Import a Toyota GR Yaris from Japan to Ireland: what it really costs
The homologation special built at Toyota’s Motomachi plant; Japanese RZ and RZ High Performance grades correspond to the European Circuit Pack car.
The GR Yaris is the modern performance import that makes sense on paper. It is Japanese-built, so duty-free with the right paperwork; it is a small petrol car, so the NOx levy is tens of euro; and Japan has far more of them than Ireland, where a new one lists above €80,000 and used ones are scarce.
The number that decides it is the Irish value. Revenue will value a GR Yaris against the cars for sale here, and at €45,000 the 35% band is €15,750 of VRT. The Japanese-market car has no EU type approval, so the CO2 figure that sets the band has to come from a disclosure; it should land close to the European car’s 186 g/km.
- Customs duty
- 0%
- With a Statement on Origin; 10% without one.
- VRT in the scenarios
- 35% to 35%
- of Revenue’s valuation, by CO2 band
- Landed, incl. fee
- €43,530 to €63,879
- 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 170, 186, 195 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 170–195 | Open in calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 RZ, 25,000 kmPetrol | ¥3,900,000 | €41,000 | 186 → band 19, 35% | €45,580 | €43,530–€48,040 | Open |
| 2021 RZ High Performance, 20,000 kmPetrol | ¥4,600,000 | €46,000 | 186 → band 19, 35% | €52,235 | €49,935–€54,995 | Open |
| 2023 RZ High Performance, 12,000 kmPetrol | ¥5,400,000 | €54,000 | 186 → band 19, 35% | €60,639 | €57,939–€63,879 | Open |
- 2020 RZ, 25,000 km: WLTP 186 g/km assumed from a disclosure matching the European car; value from the Irish used cluster for early cars.
- 2021 RZ High Performance, 20,000 km: The grade with the differentials; value at the September 2026 Irish average.
- 2023 RZ High Performance, 12,000 km: A late pre-facelift car; the value is an estimate because there are almost no Irish comparables this young.
VRT and the OMSP
At 186 g/km the GR Yaris sits in band 19 at 35%, five grams under the 41% band. A disclosure that came back above 190 g/km would add 6% of the Irish value, which is why the evidence step is worth doing before the bid rather than after the ship sails.
The Irish value is high because the new car is expensive here and used examples are few; Revenue will lean on the handful of Irish asking prices. Treat the OMSP as uncertain and read the range on the estimate, not the middle.
NOx levy
A small modern petrol engine: around 20 mg/km, a levy of about €100 with evidence and €600 without. The disclosure request that supplies the CO2 figure supplies the NOx figure too.
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: on a ¥4,600,000 car that is about €2,800 plus the VAT on it.
Built in: Japan (Toyota Motomachi, Aichi), on the dedicated GR line. Japanese-built, so the EU–Japan 0% duty rate applies with a Statement on Origin.
Insurance
Insurers treat the GR Yaris as the performance car it is; expect a specialist or an agreed-value policy, a premium to match, and questions about modifications. A young driver may struggle to insure one at all, imported or not.
Generations
- GXPA16 (2020 to 2024): the 1.6 three-cylinder turbo with 272 ps in Japanese trim, GR-Four all-wheel drive, in RC (stripped), RZ and RZ High Performance grades; the High Performance adds the Torsen differentials and forged wheels.
- Facelift (2024 on): 304 ps, a revised dashboard and the eight-speed automatic option. Prices in Japan are still close to new.
Before you bid
- Many Japanese GR Yaris have been tracked or modified. Read the auction sheet for a grade R (repaired) and for aftermarket parts, and check the chassis-number history for a car that has been through the auctions more than once.
- The RC grade is a stripped competition base without the differentials or the equipment; make sure of the grade before you bid.
- CO2 evidence comes from a disclosure, not a certificate of conformity; do it before the bid so the band is known.
- 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
- Irish listings in September 2026 averaged about €46,500 for used GR Yaris, with only a handful for sale, while a new 2026 car listed at €79,945 to €92,355 (cars.ie and DoneDeal).
- Japanese used prices in 2026 for a 2020 to 2021 RZ ran roughly ¥3,800,000 to ¥4,800,000 and RZ High Performance cars ¥4,500,000 to ¥5,500,000; unmodified, accident-free cars carry a premium (research assumption; directional).
- The European car’s WLTP figure is 186 g/km; the Japanese-specification car has no EU figure, so the scenarios assume a disclosure returns a value close to it.
Questions people ask
Is a GR Yaris duty-free to import from Japan?
Yes, with a Statement on Origin, because it is built at Toyota’s Motomachi plant. Without the statement, 10% of the customs value is charged.
What VRT band is a GR Yaris?
Band 19 at 35% on the European figure of 186 g/km, applied to Revenue’s Irish valuation. On a €46,000 value that is €16,100. A disclosure figure above 190 g/km would move it to 41%.
Is importing one cheaper than buying in Ireland?
Usually, because the Japanese purchase price is a fraction of the Irish one and Japan has stock. The landed cost in the scenarios sits close to the Irish asking prices once VRT is paid, so the saving is real but not enormous; it is the choice of cars that improves.
What about modified cars?
They are common and they are a risk. The auction sheet lists modifications and repairs, and a grade R car will be valued and insured accordingly. We would rather find a standard car than a cheaper modified one.
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 GR Yaris
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.