (Inspection and Clearance) Regulations, 2022 — Uganda National Bureau of Standards
- Notice on certificates of roadworthiness for used motor vehicles — Uganda National Bureau of Standards
Inspection before or after shipping · Mauritius
MRA's customs page sets no pre-shipment inspection; the car is examined for registration in Mauritius.
Sources for Mauritius, checked 27 October 2026:
- Customs — motor vehicles — Mauritius Revenue Authority
- National Land Transport Authority — NLTA
Inspection before or after shipping · Jamaica
A used vehicle from the USA, the UK, Japan, Singapore or the UAE needs a pre-shipment inspection certificate, and every used vehicle must be sanitised before shipment.
- The Trade Board rejects an import-permit application for a used vehicle without its pre-shipment inspection certificate.
Sources for Jamaica, checked 27 October 2026:
- Pre-shipment inspection criteria (February 2023) — Trade Board Limited
- Motor vehicle — general information — Trade Board Limited
Inspection before or after shipping · Trinidad and Tobago
Confirm with the Trade Licence Unit whether your vehicle needs an inspection certificate before it ships.
Sources for Trinidad and Tobago, checked 27 October 2026:
- Trade Licence Unit — Ministry of Trade, Investment & Tourism
Inspection before or after shipping · New Zealand
Every imported used car has a border inspection by an NZTA-approved organisation and must be cleared for biosecurity by MPI.
- Cars exported from Japan go through an MPI-approved biosecurity system in Japan, and the border inspection can be done there before shipping.
- From any other country, the border inspection is arranged in New Zealand before Customs clearance is given.
Sources for New Zealand, checked 27 October 2026:
- Step 3: Border inspection — NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
- Importing vehicles, machinery, and parts — Ministry for Primary Industries
Inspection before or after shipping · Sri Lanka
For a licensed import, the guidelines require an assessment report from an accepted institution in the exporting country and a certificate that the car is free of mud and soil.
Sources for Sri Lanka, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importation of a used motor vehicle under import control licence — Department of Import and Export Control
Selling a car whose history crossed a border
A car's history abroad does not always follow it into your country's records. Keep the source market's mileage record in the car's file, and describe the mileage to buyers as verified only where you can show the record. Consumer law generally requires a trader's car to be as described, and a stated mileage is part of the description. See registering imported cars for resale.
Mileage is one of several checks before payment, alongside the pre-shipment inspection and the auction sheet — see buying cars at overseas auctions. With cars shortlisted, you can send a dealer inquiry. The full process is in the dealer's guide to sourcing cars overseas.