Import guide
Importing a Japanese car into Pakistan
How importing a Japanese car into Pakistan works: the import schemes, pre-shipment inspection, shipping, customs clearance and your delivery options.
By Cathect Trading Co Published
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Last reviewed: . Rules change. We confirm the current rules for your specific car before we buy it.
How we help
We buy the car you want at auction in Japan, prepare the Japanese export documentation and ship the car to Pakistan. When it arrives you choose how to receive it:
- Door-step delivery. We arrange delivery from the port to your address.
- Port pickup, you clear the car yourself. You collect the car from the port and handle the import documents yourself.
- Port pickup with a clearing service. You collect the car from the port and a clearing service, ours or a third party, handles the import documents.
Before you ask for a quote
Pakistan, like Japan, drives on the left, so Japanese-market cars are right-hand drive.
The rules on who can import a car, and under which scheme, have changed in 2026:
- Personal Baggage scheme. Importing cars under the Personal Baggage scheme has been abolished (SRO 61(I)/2026 of 15 January 2026).
- Gift and Transfer of Residence schemes. These remain for overseas Pakistanis, with stricter conditions. There is a one-year ban on selling or transferring a car imported under either scheme, and under the Transfer of Residence scheme the car must come from the country where you live. The schemes also have conditions on the car's age, how long you have lived abroad and how often you can import. We confirm the current conditions for you before we buy.
- Commercial imports. Commercial import conditions, including any age limit, have been changing. We confirm the current rule before we buy.
Pre-shipment inspection
Cars imported from Japan need a pre-shipment inspection (PSI) certificate. We confirm the current PSI requirement before shipping.
Arrival and delivery options
We ship the car from Japan to Pakistan, usually to Karachi or Port Qasim; the port is confirmed at booking.
If you choose port pickup, you or your clearing service collect the car once customs has released it. If you choose door-step delivery, we arrange delivery to your address.
Customs clearance
The car must be cleared through customs before it leaves the port. You can do this yourself, use our clearing service or use a third-party clearing agent.
Official sources
- Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)
- Ministry of Commerce
- Dawn, 20 August 2026: car imports under the Personal Baggage scheme abolished
Frequently asked questions
Do you ship to Pakistan?
Yes. We buy the car at auction in Japan, handle the Japanese export paperwork and ship it to Pakistan.
Who clears the car through customs in Pakistan?
You can clear the car yourself, use our clearing service or use a third-party clearing service. If you choose door-step delivery, we arrange delivery to your address.
Where can I check the current Pakistan import rules?
Check the official Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Customs websites, or ask your clearing agent, before you request a car.