Import a Volkswagen Polo from Japan to Ireland: what it really costs
The second most imported model from Japan in 2025. European-built, so the VIN says Volkswagen but the duty position is the same as the Golf.
The Polo is the Golf’s smaller sibling in the import statistics too: 2,588 came in from Japan between January and September 2025 according to Cartell. Low mileage, automatic, and a size Irish buyers want.
It is built in Europe, so it pays the 10% duty, and the older 1.2 TSI cars carry NEDC figures that Revenue uplifts before banding. Both effects are in the scenarios.
- Customs duty
- 10%
- Built in Spain, so the EU–Japan rate does not apply.
- VRT in the scenarios
- 16% to 19.25%
- of Revenue’s valuation, by CO2 band
- Landed, incl. fee
- €11,378 to €17,611
- 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 115, 120, 133 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 115–133 | Open in calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 6C 1.2 TSI, 50,000 kmPetrol | ¥700,000 | €12,000 | 107 NEDC → 133 → band 13, 19.25% | €11,958 | €11,378–€11,858 | Open |
| 2019 AW 1.0 TSI, 40,000 kmPetrol | ¥1,000,000 | €15,000 | 118 → band 10, 16% | €14,259 | €14,147–€14,747 | Open |
| 2021 AW 1.0 TSI, 30,000 kmPetrol | ¥1,300,000 | €18,000 | 120 → band 10, 16% | €17,026 | €16,891–€17,611 | Open |
- 2017 6C 1.2 TSI, 50,000 km: European 1.2 TSI figures were around 107 g/km NEDC; Revenue’s uplift takes that to about 133 g/km. Price and value are assumptions.
- 2019 AW 1.0 TSI, 40,000 km: A WLTP figure around 118 g/km for the 95 PS 1.0 TSI with the DSG; price and value are assumptions.
- 2021 AW 1.0 TSI, 30,000 km: The facelifted AW carries a similar WLTP figure; price and value are assumptions.
VRT and the OMSP
Sold new here in every generation, so the OMSP is well established. Newer AW cars have WLTP figures on the Certificate of Conformity; the older 6C cars have NEDC figures that Revenue uplifts by × 0.9227 + 34.554, which moves a 107 g/km car into the 19% band.
That uplift is the trap on cheap older Polos: the purchase is cheap, but the VRT percentage is higher than on a newer car with a WLTP figure.
NOx levy
Euro 6 petrol Polos certify low NOx, so the levy is small with evidence and €600 without it. Older Euro 5 cars can certify higher; ask for the figure before you bid.
Without evidence Revenue charges €600 for petrol and hybrid cars, €4,850 for diesels.
Customs duty and origin
Not Japanese-built, so the EU–Japan 0% rate does not apply: 10% customs duty is charged on the customs value (car, Japan-side fees, freight and insurance), and VAT is then charged on top of the duty. Returned-goods relief only covers goods coming back to the EU within three years, so it does not help with a car exported new years ago. Budget for the 10%; the calculator applies it automatically from the VIN.
Built in: Europe, mainly Volkswagen’s Pamplona plant in Spain (some later cars from South Africa). Either way not Japanese-built, so the 10% duty rate applies.
Insurance
A mainstream model here, so insurance is straightforward. Insurers rate it as the equivalent Irish Polo; disclose that it is an import.
Generations
- 6R and 6C (2009–2018): 1.2 TSI with the seven-speed dry-clutch DSG. Figures are NEDC, so Revenue uplifts them.
- AW (2018 on): 1.0 TSI with WLTP figures around 115–125 g/km depending on output and wheels.
Before you bid
- Japan-market infotainment units carry Japanese maps and menus; budget for a replacement head unit or live with it.
- Dry-clutch seven-speed DSG gearboxes in the smaller petrol engines have a history of clutch and mechatronic repairs; ask for the service record and a cold-start test drive.
- 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
- Cartell (SIMI data via Autotrade.ie) counted 2,588 Polos imported from Japan between January and September 2025, second only to the Golf.
- Volkswagen was the biggest make imported from Japan in 2025 at 10,996 cars (DoneDeal Cars analysis reported by RTÉ, September 2026).
- We have not yet captured audited auction prices for the Polo. The scenarios use assumed prices; replace them with a real listing in the calculator.
Questions people ask
Do I pay customs duty on a Polo from Japan?
Yes. The Polo is built in Europe, not Japan, so the EU–Japan agreement does not apply and 10% duty is charged on the customs value. The VIN starts with W for Volkswagen, which is the manufacturer, not proof of a German plant, but the duty answer is the same.
Why does an older Polo pay a higher VRT percentage than a newer one?
Older cars carry NEDC CO2 figures, which Revenue uplifts to a WLTP equivalent before banding. A 107 g/km NEDC figure becomes about 133 g/km and lands in the 19% band, while a newer 1.0 TSI with a 118 g/km WLTP figure pays 16%.
Is the Polo a cheaper import than the Golf?
Usually cheaper to buy and to tax, and the same 10% duty applies. The worked scenarios show both cars at comparable ages so you can compare like for like.
Can I insure a Japan-market Polo in Ireland?
Yes, as a normal Polo. Disclose that it is an import and expect the insurer to rate it as the equivalent Irish trim.
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 Polo
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.