You have found the car. You have sorted the import paperwork. You have passed the IVA. You go to CompareTheMarket, type in the model, and nothing comes up.
This is the standard experience for anyone importing a JDM vehicle that was never sold in the UK. The Toyota Noah, the Nissan Elgrand, the Mitsubishi Delica, the Honda StepWGN, the Mazda Bongo, and virtually every performance-oriented JDM car (Skylines, Silvias, Supras, RX-7s) will not appear on mainstream comparison sites. The model simply does not exist in their database.
This does not mean the car is uninsurable. It means you need a specialist insurer, and that process works differently to the one most people are used to.
Why your car won’t appear on comparison sites
Comparison sites pull from a database of vehicles that were officially sold in the UK market. If your car was only sold in Japan, it is not in that database. There is no option to manually add it. You type in “Toyota Noah” and the site returns nothing, or worse, suggests a completely different vehicle.
Beyond the database issue, there are three reasons mainstream insurers struggle with JDM-only imports:
- No Thatcham security rating. UK insurers rely on Thatcham ratings to assess theft risk. Cars that were never sold here do not have one. Some mainstream insurers will not quote without it.
- Unpredictable repair costs. If panels, bumpers, or mechanical parts have to be sourced from Japan, the insurer cannot reliably estimate repair bills. Specialist insurers understand the parts supply chain for these vehicles; mainstream insurers do not.
- No established insurance group. UK cars are assigned to one of 50 insurance groups. JDM-only imports fall outside this system entirely, which means a human underwriter has to assess the vehicle individually. Most mainstream insurers are not set up for this.
Specialist JDM insurers solve all three problems. They know the vehicles, they understand the parts supply, and they have underwriters who assess JDM imports as a matter of routine.
What to expect from the process
Insuring through a specialist is not difficult, but it is different from the five-minute online experience you get with a comparison site. Here is what the process typically looks like:
- Contact the insurer by phone or online form. Most specialist brokers prefer a phone call because they need to ask detailed questions about the vehicle. Some offer online quote forms, but these usually result in a call-back rather than an instant quote.
- Provide detailed vehicle information. They will ask for the make, model, engine code, year of manufacture, chassis number, and current mileage. Have your V5C and any import documentation to hand.
- Discuss your circumstances. This is where specialist insurers differ most from comparison sites. They will ask about your driving experience, what the car is used for, where it is kept overnight, and your annual mileage. These details directly affect the quote.
- Receive a quote (usually within 24-48 hours). Some brokers can quote on the spot; others need to go to their underwriters first. Expect to wait a day or two for more unusual vehicles.
- Pay and receive your documents. Once you accept the quote, the process is the same as any other insurance policy.
Age and experience requirements
This is one of the biggest surprises for first-time JDM import buyers. Several specialist insurers have minimum age and driving experience requirements that are stricter than mainstream insurers.
As a real example: when we bought our Toyota Noah (a seven-seat MPV with all the performance characteristics of a filing cabinet), the specialist insurer initially required the policyholder to be over 30 with a minimum number of years’ driving experience. A family MPV, not a Skyline. The insurer made an exception based on individual circumstances (being a father of triplets has some advantages), but the requirement exists and catches people off guard.
The lesson: get an insurance quote before you commit to buying the car. A good importer will provide enough vehicle detail for you to get a provisional quote. If the insurance is unaffordable or the insurer will not cover you, you have not committed to the purchase.
Common JDM imports that need specialist insurance
These are the vehicles that come up most frequently in the JDM import community, and none of them will appear on mainstream comparison sites:
Family and lifestyle vehicles
- Toyota Noah / Voxy (R60, R70, R80) ; seven-seat MPVs with hybrid options. Low-risk vehicles, but JDM-only.
- Toyota Alphard / Vellfire (AH20, AH30) ; luxury MPVs. Higher value means higher premiums, but the MPV classification keeps rates reasonable.
- Nissan Elgrand (E51, E52) ; large luxury MPV. Similar insurance profile to the Alphard.
- Mitsubishi Delica D:5 ; the rugged MPV/4×4 crossover. Increasingly popular and insurers are familiar with it.
- Honda StepWGN (RK, RP) ; compact MPV. Low power, low risk, but JDM-only.
- Mazda Bongo / Bongo Friendee ; the campervan favourite. Specialist insurers know these well.
Performance vehicles
- Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32, R33, R34) ; the insurance premiums match the vehicle’s reputation and value (we know some of these models were sold in Europe but in very low numbers).
- Nissan Silvia (S13, S14, S15) ; drift tax applies to insurance as well as purchase price.
- Toyota Supra (A80, A90 JDM spec) ; high insurance groups, high premiums.
- Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) ; rotary engine, performance profile, appreciating value. Agreed-value policy recommended.
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI (GDB, GRB) ; UK Imprezas exist, but the JDM STI specs often differ enough to need specialist assessment.
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (IV-X) ; similar to the STI situation. JDM Evos have different specs to UK models.
Kei cars and trucks
- Suzuki Carry ; kei truck. Increasingly imported for smallholdings and farms.
- Honda Acty ; kei truck/van. Same situation as the Carry.
- Daihatsu Copen ; kei sports car. Low power but JDM-only.
Recommended specialist insurers
These are brokers with established track records in insuring JDM imports in the UK. We have personal experience with Jap Cover and can recommend them directly; the others are well-regarded in the JDM community.
Jap Cover
- Website: japcover.co.uk
- What they cover: All Japanese imports, from MPVs to performance vehicles.
- Why they stand out: They are a dedicated JDM specialist. The staff understand the vehicles, the models, and the import process. They are not a general insurer that happens to also do imports; Japanese imports are their entire business.
- Our experience: We insure our Toyota Noah through Jap Cover and they have been excellent. Straightforward process, competitive premiums, and knowledgeable staff who did not need the car explained to them.
Adrian Flux
- Website: adrianflux.co.uk
- What they cover: All Japanese imports, modified vehicles, agreed-value policies.
- Why they stand out: One of the largest specialist insurers in the UK. They cover virtually anything, including heavily modified vehicles. If other specialists decline, Adrian Flux is often the fallback.
- Good to know: Their online quote system does not cover imports; you need to call. Premiums can be higher than smaller specialists, but they rarely refuse to quote.
Graham Sykes
- Website: graham-sykes.co.uk
- What they cover: Japanese imports, American imports, classic cars, specialist vehicles.
- Why they stand out: Over 40 years in the specialist insurance market. Particularly competitive on limited-mileage policies, which suits weekend JDM cars. They offer an online quote form as well as phone quotes.
- Good to know: They partner with Andrews Japanese Cars for their JDM insurance scheme, which means they have direct relationships with JDM-focused underwriters.
Brentacre
- Website: brentacre.co.uk
- What they cover: Japanese imports, modified vehicles, imported cars from any country.
- Why they stand out: Over 30 years of experience. They cover drivers from age 19, which is younger than some specialists require. They also offer chassis-number insurance for vehicles not yet registered with the DVLA, which is useful during the import process.
- Good to know: 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot with over 1,100 reviews. All modifications welcome, and they offer agreed-value cover.
Agreed-value policies: do you need one?
A standard insurance policy pays out the market value of your car if it is written off. For a UK-market Ford Focus, that is straightforward; there are thousands of identical cars to compare against.
For a JDM import, “market value” is harder to establish. The insurer may undervalue your car because there is no UK price history, or because they compare it to a cheaper UK-market equivalent that is not actually equivalent.
An agreed-value policy fixes the insured value at an amount you and the insurer agree on at the start of the policy. If the car is written off, you receive that amount (subject to the usual policy terms). This is particularly important for:
- Appreciating vehicles (R34 GT-R, FD RX-7, A80 Supra, NSX) where the market value increases year on year.
- High-value MPVs (Alphard, Vellfire) where the UK market does not have a direct comparator.
- Modified vehicles where the modifications add significant value.
Specialist insurers offer agreed-value policies as standard. Mainstream insurers generally do not.
Tips for keeping premiums down
- Get quotes from multiple specialists. Premiums can vary by hundreds of pounds between brokers for the same vehicle. Always get at least three quotes.
- Declare everything accurately. Under-declaring modifications, performance, or usage voids your policy. Honesty is always cheaper than a rejected claim.
- Fit a Thatcham-approved tracker. A Category 5 or Category 6 tracker can reduce premiums by 10-20% on higher-value imports. Some insurers require one for vehicles above a certain value.
- Garage overnight. A locked garage reduces premiums by 5-15% on most policies. If you have a garage, use it.
- Limit your mileage. Most specialist insurers offer discounts for limited annual mileage (3,000, 5,000, or 8,000 miles). If your JDM import is a weekend car, a limited-mileage policy will save you money.
- Build no-claims on a daily driver first. Five years of no-claims on a conventional car translates directly to lower premiums on a JDM import.
- Mention club memberships. Some specialist insurers offer discounts for members of recognised car clubs and owner forums.
Get a quote before you buy
This is the single most important piece of advice in this article. Before you commit to importing a car, before you pay the deposit, before you start the shipping process, get an insurance quote.
A reputable importer will provide the vehicle details (make, model, engine code, year, chassis number, estimated value) in enough detail for you to contact a specialist insurer and get a provisional quote. If the insurance is unaffordable, or if no insurer will cover you at all, you need to know that before you have spent thousands on import fees and IVA testing.
The car is only as good as your ability to legally drive it on UK roads, and insurance is half of that equation.