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Buying a car in Ethiopia

Last activity 10 January 2017 by adisadvisor

Kenjee

Hi,

To be able to move in Ethiopia, a lot of expatriates think of buying a car, whether new or second-hand.

What are the formalities to buy a vehicle in Ethiopia: car registration, insurance, etc.?

What are the relevant authorities or organizations to contact?

How long does it take and what are the associated costs?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience,

Kenjee

David Blogs

Unless desperate dont buy car. Use mini-bus or taxis or hire car or walk.

Davidaz68

There are some problems if you need a car here:
- prices are crazy. The new cars have a tax reaching up to 260% and used car are usually veeeery used. When they see you are an expat prices automatically double!
- if you plan to import some spare parts from abroad you are immediately stopped at the custom and taxes can be higher than the price of the parts
- internationaldriving  licences are officially not accepted and you can have some problem with the police. Getting an ethiopian licence is becoming difficult and very expensive
- if you have an  accident and you kill somebody (not a remote possibility seen the people suddenly crossing unlighted roads at nights or sleeping on the edge of the road) you go directly to jail risking several years in prison
-on up side, taxis are getting expensive and seen the average condition and age of the cars is not riskless. Taxi-Minivans, well i don t even want to think about it.
Enjoi addis!

abibi

I am totally agree with David!!!!
Take patient and money!!!

adisadvisor

Car prices are crazy. We have a 25 yr old hiluxe.
Bought it in 2002 for 120000 birr. Nnow worth double that ie 12000 dollars.

Said2321125

What are the process, when someone buy duty free car?

adisadvisor

I dont know...but like all Ethiopian bureaucracy it will not be easy but if you have duty free status your employer will have staff to do these things..

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