You’ve just found your dream Japanese import. It ticks all the boxes: unique, well-maintained, and packed with features you won’t find in most UK-spec vehicles. Now it’s time to insure it.

You head over to your favourite comparison website (ideally the one without the opera singer), pop in the registration number — and nothing. Either the vehicle isn’t recognised at all, or it shows up as something entirely different.

So what’s going on? Why is your import “invisible” to these systems? And how do you go about insuring it properly?

The Role of ABI Codes and Insurance Group Ratings

Mainstream UK insurance companies rely heavily on the ABI (Association of British Insurers) code — a unique 8-digit identifier — to assess a vehicle’s risk profile. Alongside that, they use Thatcham Research’s insurance group rating (1-50) to determine premiums.

Here’s the catch:
These systems are designed around vehicles officially sold new in the UK. Manufacturers supply the necessary data directly to Thatcham, which then reviews and assigns the ABI code and insurance group.

Why Your Japanese Import Might Not Show Up

If your car was never officially sold in the UK, it won’t have an ABI code or an assigned group rating. For example:

• A Toyota Crown Hybrid might share many components with the UK-sold Lexus GS450h, but since the Crown was never sold here, it doesn’t have a recognised ABI profile.

• DVLA records for imported cars often include only the manufacturer name, leaving out the specific model.

This leads to confusion when entering the reg into mainstream insurance databases — the vehicle either can’t be identified, or shows up incorrectly.

So How Do You Insure a Japanese Import?

Avoid comparison sites for imports. Instead, speak directly to a specialist insurance broker who understands grey imports and non-ABI-listed vehicles. These brokers manually assess the risk based on specs, age, engine size, value, and other relevant factors — not just a missing ABI code.

Recommended Japanese Import Insurance Specialists

While we don’t have any affiliations or endorsements, many of our customers have had positive experiences with the following import insurance specialists:

• ✅ JapCover

• ✅ Keith Michaels – Japanese Import Car Insurance

• ✅ Brentacre – Japanese Import Insurance

We recommend giving them a call — they’re well-versed in the nuances of Japanese imports and often offer better coverage and more competitive quotes than the big-name insurers.

Final Thoughts

Owning a Japanese import is about driving something special, and a bit different. But that uniqueness can sometimes trip up standard systems — especially when it comes to insurance.

Don’t panic if your car doesn’t show up online. It’s not broken — just different. And there are plenty of specialists out there who understand your vehicle and can offer the right cover.

📩 Have more questions about importing or insuring your Japanese car?

Feel free to reach out — we’re always happy to help point you in the right direction.

Contact Us!