Transporting your car to Oz - everything you need to know!

Hi all,

Michael here, I've just joined this forum and we import many cars into Aus for our clients on carnets, as personal vehicles, in containers, on Roro vessels - you name it. It's not so bad and applying for an import is quite cheap...the only thing is waiting for Department of Transport to reply which can take 3-4 weeks. Beside the point, once your import permit is approved, we'd love to give you rates to import your vehicle. Any questions feel free to email me -

Michael

Hi, I'm just looking at costs of importing my vehicle. After transport costs, I've been quoted £400 for the car to be handled through customs and quarantine inc discharge, port fees, agent fees inspection; then about $1100 to get the car on the road, excluding registration, for transportation, compliance engineer, plate, modification, roadworthy certificate and agent fee. Does this seem reasonable? It's a 5 year old Audi A5. Thanks

Fantastic post Iron Chef.

We would considering importing our cars.

2012 Vauxhall Astra SRi Ecoflex 2.0 CDTi. 165bhp and 64,000km on the clock. Good spec, including the all important AC. Worth around £7000 here at the moment. Can't find an Australian Astra of the same age, the all seem to be older model or the 3 door GTC which are newer.

2009 Renault Laguna Coupe GT dCi 2.0 180bhp and about 130,000km. High spec, full leather, dual zone climate control very rare car even over here. Ballpark figure here is £5000 and nothing similar I can see in Redbook.

Both cars are in great condition mechanically, with the Astra having a few cosmetic scratches on the bodywork (seems to be an occupational hazard when parking in hospital car parks) and some scuffing on the alloys.

Thanks in advance.

Hi just wanted to check and get things from the horses mouth so to speak

Our Holden arrives back in Adelaide soon was deregistered when we took it to the uk so now needs the inevitable inspection to register it

I called into Lonsdale today and was told I can have it done there with no appointment as long as I take the correct paperwork

Did they tell me the right thing or does it have to be Regency

We will pick it up north of the city but Lonsdale is closer to home so hopefully what they told me is right !

Hi Iron Chef

Thanks for all the info on your post. Very helpful. I am an Aussie who has been living in London for the last 20 years and about to make the move back with my family. We are umming and arrring over whether to bring our family car back with us. It's a 2011 2.0 Diesel Ford S-Max (a model they don't sell in OZ) which we bought when it was 6 months old. We were originally going to sell it here and buy something there with the proceeds but with the collapse of the pound and consequential reduced buying power (thanks Brexiters!!:mad:) we are reconsidering. I am a little confused (understandably I guess) at the governments tax workings and trying to calculate how much it will cost us to bring it over vs sell it and buy something similar in Sydney. Can't remember the exact cost of it when we bought it, but with trade in it was around £18-19K. How do I therefore work out the "custom value" as I guess it has no market value there and therefore work out how much tax I'll have to pay on top of the import cost and insurance. Can you help?

What other costs can I look forward to in order to get it on the road? Will it need a full MOT style inspection over the pits?

Thanks

Hi guys, sorry for the delays on my replies, I have been away from my desk for a few weeks. Replies below.

Hi, I'm just looking at costs of importing my vehicle. After transport costs, I've been quoted £400 for the car to be handled through customs and quarantine inc discharge, port fees, agent fees inspection; then about $1100 to get the car on the road, excluding registration, for transportation, compliance engineer, plate, modification, roadworthy certificate and agent fee. Does this seem reasonable? It's a 5 year old Audi A5. Thanks

Hi Rob, yes they sound about right for your vehicle (I presume it's on the road now!)

The Astra was sold here, first as an Opel, then now as a Holden (long story!). I would be inclined to sell it in the UK unless you love it. We never got the SRi here in diesel, so if you like that combo in particular, bringing your own car here will be the only option. Servicing shouldn't be an issue.

If you're going to only bring one car, bring the Laguna. We never got the coupe and when the time comes to sell, French car fanatics will no doubt fall in love with it!

Fantastic post Iron Chef.

 

We would considering importing our cars.

 

2012 Vauxhall Astra SRi Ecoflex 2.0 CDTi. 165bhp and 64,000km on the clock. Good spec, including the all important AC. Worth around £7000 here at the moment. Can't find an Australian Astra of the same age, the all seem to be older model or the 3 door GTC which are newer.

 

 

2009 Renault Laguna Coupe GT dCi 2.0 180bhp and about 130,000km. High spec, full leather, dual zone climate control very rare car even over here. Ballpark figure here is £5000 and nothing similar I can see in Redbook.

 

Both cars are in great condition mechanically, with the Astra having a few cosmetic scratches on the bodywork (seems to be an occupational hazard when parking in hospital car parks) and some scuffing on the alloys.

 

Thanks in advance.

As you may have already discovered, they are probably thinking it only needs an ID check (which can be done at Lonsdale) but personal imports go through a Tier 2 inspection (which is done at Regency). Actually scratch that, if it's a Holden, it will have a compliance plate, only an ID check needed.

Hi just wanted to check and get things from the horses mouth so to speak

Our Holden arrives back in Adelaide soon was deregistered when we took it to the uk so now needs the inevitable inspection to register it

I called into Lonsdale today and was told I can have it done there with no appointment as long as I take the correct paperwork

Did they tell me the right thing or does it have to be Regency

We will pick it up north of the city but Lonsdale is closer to home so hopefully what they told me is right !

Feel free to email me via the website for a breakdown of costs (see my signature). It will need another inspection and possibly some light modifications, but given your car isn't overly old, you shouldn't have too many issue.

Hi Iron Chef

 

Thanks for all the info on your post. Very helpful. I am an Aussie who has been living in London for the last 20 years and about to make the move back with my family. We are umming and arrring over whether to bring our family car back with us. It's a 2011 2.0 Diesel Ford S-Max (a model they don't sell in OZ) which we bought when it was 6 months old. We were originally going to sell it here and buy something there with the proceeds but with the collapse of the pound and consequential reduced buying power (thanks Brexiters!!:mad:) we are reconsidering. I am a little confused (understandably I guess) at the governments tax workings and trying to calculate how much it will cost us to bring it over vs sell it and buy something similar in Sydney. Can't remember the exact cost of it when we bought it, but with trade in it was around £18-19K. How do I therefore work out the "custom value" as I guess it has no market value there and therefore work out how much tax I'll have to pay on top of the import cost and insurance. Can you help?

 

What other costs can I look forward to in order to get it on the road? Will it need a full MOT style inspection over the pits?

 

Thanks

The Astra was sold here, first as an Opel, then now as a Holden (long story!). I would be inclined to sell it in the UK unless you love it. We never got the SRi here in diesel, so if you like that combo in particular, bringing your own car here will be the only option. Servicing shouldn't be an issue.

 

If you're going to only bring one car, bring the Laguna. We never got the coupe and when the time comes to sell, French car fanatics will no doubt fall in love with it!

Thanks Iron Lady. I did eventually find out that the Astra shape I have is the same as the Holden Cruze. Think I'm going to take your advice and not bother with the Astra. It's a nice enough car and great for having an 80km round trip commute four times a week, but when I'm relocating to Alice Springs I won't have a big commute and I think once I'm settled into my job I will look at a salary package small SUV AWD (thinking Mazda CX-3).

Thanks Iron Lady. I did eventually find out that the Astra shape I have is the same as the Holden Cruze. Think I'm going to take your advice and not bother with the Astra. It's a nice enough car and great for having an 80km round trip commute four times a week, but when I'm relocating to Alice Springs I won't have a big commute and I think once I'm settled into my job I will look at a salary package small SUV AWD (thinking Mazda CX-3).

The Cruze is a separate model to the Astra, but either way, it's still probably a wise move. A bit of ground clearance never goes astray in Alice Springs. Make sure you bring the Laguna though!

Hi Iron Chef,

My husband has a motorbike that he wants to take to Australia. It is a Honda Thundercat and 20 years old. It is not worth any money but he loves it and can not bear to be parted from it.

My husband is an Australian Citizen but is an Househusband. Therefore he has not got a job he has resigned from or a new contract. We have yet to find a rental. We plan to do this in November but wanted to ship our belongings in October. Our house is currently on the market. Would the contract with the estate agent be good enough evidence?

Any advice would be welcome.

Hi guys I have a 2007 range rover vogue worth about £14000. Is.it worth bringing over as I'm not sure I could afford one over there as they seem to be expensive. I've owned it over 12 months and am coming on a 457 visa. I have been quoted £1000 to ship in a shared container and didn't think it was that expensive. My clocks have km on them so would I need to change them ? Many thanks paul

Hi Iron Chef,

 

My husband has a motorbike that he wants to take to Australia. It is a Honda Thundercat and 20 years old. It is not worth any money but he loves it and can not bear to be parted from it.

 

My husband is an Australian Citizen but is an Househusband. Therefore he has not got a job he has resigned from or a new contract. We have yet to find a rental. We plan to do this in November but wanted to ship our belongings in October. Our house is currently on the market. Would the contract with the estate agent be good enough evidence?

 

Any advice would be welcome.

The contract with the agent should be ok, yes. There are other options that might work too. Feel free to email me via the website if you'd like help with it

Hi guys I have a 2007 range rover vogue worth about £14000. Is.it worth bringing over as I'm not sure I could afford one over there as they seem to be expensive. I've owned it over 12 months and am coming on a 457 visa. I have been quoted £1000 to ship in a shared container and didn't think it was that expensive. My clocks have km on them so would I need to change them ? Many thanks paul

The basic shipping cost is only one part of the total cost. It annoys the crap out of me when shipping lines just quote the basic cost of packing it in a boat and sending it on its way, knowing that you could well be held to ransom by the agent at this end. Email me via the contact form on the website and I'll go through the costs right through to registration.

The basic shipping cost is only one part of the total cost. It annoys the crap out of me when shipping lines just quote the basic cost of packing it in a boat and sending it on its way, knowing that you could well be held to ransom by the agent at this end. Email me via the contact form on the website and I'll go through the costs right through to registration.

Not to worry. We have decided to just sell the car here as the cost of sending it over plus all the associated costs with ramp it up too much to make it economically viable to keep it there. Especially as it won't have any residual value as it is a model not available in Oz. Thanks for taking the time to reply though.

AV

To those who went through the process of applying for an import permit, could you help with some questions?

I'm going back to Australia in October this year (flight is already booked) and still contemplating whether to take my car with me but thought I would apply for the import permit anyway just in case as it only costs $50. However, I have some issues with the documents that are required when applying for the permit.

1) I can't for the life of me find a copy of the sales invoice. It was purchased from a private seller and I thought we still drew up an invoice and signed it but I can't find it. I have bank statements that show transfer of money to the previous owner but that's about it.

2) I don't see how I can satisfy the 100 points required when applying for the permit. I have not resigned from my current job yet as I have 3 months notice period so plan to hand in my notice late in June. My wife and I will initially be living at my parents place so there is no rental agreement or proof of house purchase in Australia I can provide nor any telephone or utility related documents. As for the flat we are living in at the moment, we will most likely rent it out but we have not signed any rental agreement with an agency or anyone as it's too early to do that and won't probably be done until it's too late to even think about applying for import permit.

How do I go about solving the issues above? Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

1 hour ago, coladuna said:

To those who went through the process of applying for an import permit, could you help with some questions?

I'm going back to Australia in October this year (flight is already booked) and still contemplating whether to take my car with me but thought I would apply for the import permit anyway just in case as it only costs $50. However, I have some issues with the documents that are required when applying for the permit.

1) I can't for the life of me find a copy of the sales invoice. It was purchased from a private seller and I thought we still drew up an invoice and signed it but I can't find it. I have bank statements that show transfer of money to the previous owner but that's about it.

2) I don't see how I can satisfy the 100 points required when applying for the permit. I have not resigned from my current job yet as I have 3 months notice period so plan to hand in my notice late in June. My wife and I will initially be living at my parents place so there is no rental agreement or proof of house purchase in Australia I can provide nor any telephone or utility related documents. As for the flat we are living in at the moment, we will most likely rent it out but we have not signed any rental agreement with an agency or anyone as it's too early to do that and won't probably be done until it's too late to even think about applying for import permit.

How do I go about solving the issues above? Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Send me a private message to answer both questions

Very informative of a post!  

Question and sorry if it was asked already although I tried to read the whole thread....I might have missed it.....Is it worth shipping our vehicle (2012 Nissan Xterra) from Canada? Steering wheel not on the same side as Australia nor UK . I realize the red tape plus getting rid of the heating system in the vehicle....but from your experience how feasible is it to ship and drive a vehicle not designed like the vehicles in the UK (steering wheel etc)....just curious

4 hours ago, Cegor said:

Very informative of a post!  

Question and sorry if it was asked already although I tried to read the whole thread....I might have missed it.....Is it worth shipping our vehicle (2012 Nissan Xterra) from Canada? Steering wheel not on the same side as Australia nor UK . I realize the red tape plus getting rid of the heating system in the vehicle....but from your experience how feasible is it to ship and drive a vehicle not designed like the vehicles in the UK (steering wheel etc)....just curious

Welcome  Unfortunately it doesn't make financial sense to bring over a LHD car as a personal import (unless you plan to live in Northern Territory), as it would need to be converted to RHD which is the best part of a $30,000 process. We have plenty of SUV options here to choose from

Hi, I have a 2015 VW Sharan and have been quoted £1000 to add it to our household shipment. It's not sold in Australia so could you advise how is the valuation done please? We're planning to ship it as we can't afford to buy another similar vehicle in Australia but I know it's going to cost a lot to import it. Could you give me an idea of the additional fees I'd have to pay please? I've already got the import licence for it. Many thanks.

On 8/2/2017 at 20:21, FlowerFairy said:

Hi, I have a 2015 VW Sharan and have been quoted £1000 to add it to our household shipment. It's not sold in Australia so could you advise how is the valuation done please? We're planning to ship it as we can't afford to buy another similar vehicle in Australia but I know it's going to cost a lot to import it. Could you give me an idea of the additional fees I'd have to pay please? I've already got the import licence for it. Many thanks.

Valuation is done by comparing the car to other similar vehicles on sale in Australia. PM me for a rough idea of taxes.

Hi there,

just found the following in relation to importing a car for personal use and NOT needing to empty the air con- can anyone confirm either way? Don’t want to get there and be stuck with a huge bill...

https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/ozone/licences-and-reporting/importing-cars-boats-caravans (it’s the scenario 1 to click on about importing a car or fridge for personal use)

second question (sorry if it’s alreay been covered). How long is it roughly from the car arriving in Australia until you can actually drive it?

thanks all!

3 hours ago, maxia066 said:

Hi there,

just found the following in relation to importing a car for personal use and NOT needing to empty the air con- can anyone confirm either way? Don’t want to get there and be stuck with a huge bill...

https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/ozone/licences-and-reporting/importing-cars-boats-caravans (it’s the scenario 1 to click on about importing a car or fridge for personal use)

second question (sorry if it’s alreay been covered). How long is it roughly from the car arriving in Australia until you can actually drive it?

 

thanks all!

If you have owned the car for more than 12 months and can provide evidence of this (usually the V5C document), then you will be exempt as it will be classified as personal effects. Even if you don't qualify, you get an exemption of one vehicle every two years.

As to timing, anywhere from two to four weeks, depending on which state you're registering the car in, and whether or not it needs quarantine cleaning.