Import a Nissan Silvia from Japan to Ireland: what it really costs
S13 (1988 to 1993), S14 (1993 to 1998) and S15 (1999 to 2002): the rear-drive coupé with the SR20DET turbo that the drift world made famous.
The Silvia is three cars and two tax positions. Every S13 and most S14s are over 30 in 2026 and pay €200 of VRT with no NOx levy and no CO2 evidence; the S15, the one everyone wants, was built from 1999 and does not reach 30 until 2029 at the earliest. Registered before then, an S15 with no CO2 evidence is banded at 41% of a valuation that has climbed for years.
Silvias have also been drifted, crashed and rebuilt in greater proportion than almost any other Japanese car. Clean, original examples exist and are priced as such; the chassis-number history and the auction sheet separate them from the rest.
- Customs duty
- 0%
- With a Statement on Origin; 10% without one.
- VRT in the scenarios
- 0% to 0%
- of Revenue’s valuation, by CO2 band
- Landed, incl. fee
- €19,420 to €33,432
- 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. Open any row and replace the assumptions with a real car.
| Car | Price in Japan | Irish value | CO2 → band | Landed incl. fee | Open in calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 S13 K’s SR20DET, 120,000 kmPetrol | ¥2,200,000 | €22,000 | 35 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €19,420 | Open |
| 1996 S14 K’s Aero, 90,000 kmPetrol | ¥2,800,000 | €26,000 | 30 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €23,624 | Open |
| 2000 S15 Spec-R, 70,000 km, registered after its 30th birthdayPetrol · registered 1 Jun 2030 | ¥4,200,000 | €40,000 | 30 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €33,432 | Open |
- 1991 S13 K’s SR20DET, 120,000 km: A grade 3.5 to 4 car with the SR20DET; price from the 2026 range, value an estimate. Over 30, so €200 VRT.
- 1996 S14 K’s Aero, 90,000 km: A facelift S14, 30 years old in April 2026; price from 2026 listings, value an estimate.
- 2000 S15 Spec-R, 70,000 km, registered after its 30th birthday: An S15 that is 26 years old today, priced as registered in June 2030 when it turns 30. Registered today it would be banded at 41% of €40,000, about €16,400, instead of €200; the wait would have to happen in Japan (V21, V25).
VRT and the OMSP
S13s and pre-1997 S14s pay €200. An S15 registered before 2029 has no CO2 evidence and is banded at 41% of Revenue’s valuation: on €40,000, about €16,400. The first-registration month on the export certificate decides which side of the line a 1996 or 1997 S14 falls.
The S15 is the car whose economics depend entirely on timing. A car kept in Ireland must be registered within 30 days of arrival, track use or not, so the wait for the 30th birthday has to happen in Japan; we are pricing exporter storage (V25) and confirming the position with Revenue (V21). The S15 has its own page under the drift and motorsport hub.
NOx levy
None on a car registered at 30 years or more, as the engine and the secondary sources have it; we are confirming this with Revenue (V20). Registered younger, a 1990s petrol car with no NOx evidence pays the €600 default on top of the 41% band.
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 with a Statement on Origin from the exporter, exactly as for a modern car. Heading 9705, the collectors’-piece classification, is the route to 0% duty for a car over 30 that was built somewhere else; on a Japanese-built car it adds nothing, and it does not reduce the VAT: Revenue charges the standard 23% on a vintage car that will be driven, and the 13.5% collectors’ rate is for a piece kept off the road (V19).
Built in: Japan (Nissan). Japanese-built, so the EU–Japan 0% duty rate applies with a Statement on Origin.
Insurance
Specialist or classic policies for the older cars, with agreed value, limited mileage and a minimum driver age; the Silvia’s drift reputation makes insurers ask about modifications and younger drivers are often refused. Motor tax at the €56 vintage rate over 30; the NCT still applies until 40.
Generations
- S13 (1988 to 1993): CA18DET then, from 1991, the SR20DET in the K’s; the 180SX is the hatchback twin. All over 30 in 2026.
- S14 (1993 to 1998): the wider car, K’s Aero with the SR20DET, facelifted in 1996. Cars built up to 1996 are over 30 now; 1997 and 1998 cars follow.
- S15 (1999 to 2002): Spec-R with the six-speed and 250 ps, Spec-S naturally aspirated. None reaches 30 before 2029.
Before you bid
- Drift history: welded differentials, hydraulic handbrakes, cut springs and coil-overs all appear on cars that read as standard in the photographs; the auction sheet and a specialist inspection tell the truth.
- Crash repair: check the front chassis rails and the rear quarters; grade R is common and should be priced as such.
- SR20DET health: compression, boost leaks and the turbo; a stock turbo car with history is the one to buy.
- The 30-year date to the month for 1996 and 1997 S14s; no S15 qualifies before 2029.
- Japanese tyres often lack the E-mark the NCT requires: budget €300–600 for a set.
Where the numbers come from
- Japanese auction and exporter prices in 2026 ran roughly ¥1,800,000 to ¥3,000,000 for an honest S13 K’s, ¥2,200,000 to ¥3,500,000 for an S14 K’s, and ¥3,500,000 to ¥6,000,000 for an S15 Spec-R, with clean unmodified cars at the top of each (research assumption; directional).
- Irish and UK classifieds carry few Silvias; the Irish values below are estimates for insurance and the estimate range, and for the cars over 30 they do not affect the tax.
- Modified cars are the majority at auction; a standard car carries a premium that is worth paying for insurance and resale.
Questions people ask
How much VRT does a Silvia pay?
€200 for any car that is 30 years old or more on the day it is registered: every S13 and the S14s built up to 1996 now. An S15 registered before 2029 is banded at 41% of Revenue’s valuation because there is no CO2 evidence.
Can I import an S15 now and register it when it turns 30?
Not by keeping it unregistered in Ireland: a vehicle kept in the State must be registered within 30 days of arrival, and possession of an unregistered vehicle is an offence. The lawful route is storage in Japan until the date, which we are pricing (V25) and confirming with Revenue (V21). The calculator shows both dates side by side.
Is a Silvia duty-free?
Yes, with a Statement on Origin, because it was built in Japan. Heading 9705 adds nothing to a Japanese-built car: the duty is already nil and the VAT stays at 23% for a car that will be driven.
What does an S13 or S14 cost landed?
Roughly €20,000 to €28,000 at 2026 prices for the cars in the scenarios: the yen price, shipping and fees, 23% VAT on all of that, €200 of VRT, the Irish-side costs and the fee.
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 Silvia
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.