Obtaining a Certificate of Conformity for a car purchased in Dubai

[Kanellos]

Hello friends,

I am new to this forum. Many interesting posts here. Kudos to all of you. 

I am trying to import and register my car, Yaris Hatchback, 2014 (2NZ FE) purchased in Dubai to EU and more specifically Greece. There is a requirement to have a Certificate of Conformity which I don't, currently, have. The local official dealer in Greece won't issue it because they say they "don't trade this type/model". Any ideas how can I get this certificate?

Cheers,

Kanellos

[FROSTYBALLS]

You need to get in touch with the importer rather than the dealer.

[Kanellos]

Thanks for the response FROSTYBALLS. In this case I have hired a shipping company to do the shipping and the custom clearance. They have done that fine. Now, it's a matter of registering the car with the Greek authorities. This is were the CoC is required. I was hoping I would be able to complete this task on my own, but apparently I need to hire someone for this part, as well.

[FROSTYBALLS]

No, not the importer who is handling the transport of your car, but the Toyota importer for your country - ie Toyota Greece.

[Yarso]

This is definitely not my area of expertise but... surely that's not going to work, is it? You won't get a CoC for a car originally sold in Dubai from the importer of Toyotas into Greece, will you? You would need to get the CoC for a Dubai-spec car from whoever sold it in Dubai, surely?

That's not to say that the Greek importer would not be able to get the information from within Toyota if they wanted and were willing to put in the effort, but it raises the question: why would they bother, if you are not their customer?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Certificates of Conformity are usually supplied by the manufacturer, in this case Toyota.

[Yarso]

Agreed - but the best source of a CoC for a vehicle sold in Dubai is surely going to be Toyota (Dubai) or whatever the local arrangement is, surely? I can't see why Toyota Greece is going to go out of their way to help someone who has never (as far as we know) been their customer, with information about a vehicle spec which has never been sold in their region?

[FROSTYBALLS]

If Toyota Greece are unable to help, they'll say.

[Devon Aygo]

A certificate of conformity is an EU document issued to a vehicle that is designed and built for use within the EU, it can only be issued by a EU market importer, only within the destination country and it is required by another EU country to allow registration under type approval in another.

For example a UK design/destined Yaris going to France, Toyota UK on request can issue a certificate of conformity required by French registration authorities guaranteeing the car is fit/suitable and meets all the relevant EU legislation's then after things such as KMH speedo, RH dipping headlights and correct rear fog lights are installed the car can have the French MOT equivalent and be used legally

Importing a non EU car such as a car designed and destined for Dubai to the UK would require the car going through an IVA ( Individual Vehicle approval ) as it will not have an EU certificate of conformity nor will Toyota issue one.

[Kanellos]

Thank you all for your contributions.

TOYOTA Hellas (Greece) told me they can't issue this certificate which blowed my mind and made me furious to be honest. IMHO, they should be able to issue it and they are the only ones who can do it. As per the argument that I aint their customer, it's not true. I have always been their customer and I remain one. I have bought two older versions of Yaris model from them when I was living in Greece. One of them is still within the family (gifted to my sister). Also my father is, currently, a happy owner of an Avensis and before that a Carina E. 

Anyway, Devon's comment is spot on from what I can tell. The problem is that in Greece there is NO facility to perfom the required tests to get an IVA, hence I am left in this limbo state where other than Toyota Hellas no one else can pull me out from.

[Yarso]

On 8/13/2020 at 8:25 AM, Kanellos said:

TOYOTA Hellas (Greece) told me they can't issue this certificate which blowed my mind and made me furious to be honest. IMHO, they should be able to issue it and they are the only ones who can do it.

It looks like you've missed Devon Aygo's main point.

Toyota Hellas can't issue "this certificate" because a Dubai-spec car simply won't ever have been issued with a European CoC. It was not built to be sold in Europe, so there is no such certificate. There's no point in being angry at Toyota Hellas - they are simply telling you that they cannot give you a certificate which does not exist.

[flash22]

Where was the car manufactured and what market was it for, UAE in general is a major hub for car trading from east to west and west to east

 

@Kanellos Can you PM me the Vin

a quick google and i found this on an expat site

Quote

NON EU supplied cars will not have this certificate, so there is a place in Athens that can test the car and issue a certificate

https://www.yme.gr

[Kanellos]

@Yarso Agreed, TOYOTA Hellas cannot issue the CoC themselves for the reasons you mentioned (They don't import and trade this model). Here is how I think, but granted, I am totally naive and ignorant about these stuff... The car has been built by TOYOTA  in Japan. I would assume that TOYOTA (the mother company I mean here) has put together a team of experts whose object is to understand and comply with the various regulations and standards (CO2 emissions and other specs) across the globe. What I have asked TOYOTA Hellas to do was to get in touch with the mother company and pose the question to them about how does this particular model they have built (that complies with GSO standards) fare against the EU standards. At that point, this seemed as a sensible idea to me. Now, I know it doesn't work quite like that at all. 

@flash22 The car has been manufactured in Japan to be sold and used in the GCC region (Dubai in particular). This place in Athens, where the emissions analysis was supposed to take place, no longer exists. From what I can gather, it was ill maintained and as a result they lost their license and had to shut down. 

Here is the chassis number: JTDKW9D3XED544392

[flash22]

You need to find the supplying dealer in the uae that maybe able to issue

[Devon Aygo]

Bit of a question, why import it at all ? looking at the car with the exception of the old school 4 speed Auto box it is nothing that couldn't be matched with an EU spec car.

You are extremely unlikely to get a certificate for this car as it uses the old 2NZ 1.3 VVTi which was phased out in Europe way back in 2000 with the MK1 Yaris when the newer cleaner 2SZ 1.3 VVTi was introduced and this engine was replaced back in 2008 when the new 1.33 dual VVTi 1NR was introduced in MK2 Yaris and replaced again in 2017 with the 2NR 1.5 dual VVTi in Mk3 Yaris.

Effectively you are trying to import a Mk3 Yaris installed with an engine replaced 4 x over, of which there is no equivalent EU model, it is never going to comply with EU regulations in order to get a Certificate of compliance and as it seems Greece have no method of importing a car otherwise. 

[flash22]

Car values are 2-3 times of what they are over here, in Greece - i would honestly send it back the uae, if its in a bonded customs yard it must be costing a fortune in storage, i would hate to think what the duty and tax is going to be

 

saying that people must import classics from the US into Greece so there must be a way

[Kanellos]

No, sure there isn't anything special about this car other than it's mine. 🙂 As far as I am concerned,cars are tools. They ought to be reliable, roadworthy and convenient. I am not seeking for extreme performance or anything like that. Moreover, there is also the Greece stituation to consider. I had two of my previous cars stolen when I was living there (some 10 years ago). Hence, I prefer not to own a fancy or new car. Finally, I tend not to replace my tools/machines too often unless they stop being functional for the use I purpose them for.

Before shipping my car to Greece, I asked 3 different professionals whether I would be able to import the car and get it registered. They all were positive. That's why I made the decision to go ahead with the shipping. Had they told me it is not possible, I would have never ever attempted to bring the car to Greece and take my chances. That would be stupid.

I brought the car and my personal effects to Greece in the context of a repatriation move. Therefore, all duties are waived. Also, the car has been cleared by the customs. I have it with me. No warehouse fees or storage.

What is pending is the registration of the car.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Kanellos
Adding more context

[flash22]

Tell them it's a non EU car and ask what they need as clearly it doesn't have a CoC, it maybe that their system shows all yaris models as EU cars

[Alex_ch]

Hello Kanelo, I am also in dubai and I intent to import my car to Greece.
Did you manage to register your car at the end?
How can I get in contact with you? 

[FROSTYBALLS]

You can use the private message system of the Club.

[Philippe 01]

Hello Guys, did you achieve to register your cars in the end? Where did you go for individual inspection in Greece? Thanks, Philippe