Importing a Car from Japan to Cyprus: The Truth No One Tells You

Importing cars from Japan has become a trend.

Everyone knows someone who “has a guy” who bids at auctions, arranges shipping, or finds “the best deal.”

Sounds simple, right? But there is one part no one talks about.

And that part can cost you your entire car. The hardest part of importing a Japanese car is not choosing the vehicle, not placing the bid, and not even picking a broker. The biggest risk is the shipping. 

🚢 RORO: Where the Real Problems Begin

Most people believe that once their car is purchased in Japan, the job is done.

Unfortunately, the real roulette starts at the port. Here are the facts:

• On a RORO vessel, cars are moved 5–12 times during the journey
• Space is extremely limited — vehicles are parked bumper to bumper
• In transit ports, tractors, forklifts, and drivers often push or reposition cars
• Decks are wet, narrow, slippery
• Documented onboard damage rates reach up to 10% 

And that’s without counting:

• storms,
• hail,
• rough sea landings,
• crane accidents,
• human error during loading or unloading.

You may be expecting a clean Toyota…

but receive a surprise package with dents and scratches instead.

⚠️ “But I have marine insurance!”

Not as safe as you think. Insurance companies are not charities.

They specialize in finding reasons not to pay. Even with official marine insurance:

• they may claim the damage was pre-existing
• they may blame the port, not the vessel
• they may reject the claim due to “insufficient photos”
• they may claim the form was submitted incorrectly
• they may simply deny it if you’re an individual client

Large dealers sometimes get treated differently.

Individuals? Almost never. Taking a marine case to court?

Expensive, slow, and often pointless.

So What Can You Actually Do?

✔️ 1. Hope you're lucky

Some people get perfect cars. Some don’t.

✔️ 2. Accept the risk

But once you see a crushed panel or broken glass — reality kicks in.

✔️ 3. Import your car through CyprusAutoService

And this is where everything changes. We are not “helpers.”

We are not commission-based middlemen.

We are a company that takes responsibility.

Here’s what we do:

• we know how insurers operate
• we document everything before loading
• we handle damage cases professionally
• we support the client from Japan to Cyprus
• we control every step of the process
• we don’t leave you alone with a problem

Yes, we aren’t the cheapest.

But we are the most reliable. And reliability is priceless when your car is crossing an ocean.

If you want cheap — there are many options.

If you want your car delivered exactly as described — there is only one. CyprusAutoService.

Where you get what you paid for — not an unexpected disaster.