Import a Honda Vezel from Japan to Ireland: what it really costs
Sold as the HR-V in Ireland. The first-generation hybrid was Japan-only; the second-generation e:HEV is the same car Honda sells here.
The Vezel is the crossover version of the Fit: the same 1.5 hybrid system in a taller, roomier body, and the best-selling SUV in Japan for several years running. That makes it plentiful at auction, cheap for what it is, and increasingly common on Irish forecourts as a Japanese import.
The tax position follows the Fit’s. Japanese-built, so duty-free with a Statement on Origin; a small petrol hybrid, so a low VRT band and a levy in the tens of euro. The first-generation hybrid was never sold in Europe, so its CO2 figure comes from a disclosure; the second-generation e:HEV shares its figures with the Irish HR-V, which makes the paperwork simpler and Revenue’s valuation better anchored.
- Customs duty
- 0%
- With a Statement on Origin; 10% without one.
- VRT in the scenarios
- 13.5% to 16.75%
- of Revenue’s valuation, by CO2 band
- Landed, incl. fee
- €13,714 to €25,016
- across the scenarios and CO2 assumptions
- Exchange rate
- 180.94 ¥/€
- ECB, 18 Sept 2026, with the 2% buffer
Worked scenarios
Computed with the same engine as the calculator when this page was built. Prices and Irish values are assumptions. The right-hand range shows what happens when the CO2 evidence comes back at 100, 108, 122 g/km. Open any row and replace the assumptions with a real car.
| Car | Price in Japan | Irish value | CO2 → band | Landed incl. fee | CO2 100–122 | Open in calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 RU3 Hybrid X, 60,000 kmHybrid | ¥1,150,000 | €15,000 | 108 → band 8, 13.5% | €13,939 | €13,714–€14,427 | Open |
| 2018 RU3 Hybrid Z, 45,000 kmHybrid | ¥1,550,000 | €18,500 | 108 → band 8, 13.5% | €17,214 | €16,936–€17,815 | Open |
| 2021 RV5 e:HEV Z, 30,000 kmHybrid | ¥2,400,000 | €26,000 | 122 → band 11, 16.75% | €25,016 | €23,781–€25,016 | Open |
- 2016 RU3 Hybrid X, 60,000 km: A WLTP-equivalent CO2 of 108 g/km assumed from a disclosure; value from Irish first-generation imports.
- 2018 RU3 Hybrid Z, 45,000 km: The top first-generation grade after the 2018 facelift; same emissions assumptions.
- 2021 RV5 e:HEV Z, 30,000 km: WLTP 122 g/km from the Irish HR-V e:HEV; value from Irish 2021 HR-V listings.
VRT and the OMSP
The first-generation hybrid bands around 13.5% on a disclosed figure near 108 g/km; the e:HEV’s 122 g/km is band 11 at 16.75%. Both are far from the top bands, so the valuation is the bigger variable: the first generation has few Irish comparables, the second has the Irish HR-V to anchor it.
A 4WD car or a petrol non-hybrid Vezel carries a higher figure and a higher band; check the exact drivetrain on the auction sheet.
NOx levy
A small petrol hybrid: around 8 to 10 mg/km, a levy of about €40 to €50 with evidence and €600 without. The disclosure that supplies the CO2 figure supplies the NOx figure.
Without evidence Revenue charges €600 for petrol and hybrid cars, €4,850 for diesels.
Customs duty and origin
Japanese-built, so 0% customs duty applies under the EU–Japan agreement, provided the exporter supplies a Statement on Origin. Without it, 10% of the customs value is charged. Ask for the statement before you bid, not after.
Built in: Japan (Honda Yorii and Suzuka plants). Japanese-built, so the EU–Japan 0% duty rate applies with a Statement on Origin.
Insurance
The second generation is insured as an HR-V without comment. The first generation is a Japan-only model and some insurers will not have it on file; a broker with a Japanese-import product quotes them routinely.
Generations
- RU (2013 to 2021): 1.5 petrol and the 1.5 i-DCD hybrid with a dual-clutch gearbox, in G, X, Z and later RS grades, two-wheel drive or 4WD. Early dual-clutch cars had software and clutch recalls in Japan; a full service history matters.
- RV (2021 on): the second generation, e:HEV two-motor hybrid throughout, sold in Ireland as the HR-V e:HEV with a WLTP figure of about 122 g/km.
Before you bid
- First-generation i-DCD cars: check the dual-clutch gearbox service history and that the Japanese recalls were done.
- The Japanese Vezel has Japanese navigation and Honda Sensing prompts in Japanese; most buyers fit an aftermarket head unit.
- Japanese tyres often lack the E-mark the NCT requires: budget €300–600 for a set.
- The radio needs a band expander for Irish FM (Japan uses 76–90 MHz) and the navigation unit is in Japanese; most buyers fit an aftermarket head unit.
- Cars from snowy prefectures can carry underbody corrosion from road salt; ask for underside photos or an inspection before bidding.
- Book the NCTS appointment within 7 days of arrival and register within 30, or penalties apply.
Where the numbers come from
- Japanese exporter and auction listings in 2026 put 2016 to 2018 first-generation hybrids between roughly ¥1,000,000 and ¥1,700,000 depending on grade and mileage, and 2021 to 2022 e:HEV cars between ¥2,200,000 and ¥2,700,000 (research assumption; directional).
- Irish-registered HR-V e:HEV cars from 2021 and 2022 listed in the high twenties of thousands of euro in 2026; first-generation Vezel imports on Irish forecourts sat in the mid-to-high teens (research assumption from classifieds; directional).
- The first-generation hybrid has no European CO2 figure; the scenarios assume a disclosure returns a value near the Fit hybrid’s.
Questions people ask
Is a Honda Vezel the same as an HR-V?
The second generation is the same car, sold in Ireland as the HR-V e:HEV. The first-generation Vezel hybrid was Japan-only; Ireland got the first-generation HR-V as a petrol and diesel only.
Is a Vezel duty-free to import from Japan?
Yes, with a Statement on Origin, because it is built in Japan. Without the statement, 10% of the customs value is charged.
What VRT band is a Vezel hybrid?
Around 13.5% for the first generation on a disclosed figure near 108 g/km, and 16.75% for the e:HEV at 122 g/km, applied to Revenue’s Irish valuation.
Is it cheaper than a Honda Fit to import?
No, it is the same system in a dearer body: expect to pay more in Japan and more here. It is cheaper than an Irish HR-V of the same year, which is the comparison that matters.
How long does the import take?
Typically 8 to 14 weeks from auction to Irish plates: a week or two in Japan for deregistration and export paperwork, four to six at sea, then customs clearance, the NCTS appointment and registration.
Price a real Vezel
Put a real auction listing into the calculator: hammer price, mileage and the CO2 figure if you have it. You get every cost line and a range, and you can send it to us for sourcing from there.
Other models
Rules version 2026-09-17. Estimates only; VRT is assessed by Revenue at registration. Page computed at build time; the calculator uses the exchange rate of the day.