Most money lost on car imports is not lost on a bad car. It is lost on a good car, from a real seller, paid to a bank account that an email quietly changed. The payment method and the checks around it matter as much as the car.
The short version
- Tie payment to evidence: an inspection, the bill of lading, or documents under a letter of credit.
- Verify bank details by phone on a number you already hold; treat any change of account as fraud until proven otherwise.
- In the UK, the scam-reimbursement scheme does not cover international payments.
- Some countries prescribe how an import is paid for.
Paying overseas, in one paragraph
Agree in writing what you pay, when, and against what evidence — a deposit to secure the car, the balance against an inspection report or the bill of lading, or the full amount through a letter of credit. Verify the seller's account independently before the first payment and before any payment to a changed account. Then pay, and keep the bank record with the car's file.
Telegraphic transfer, letters of credit and staged payment
| Method | How it works | Protects you by |
|---|---|---|
| Telegraphic transfer (TT) | A bank transfer to the seller's account | Nothing in itself — protection comes from the checks you make first |
| Staged payment | Deposit, then balance against inspection or shipment documents | Limiting what is at risk at each stage |
| Documentary letter of credit | Your bank pays the seller only against agreed documents, under the ICC's UCP 600 rules | Making payment conditional on documents such as the bill of lading |
| Payment against documents | Seller's bank releases the original bill of lading when you pay | Keeping control of the car until you pay |
A letter of credit checks documents, not cars: it pays when the papers conform, whatever the car's condition. It works best combined with an inspection certificate among the required documents. The ICC's trade finance pages describe the rules banks apply.
How payment fraud happens, and the checks that stop it
- Changed bank details. An email, apparently from the seller, announces a new account. Call the seller on a number you already hold before paying anything to it.
- A seller who does not exist. Check the company is registered in its own country, and that its address and phone predate your enquiry.
- A car that does not exist. Ask for a document only the real holder has — an auction sheet, a registration document — and a dated photograph with the chassis number visible.
- Pressure to pay now. Urgency is a sales technique and a fraud technique. A genuine deal survives a day of checks.
- A test payment. On a new account, send a small amount and confirm receipt by phone before the full sum.
What your bank will and will not refund
International transfers are outside the UK scheme
Since 7 October 2024, UK payment providers must reimburse most victims of authorised push-payment scams on Faster Payments and CHAPS, up to £85,000. The Payment Systems Regulator states that the requirement does not apply to international payments — so a transfer to an overseas seller is not covered.
Card protection has limits too: in the UK, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 covers single items with a cash price over £100 and not more than £30,000, so it does not reach most car purchases — and it is a consumer protection, not a trade one.
Payment and permit rules where you import
A few countries set rules on how a vehicle import is paid for, or link payment to a permit. Sri Lanka's import-licence guidelines, for example, require a letter of credit for licensed vehicle imports. Choose your country.
| Country | Licences and permits |
|---|---|
| No import licence is needed for a car, but a business importing stock needs a GB EORI number. | |
| No import licence is needed for a car; the import is declared to Revenue and the car registered through the NCTS. | |
| No separate import licence for a car was found in Transport Malta's guidance; the SVA certificate and customs clearance are the gates. | |
| Customs recommends contacting the Road Transport Department before importing, to confirm the car can be registered in Cyprus. | |
| No separate import licence is required; the importer needs a KRA PIN, or a certificate of incorporation for a company. | |
| No separate import licence for a car was found in TRA's guidance; the TBS certificate and TRA's assessment are the gates. | |
| No separate import licence for a car was found; the UNBS certificate and URA's assessment are the gates. | |
| MRA's motor-vehicles page does not cover import permits; confirm with the Mauritian authorities whether your vehicle needs one before it ships. | |
| An import permit from the Trade Board is required, and it must be obtained before the vehicle arrives in Jamaica. | |
| A licence from the Trade Licence Unit is required to import a used right-hand-drive vehicle, and dealer volumes are governed by quota rules. | |
| No import licence is needed; the gates are border inspection, biosecurity clearance and entry certification. | |
| An Import Control Licence is needed for a vehicle over the maximum age limit, and for licensed imports the guidelines require a letter of credit. |
Choose a country for its full rules and the official sources, checked 27 October 2026.
Licences and permits · United Kingdom
No import licence is needed for a car, but a business importing stock needs a GB EORI number.
- GOV.UK exempts only goods that are both uncontrolled and for personal use from the EORI requirement, so a dealer importing to sell needs one.
Currency and exchange rate · United Kingdom
Customs values are converted to pounds sterling at HMRC's monthly rate for the month of import.
- The rate is fixed for the whole calendar month, so a car that lands on the 1st and one that lands on the 30th convert at the same rate.
Sources for United Kingdom, checked 27 October 2026:
- Get an EORI number — GOV.UK
- Exchange rates for customs and VAT — UK Integrated Online Tariff
Licences and permits · Ireland
No import licence is needed for a car; the import is declared to Revenue and the car registered through the NCTS.
Currency and exchange rate · Ireland
Ireland's customs values are in euro, so a car priced in yen, sterling or dollars carries exchange-rate exposure until it is paid for.
Sources for Ireland, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importing vehicles and duty-free allowances — Revenue
- Importing a vehicle into Ireland — Citizens Information
Licences and permits · Malta
No separate import licence for a car was found in Transport Malta's guidance; the SVA certificate and customs clearance are the gates.
Currency and exchange rate · Malta
Malta's taxes are assessed in euro, so a car priced in yen or sterling carries exchange-rate exposure until it is paid for.
Sources for Malta, checked 27 October 2026:
- Registering a vehicle — documents required — Transport Malta
- Communication to guide customers importing new and used vehicles from the UK or other third countries (17 December 2020) — Transport Malta
- Vehicle registration tax calculator — Government of Malta
Licences and permits · Cyprus
Customs recommends contacting the Road Transport Department before importing, to confirm the car can be registered in Cyprus.
Currency and exchange rate · Cyprus
Customs values are in euro, so a car priced in yen or sterling carries exchange-rate exposure until it is paid for.
Sources for Cyprus, checked 27 October 2026:
- Vehicles from countries outside the European Union — on payment of import duty and VAT — Cyprus Customs & Excise Department
- Road Transport Department — Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works
Licences and permits · Kenya
No separate import licence is required; the importer needs a KRA PIN, or a certificate of incorporation for a company.
Currency and exchange rate · Kenya
Duties are assessed in Kenyan shillings, so a car priced in yen, sterling or dirhams carries exchange-rate exposure until the duty is paid.
Sources for Kenya, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importation procedure for motor vehicles — Kenya Revenue Authority
Licences and permits · Tanzania
No separate import licence for a car was found in TRA's guidance; the TBS certificate and TRA's assessment are the gates.
Currency and exchange rate · Tanzania
Duties are assessed in Tanzanian shillings, so a car priced in yen or sterling carries exchange-rate exposure until the duty is paid.
Sources for Tanzania, checked 27 October 2026:
Licences and permits · Uganda
No separate import licence for a car was found; the UNBS certificate and URA's assessment are the gates.
Currency and exchange rate · Uganda
Duties are assessed in Ugandan shillings, so a car priced in yen or sterling carries exchange-rate exposure until the duty is paid.
Sources for Uganda, checked 27 October 2026:
- The UNBS (Inspection and Clearance) Regulations, 2022 — Uganda National Bureau of Standards
- Uganda Revenue Authority — URA
Licences and permits · Mauritius
MRA's motor-vehicles page does not cover import permits; confirm with the Mauritian authorities whether your vehicle needs one before it ships.
Currency and exchange rate · Mauritius
Duties are assessed in Mauritian rupees, so a car priced in yen or sterling carries exchange-rate exposure until the duty is paid.
Sources for Mauritius, checked 27 October 2026:
- Customs — motor vehicles — Mauritius Revenue Authority
Licences and permits · Jamaica
An import permit from the Trade Board is required, and it must be obtained before the vehicle arrives in Jamaica.
- Certified dealers have no quantity limit for vehicles imported for resale.
- Individuals and non-dealer companies are limited in how many vehicles they may import every three years.
Currency and exchange rate · Jamaica
Duties are assessed in Jamaican dollars, so a car priced in yen or sterling carries exchange-rate exposure until the duty is paid.
Sources for Jamaica, checked 27 October 2026:
- Motor vehicle — general information — Trade Board Limited
Licences and permits · Trinidad and Tobago
A licence from the Trade Licence Unit is required to import a used right-hand-drive vehicle, and dealer volumes are governed by quota rules.
Currency and exchange rate · Trinidad and Tobago
Duties are assessed in Trinidad and Tobago dollars, so a car priced in yen or sterling carries exchange-rate exposure until the duty is paid.
Sources for Trinidad and Tobago, checked 27 October 2026:
- Trade Licence Unit — Ministry of Trade, Investment & Tourism
- Declaration for licence to import a used right-hand-drive vehicle — Ministry of Trade, Investment & Tourism
- Customs and Excise Division — Ministry of Finance
Licences and permits · New Zealand
No import licence is needed; the gates are border inspection, biosecurity clearance and entry certification.
Currency and exchange rate · New Zealand
GST is assessed in New Zealand dollars, so a car priced in yen carries exchange-rate exposure until it is paid for.
Sources for New Zealand, checked 27 October 2026:
- Importing a used vehicle — NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
- Fact sheet: importing goods for business or commercial use (April 2026) — New Zealand Customs Service
Licences and permits · Sri Lanka
An Import Control Licence is needed for a vehicle over the maximum age limit, and for licensed imports the guidelines require a letter of credit.
Currency and exchange rate · Sri Lanka
Duties are assessed in Sri Lankan rupees, so a car priced in yen carries exchange-rate exposure until it is paid for — and the letter of credit fixes when that happens.
Sources for Sri Lanka, checked 27 October 2026:
- Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report 2025 — Ministry of Finance, Sri Lanka
- Importation of a used motor vehicle under import control licence — Department of Import and Export Control
Payment controls the car through the bill of lading, and the rate you pay at is covered in currency risk for car importers. The commonest losses are listed in ten car import mistakes dealers make. When you are ready to price cars, you can send a dealer inquiry. The full process is in the dealer's guide to sourcing cars overseas.