Importing classic and used cars to Sri Lanka

[Peshala Prabhapoorna]

Can someone please acknowledge me about the rules and regulations regarding importing classic and used cars to Sri Lanka. 

[Crosswind]

Yes. You need to get a cabinet paper approved through the parliament. Thereafter, you can bring one over.

All the best.

[Peshala Prabhapoorna]

44 minutes ago, Crosswind said:

Yes. You need to get a cabinet paper approved through the parliament. Thereafter, you can bring one over.

All the best.

Thanks man?

 

[kush]

You don't need a cabinet paper, i believe there is provision through import control department.

You need to get a import license giving details of the vehicle, they will be able to help you out

Duty will be the other issue, will need to touch base with customs for that

Lot of red tape and running around

[vag2]

I see another loophole which would be abused by crooks and the market will be flooding with post 90s vehicles. Then of course the loophole will be closed and no one would be able to bring in even a genuine classic car more than 30years old.

[tilvin]

10 hours ago, Crosswind said:

Yes. You need to get a cabinet paper approved through the parliament. Thereafter, you can bring one over.

All the best.

Don't give this idea to our politicos....?. Don't know how many of them are looking at this forum. May be OP is one of them....?

[iRage]

12 hours ago, vag2 said:

I see another loophole which would be abused by crooks and the market will be flooding with post 90s vehicles. Then of course the loophole will be closed and no one would be able to bring in even a genuine classic car more than 30years old.

ALready happened decades ago....so no one can bring one anyway....

 

On 4/14/2019 at 3:36 AM, Peshala Prabhapoorna said:

Can someone please acknowledge me about the rules and regulations regarding importing classic and used cars to Sri Lanka. 

You don't need a cabinet paper....if it actually is a classic car (or a car that has been with the family abroad for like forever and has sentimental value) you can bring it down. However, with the cost involved you would not want to bring down the latter.

You need to go to Import Control and the Ministry of Finance and ask for special approval. They will issue you a special import permit depending on your case. However, it is the taxation that screws you up. They will tax the car based on market value (for example in case of a rare classic) or tax it based on the value of a brand new vehicle of the specific model, depending on which is higher.

For example a 20 year old Corolla that costs 2000USD in Japan will be valued at the price of a brand new Corolla which would be about 17,000USD). 

[MrCat]

I sincerely hope there`ll be a legitimate method to import a “self-owned” classic in future by paying a reasonable amount of tax. Even if I had to show proof of ownership, go through import control etc..

On a different note, what if I never register the car and never intend to use it on public roads? Is it still the same tax structure at the moment?  Does anyone know?

 

[iRage]

1 hour ago, MrCat said:

I sincerely hope there`ll be a legitimate method to import a “self-owned” classic in future by paying a reasonable amount of tax. Even if I had to show proof of ownership, go through import control etc..

On a different note, what if I never register the car and never intend to use it on public roads? Is it still the same tax structure at the moment?  Does anyone know?

 

By taxes i meant import duty (which is a composition of different taxes), Makes no difference if you register it or not...you still have to pay them at the time of import when clearing the vehicle. In fact if you do not register it..you will get fined someday when you do register it and get the revenue license for it. Also, not registering it is too much of a risk due o theft, etc.. without registering the car you won't be able to insure it or anything of the sort.

[Peshala Prabhapoorna]

On 4/15/2019 at 6:02 AM, iRage said:

ALready happened decades ago....so no one can bring one anyway....

 

You don't need a cabinet paper....if it actually is a classic car (or a car that has been with the family abroad for like forever and has sentimental value) you can bring it down. However, with the cost involved you would not want to bring down the latter.

You need to go to Import Control and the Ministry of Finance and ask for special approval. They will issue you a special import permit depending on your case. However, it is the taxation that screws you up. They will tax the car based on market value (for example in case of a rare classic) or tax it based on the value of a brand new vehicle of the specific model, depending on which is higher.

For example a 20 year old Corolla that costs 2000USD in Japan will be valued at the price of a brand new Corolla which would be about 17,000USD). 

Thanks for sharing that information?

[Boseth Minidu]

Hi I want to import a 1990 Honda NSX to Sri Lanka that I really like.I would like to know If I am able to import that specific model of the car with some kind of special permission as I heard the maximum age to import a car is 3 years

[Boseth Minidu]

On 4/14/2019 at 7:26 AM, Crosswind said:

Yes. You need to get a cabinet paper approved through the parliament. Thereafter, you can bring one over.

All the best.

Can I bring a 1990 Honda NSX NA1 to Sri Lanka?

[iRage]

6 hours ago, Boseth Minidu said:

Hi I want to import a 1990 Honda NSX to Sri Lanka that I really like.I would like to know If I am able to import that specific model of the car with some kind of special permission as I heard the maximum age to import a car is 3 years

Welcome to the forum...please try to keep your question in a single thread so that it is easier for members to answer you.

In order to import an old car you need to apply for special approval. This also includes a a letter from the Classic Car Club of Sri Lanka that endorses the car you want to import as a valid classic car. So after yo upurchase the car you need to go about getting all these approvals and then you will be given a permit. When your car arrives and you are clearing it..you will have to pay the same taxes as for a brand new car (because taxes are charged per CC).

The above used to be the process. Since car imports are indefinitely banned the above might not be allowed.

[Boseth Minidu]

Thank you for the info

[john cooper]

This is the best i could find for you. looks like max is about 10 years from the manufacture date.

http://gic.gov.lk/gic/index.php/en/component/info/?id=415&catid=65&task=info

regards,

JC

[iRage]

9 hours ago, john cooper said:

This is the best i could find for you. looks like max is about 10 years from the manufacture date.

http://gic.gov.lk/gic/index.php/en/component/info/?id=415&catid=65&task=info

regards,

JC

This is a permit that was issued for Sri Lankans working abroad and returning to Sri Lanka to bring down the car they used inthe foreign country. Some called this the blue permit..others the pink. This permit in actuality is pink in color and the gift permit was blue. Both the gift permit and this started around the sametime but this lasted a few years longer than the gift permit. However, this was cancelled 3 or 4 years ago. The only way to bring any car that is older than 3 years  now is the one I described above (which probably too had been put on hold with the import ban)

Edited January 8, 2021 by iRage

[Boseth Minidu]

Can anyone tell me the Taxes we have to pay on a 1990 Honda NA1 NSX?Like what kind of Taxes we have to pay

Edited January 8, 2021 by Boseth Minidu

[iRage]

10 hours ago, Boseth Minidu said:

Can anyone tell me the Taxes we have to pay on a 1990 Honda NA1 NSX?Like what kind of Taxes we have to pay

It is a case of...if youhve to ask then you cannot afford it.

You will pay excise duty based on CC units. Plus a few other varied taxes such as luxury tax (100% for a petrol car exceeding 3.5mil).

I cannot remember the per CC excise duty price rate for the 3000cc bracket...ut jus tto give you an idea...a 2000cc engined car has an excise duty of about 11mil LKR. Plus you will have to pay a 100% luxury tax....so right there itself you will be paying about 24mil in taxes for a 2000cc vehicle the same price as a NSX NA1. SO a 3L car is going to be even pricier. In addition you will have to pay things like VAT on cetain components. 

In SL exchange rate pays a huge part in this as well. For example...a Premio FEX is on average about 2.3mil yen...at one point this translated to about 3.4mil LKR...but now it costs nearly 4.3mil...so at one brief point of time it did not attract Luxury tax whilst later it did (which is why car sales people would purchase F L Packages, lowest grade, costing only about 1.7mil and stuck fake badges and stuff after it arrived in the country)

[Boseth Minidu]

1 hour ago, iRage said:

It is a case of...if youhve to ask then you cannot afford it.

You will pay excise duty based on CC units. Plus a few other varied taxes such as luxury tax (100% for a petrol car exceeding 3.5mil).

I cannot remember the per CC excise duty price rate for the 3000cc bracket...ut jus tto give you an idea...a 2000cc engined car has an excise duty of about 11mil LKR. Plus you will have to pay a 100% luxury tax....so right there itself you will be paying about 24mil in taxes for a 2000cc vehicle the same price as a NSX NA1. SO a 3L car is going to be even pricier. In addition you will have to pay things like VAT on cetain components. 

In SL exchange rate pays a huge part in this as well. For example...a Premio FEX is on average about 2.3mil yen...at one point this translated to about 3.4mil LKR...but now it costs nearly 4.3mil...so at one brief point of time it did not attract Luxury tax whilst later it did (which is why car sales people would purchase F L Packages, lowest grade, costing only about 1.7mil and stuck fake badges and stuff after it arrived in the country)

Thanks for the info.This is my first time importing a car.As well as a classic car

[iRage]

On 1/9/2021 at 12:39 PM, Boseth Minidu said:

Thanks for the info.This is my first time importing a car.As well as a classic car

Well...if you are trying to import a nice car for a decent value...you are out of luck...you will get taxed out of your bank account. If you are importing one as a matter or automotive heritage you value...you are out of luck...you will get taxed out of your bank account.

It is doable...there are peope who have brought down some amazing cars for their automotive heritage...but it is costly...

[Boseth Minidu]

Yes it quite costly.I calculated the total price to import a 1991-1994 Honda NA1 NSX.The total cost is about 37-48 Million 

[Boseth Minidu]

On 1/6/2021 at 6:14 PM, iRage said:

Welcome to the forum...please try to keep your question in a single thread so that it is easier for members to answer you.

In order to import an old car you need to apply for special approval. This also includes a a letter from the Classic Car Club of Sri Lanka that endorses the car you want to import as a valid classic car. So after yo upurchase the car you need to go about getting all these approvals and then you will be given a permit. When your car arrives and you are clearing it..you will have to pay the same taxes as for a brand new car (because taxes are charged per CC).

The above used to be the process. Since car imports are indefinitely banned the above might not be allowed.

Do we have to own the car overseas or can we purchase a car from someone else and import it? And can you tell me what are the requirements to get the permit? I’m collecting info before I import it after the vehicle ban is lifted

Edited April 9, 2021 by Boseth Minidu

[iRage]

6 minutes ago, Boseth Minidu said:

Do we have to own the car overseas or can we purchase a car from someone else and import it? And can you tell me what are the requirements to get the permit? I’m collecting info before I import it after the vehicle ban is lifted

There used to be a permit for Sri Lankans who were working/living abroad and earning foreing exchange. For that you HAD to have owned the car during your time abroad.

Other than that...no..you don't have to have owned the car abroad. 

[Gummybr]

1 hour ago, iRage said:

There used to be a permit for Sri Lankans who were working/living abroad and earning foreing exchange. For that you HAD to have owned the car during your time abroad.

Other than that...no..you don't have to have owned the car abroad. 

They had a maximum age of 10 years old, but now that is no longer applicable.

[Gummybr]

2 hours ago, Boseth Minidu said:

Do we have to own the car overseas or can we purchase a car from someone else and import it? And can you tell me what are the requirements to get the permit? I’m collecting info before I import it after the vehicle ban is lifted

Try the Import Controller, they used to offer a permit called the Blue permit, but I dont think its offered anymore