Since 2021, there have been some changes to laws governing second-hand vehicle importation in Zimbabwe. In 2021, SI 89 of 2021 was enacted. Part of it stipulated that “importation of Second Hand Motor Vehicles which are 10 years and above, from the date of manufacture, will now require consideration for import licenses. This measure is in line with the NDSI, which underscores value addition and encourages effective standards, regulations, and the use of roadworthy vehicles that meet environmental and safety standards”.

You go back a little bit to 2020, ZIMRA issued the following statement, “With effect from November 1, 2020, importers are advised that goods imported by road into Zimbabwe must be pre-cleared before their arrival. All privately imported motor vehicles driven or transported by car carriers must be pre-cleared before they are dispatched to Zimbabwe. Motor vehicles can only be loaded onto carriers or driven into the country when the relevant processes have been completed, including the payment of duties, where applicable. Clearance details must be sent to the carrier to enable them to load vehicles. Please take note that carriers have been notified of this requirement.’’

When you put all that, and more together you will realize the latest development was a build-up from that. The latest development stipulates that used vehicles being imported into Zimbabwe will now require an EAA Certificate of Conformity. The company that has been appointed to handle all the related processes is EAA Company Limited. It is accredited to ISO/IEC17020 and considers itself a pioneer of pre-export inspection. EAA Company Limited recently issued a communique detailing the whole development. Here are the key details it covered that you must know:

Roadworthiness Inspection For Used Vehicles For The Republic Of Zimbabwe

Please be advised that the Zimbabwe Ministry of Industry and Commerce has appointed EAA Company Limited (EAA) as an accredited inspection company for a Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC) program for the roadworthiness of used vehicles exported to Zimbabwe from the 1st of June 2022.

All used vehicles arriving in Zimbabwe will require an EAA certificate of conformity (COC) to comply with import regulations on arrival at the Zimbabwe border (unless shipping documentation verifies the vehicle was shipped before the inspection commencement date of 1st of June 2022. Pre-shipment inspections will commence in the following countries on the 1st of June 2022: Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Requirements For A Valid EAA Certificate Of Compliance

  • Vehicle Age Limits: Cars, Motorcycles, and Light Commercial less than 5 tonnes: within 10 years (date of manufacture).Commercial vehicles 5 tonnes or more: no age limit.
  • Right-hand drive.
  • Cars with tampered mileage are not allowed.
  • Roadworthiness Inspection: conform to Zimbabwe National Standards and other International Standards.

Application And Inspection Procedure

  • You must send through your booking via email. (Please note that the inspection cannot be conducted where there are no vehicle documents).
  • EAA Company Limited will then email an invoice by return. AVI will confirm the inspection place, the vehicle details, the date of inspection, and so on (that is after payment is received).
  • The inspection will be conducted as per the details agreed upon.
  • As the inspection is completed, the application will be processed and a certificate issued if the vehicle has passed. Turnaround time will be +/- 2 days until delivery of the certificate.
  • Inspection Charge – South Africa Inspection
  • The inspection charge will be a flat rate per unit regardless of size or model. The inspection fee per unit is ZAR310.00 plus VAT (including tax and government administration fee).

You can apply online or download the inspection application form (‘Excel’ file) here. So that is the latest development which you must keep in mind. From the 1st of June 2022, all used vehicles coming in from Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates will be required to have an EAA certificate of conformity (COC).