Kenya and Tanzania used-car PVoC…

These two markets are often quoted together, yet they handle Chinese used cars in opposite ways. Kenya recognises pre-export certificates from six countries only, and China is not one of them. Tanzania is the reverse: cars from mainland China are certified by CCIC before shipment. Both are called PVoC, but for a Chinese car they are two different chains.

Kenya will not issue an export-country CoR for a Chinese used car, so the vehicle goes to destination inspection and must carry an Interpol clearance certificate, a deregistration certificate or title from the previous country of registration, and the export documents of the country of origin. Tanzania uses CCIC for pre-shipment inspection of mainland Chinese cars, and the CoC or CoR is valid for 3 months. Both countries require right-hand drive.

✓Used cars to Tanzania

Inspection and certification are done in China; at the port the certificate is only verified

!Used cars to Kenya

No export-country CoR, destination inspection only, and any one of three missing documents disqualifies the file

!Cars 8 to 10 years old to Tanzania

Admitted, but excise duty is 15% and 30% above 10 years, so price it in

×Left-hand drive

Both countries work to right-hand drive; Kenya explicitly bans converted steering

Side by side

Item	Kenya	Tanzania	What it changes for the shipper
Regime and authority	PVoC, under KEBS, standard KS 1515:2000	PVoC, under TBS	Same name, different text
Who certifies used cars	QISJ, and only Japan, the UAE, the UK, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa	CCIC for mainland China, Hong Kong, China, Macao, China and Taiwan, China	No export-country certificate for a Chinese car
Certificate	CoR, certificate of roadworthiness	CoC or CoR, valid 3 months	The Tanzanian certificate is obtained in China
Where inspection happens	Chinese cars: destination inspection only	Before shipment	Delivery time and rejection risk differ
Vehicle age	8 years from first registration, hard limit	No age bar; duty rises above 8 years	One blocks admission, the other only adds cost

Kenya: the certificate breaks at the export end

Kenyan used vehicles go through CoR, issued by a contractor authorised by KEBS; KEBS does not inspect the cargo itself. There is one such contractor, QISJ, covering Japan, the UAE, the UK, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa.

China is not among them. A car shipped from China to Mombasa cannot obtain an export-country CoR and goes to destination inspection, where the file qualifies only if it carries three documents: an Interpol clearance certificate, the deregistration certificate or title from the previous country of registration, and the export documents of the country of origin. The second is the one most often missing; Chinese dealers frequently hold only a copy of the registration document.

Official timescales: physical inspection within 4 working days of a complete RFC, certificate within 2 working days for a compliant unit, and the draft confirmed within 48 hours. No change is accepted after issue. These exclude document corrections and berth queues.

Kenya's 8 years is a hard limit, counted from the year of first registration and rolled forward annually. Over age means rejection, not extra duty. Converted steering is refused outright.

Tanzania: finished before shipment

Tanzania also runs PVoC, but pre-shipment: it is completed in the export country, and at the port TBS only verifies and stamps the certificate. Used vehicles are certified by a TBS-authorised contractor with a CoC or CoR; mainland China, Hong Kong, China, Macao, China and Taiwan, China sit with CCIC, whose agreement was renewed in April 2022 and expires in April 2027.

The difference matters: for a car going to Tanzania, inspection and certification are finished in China, and the certificate is in hand before the vessel sails. A CoC or CoR is valid for 3 months from the issue date, so production, booking and sailing must all fit inside those 3 months, or it is reissued.

On age, the TBS procedure sets no bar. Above 8 years a car is not excluded, it is taxed more. Under the TRA 2025/2026 schedule, excise duty is 15% for 8 to 10 years and 30% above 10 years (passenger cars under 10 people); four-wheel drives over 5 years seating 10 or more are at 10%.

"Tanzania bans cars over 8 years" is wrong. The official procedure sets no age limit; 8 years is only where the tax bands start. Quote on a ban and you turn away cars that still sell; quote duty-free and the customer pays at the port and disputes it.

Four steps, in order

Check age and drive side first

Kenya counts 8 years from the year of first registration, so change the car if over; both countries work to right-hand drive

Fix the certifying body

No Chinese contractor for Kenya, so prepare for destination inspection; for Tanzania book CCIC

Assemble the documents

Kenya: Interpol clearance, deregistration or title, origin export documents

Watch validity

Tanzania 3 months from issue; Kenya draft confirmed within 48 hours, no change after issue

Five things that get missed

✓The 8 years run from the year of first registration, not the model year, and roll forward annually
✓Without an export-country CoR, one missing document out of three means no inspection eligibility at all
✓Tanzania's 3 months run from the issue date, not the arrival date, so work the schedule backwards
✓The TBS text does not fix drive side; practice is right-hand drive, so get written confirmation from the agent before ordering
✓Arrival without a certificate can be inspected at the port, but against a penalty or bond, and the rate differs by contractor

Verified on 5 November 2026: Kenya from the KEBS inspection portal, sections 6.1 to 6.3 of the PVoC manual and WTO TBT notification G/TBT/N/KEN/1344; Tanzania from the 2025 TBS PVoC guideline and the TRA 2025/2026 schedule. Lists and rates change, so have the agent check the current notice before booking.