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

[Iron Chef]

It varies from company to company, but all will expect copies of your V5C, your driver's licence and the import approval.

[bitman]

Thanks for you reply.

So the import approval is something what only the car owner can do and not the company?

[Iron Chef]

Correct.

[rachael2001]

Hi

 

I am wanting to bring my 2008 Dodge Caliber from the UK to Adelaide. I have looked on the link you provided that values your car and quotes range from AUD $28K to $35K. That's a huge difference to the UK value which is about GBP £3.5K. Do you agree that on that basis it may well be worth importining my car? Also, once its entered Australia, how long do I have to keep it before I can sell it? The reason I ask is that it could possibly fund the purchase of two cars, one for me and one for my wife.

 

Thanks

Trevor

[Guest Guest67761]

Hi

 

I am wanting to bring my 2008 Dodge Caliber from the UK to Adelaide. I have looked on the link you provided that values your car and quotes range from AUD $28K to $35K. That's a huge difference to the UK value which is about GBP £3.5K. Do you agree that on that basis it may well be worth importining my car? Also, once its entered Australia, how long do I have to keep it before I can sell it? The reason I ask is that it could possibly fund the purchase of two cars, one for me and one for my wife.

 

Thanks

Trevor

 

Hi Trevor,

 

It sounds like it would be well worth bringing based on what you have noted here for sure. There is no restriction on selling it once you get to Australia so in theory you could sell it the day it gets here. If you wanted more information and/or costs to bring this car to Australia through us then please fill out the cost estimate request form on our website at http://www.ironladyimports.com/cost-estimate

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

[zeroasylum]

Hello,we are moving in September and going to be bringing my wife’s Nissan Figaro with us as a personal import. Not it was designed to run r12 gas which I know is banned both in the UK and Australia. I believe it is running some sort of substitute now. Am I correct in saying that it just needs to be degassed or do I need proof it was converted not to run R12. Also is there some rule about degassing and shipping with household goods.

 

Many thanks

 

Zeroasylum

[zeroasylum]

Think I found my answer in number 8 here retrofit to r134a and degas easy to get done but if you could confirm if I am correct

 

http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/ozone/licences/vehicle-import.html

 

Thanks

 

Zeroasylum

[Guest Guest67761]

Hello,we are moving in September and going to be bringing my wife’s Nissan Figaro with us as a personal import. Not it was designed to run r12 gas which I know is banned both in the UK and Australia. I believe it is running some sort of substitute now. Am I correct in saying that it just needs to be degassed or do I need proof it was converted not to run R12. Also is there some rule about degassing and shipping with household goods.

 

Many thanks

 

Zeroasylum

 

If the car runs R12 gas then it need to be modified or disabled so it can no longer run R12 at all as importing anything that can run R12 into Australia is illegal if it has gas currently or not. If it runs on R134a which would be the case for most cars built in the early 1990's or newer then it just needs to be de-gassed. All cars coming to Australia with aircon fitted need to have the system de-gassed with a copy of the receipt for the de-gassing and a de-gassing report completed by the technician doing the work, this report is an Australian government form which will be supply to our clients as required. When you are shipping a container full of household goods or other personal effects, regardless of if the car is shipped in the same container or not, then we can apply for a special exemption to the de-gassing requirements as long as it's an allowed gas (eg. R134a).

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

[zeroasylum]

Thanks for the reply. Does the modification and degassing have to be done by a main dealer or can it be done by any qualified automotive air conditioning engineer / company once all the relevant paperwork has been completed.

 

Thank you

 

zeroasylum

[Guest Guest67761]

Thanks for the reply. Does the modification and degassing have to be done by a main dealer or can it be done by any qualified automotive air conditioning engineer / company once all the relevant paperwork has been completed.

 

Thank you

 

zeroasylum

 

It can be done by anyone qualified as long as they fill out the required paperwork.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

[Brenda Bonner]

Hi my question is, is there a time frame that you hav to import ur car to oz? My other half there since April on a 457 I'm following in November but he has since heard that you only hav 6 months to send car over once visa is activated is this correct??

[SaffanZimbo]

Could anyone please confirm if OH can take both his motorbikes with when we move? He has a Fireblade and a TDM and we are not sure he can take both...... We will also be taking the family car VW Passat Estate.

[Guest Guest67761]

Hi my question is, is there a time frame that you hav to import ur car to oz? My other half there since April on a 457 I'm following in November but he has since heard that you only hav 6 months to send car over once visa is activated is this correct??

 

Typically they will only consider applications for vehicle import approvals up to 6 months after you arrive in Australia however we have got quite a lot through after 6 months, even as long as a few years in some cases, simply by providing good reasons for the delayed application. As everyone has vastly different circumstances it would be best to contact me directly to discuss your specific situation. My email address is craig@ironladyimports.com and please give as much information as possible so I can offer you good specific advice on how to best proceed.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

 

 

Could anyone please confirm if OH can take both his motorbikes with when we move? He has a Fireblade and a TDM and we are not sure he can take both...... We will also be taking the family car VW Passat Estate.

 

Under the Personal Import Scheme you are allowed one vehicle per person which could be either a car, bike, truck or whatever. Some vehicles can be imported under other schemes which do not impact on your entitlement under the Personal Import Scheme, so the final answer on if it would be possible for 2 of you to bring 3 vehicles in total will depend on the exact vehicles, their intended use, etc. For example if the bike is not for road use (off-road only, circuit racing, etc) then we can apply under a different scheme, and there are other methods of import for some other vehicles too. Once again it's best to contact me by email at craig@ironladyimports.com with as much information about the situation as possible so I can advise further.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

[Cantona7]

Hi Iron Chef, I am an Aussie citizen moving back from the UK after 12 years. I have a 2010 Audi A5 S line, sports back model (4 door), I satisfy all the criteria you have listed and was wondering if you can give me a quote to import this back to Sydney for me? If you no longer do imports, can you recommend someone who can do this for me? I am not looking to ship until Feb or March next year but just want a rough idea of costs and whether or not it is worth it?

 

Many thanks

 

Cantona7 (Ciaran)

 

Hi guys,

 

I thought I should join up and contribute seeing a few members from here have now been in contact with me regarding importing, and given that many of you seem to be asking the same questions, I thought it best to jump on and keep everything in the one spot so it can be discussed. So here are the FAQs related to bringing your car with you to Australia as a personal import

 

1. Firstly the relevant legislation (abridged to suit PIO members):

 

The Personal Imports Scheme allows migrants settling in Australia, to bring their personal vehicles with them.

 

The Personal Imports Scheme is outlined at regulation 13 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Regulations 1989. Mandatory criteria apply under the scheme. These criteria are outlined below. The criteria are strictly enforced. If you fail to meet the criteria, you will not be eligible to import a vehicle under the scheme.

 

Criteria, ownership of the vehicle

Applicants must satisfy each of the following ownership requirements. You must:

• own the vehicle when submitting the application; and

• have acquired ownership of the vehicle from overseas; and

• have owned the vehicle while overseas; and

• have owned the vehicle for a continuous period of at least 12 months. This is the “qualifying period”.

The qualifying period must have occurred immediately before you (permanently) arrived in Australia.

 

Criteria, use of the vehicle

The vehicle must have been available to you for use in transport. This means that the vehicle must have been available to be driven by you, at all times during the 12 month qualifying period. The vehicle should be registered (in your name) and garaged (proximate to your residence) throughout the 12 month qualifying period, so that you could, if needed, drive the vehicle. In addition, you must have held an appropriate licence to drive the vehicle overseas.

 

Criteria, citizenship and visa requirements

Applicants must fall into one of the following categories. You must:

• have applied to become an Australian citizen; or

• be an Australian permanent resident (eg, hold a permanent visa); or

• have applied to become an Australian permanent resident (eg, applied for a permanent visa); or

• hold a visa that allows you to apply to become an Australian permanent resident (eg, hold a temporary visa that allows you to apply for a permanent visa)

 

In addition, applicants must intend to change their residence. Applicants must have been resident in a foreign country (throughout the qualifying period of 12 months’ ownership and use of the vehicle) but now intend to become Australian residents on a permanent basis and remain in Australia indefinitely.

 

Documents to be provided by the applicant

To apply for a vehicle import approval under the Personal Imports Scheme, you should provide the following (to the Department) in the first instance:

• a completed Application for a Personally Imported Vehicle;

• the application fee – $50 Australian dollars, by cheque, money order or credit card (MasterCard or Visa only). If paying by cheque from overseas, please seek advice from your bank on the correct procedure;

• a copy of your driver’s licence;

• a copy of the purchase documents for the vehicle, in your name;

• a copy of the registration documents for the vehicle (for the qualifying period), in your name;

• a statement of travel. The statement of travel is prepared by you, and itemises any international travel you undertook during the qualifying period. In particular, the statement sets out any absences from your country of residence. If travel was for business reasons, you should supply a letter to that effect from your employer; and

• a copy of your passport (this includes a copy of every page, including blank pages). If you hold dual passports, you should produce a copy of both passports.

 

Applicants may substantiate an intention to remain in Australia indefinitely, by establishing:

• your employment details, such as a letter from your Australian employer;

• a rental agreement / purchase agreement for your residential property in Australia;

• the shipment of your household goods to Australia;

• the enrolment of your children in an Australian school;

• your Australian telephone / electricity accounts;

• the sale of your residential property in your former country of residence;

• the cancellation of your residential rental property in your former country of residence; and

• your resignation from employment in your former country of residence.

 

In addition, foreign citizens settling in Australia may substantiate an intention to remain in Australia

indefinitely, by providing evidence that they have:

• applied for an Australian Tax File Number;

• registered with Medicare;

• applied for Australian medical insurance;

• applied to open an Australian bank account; and

• applied for an Australian driver’s licence.

Importing Vehicles to Australia – Information Brochure (VSB10) 18

 

These lists are a guide. You may also be required to provide further evidence, including:

• a copy of insurance documents for the vehicle;

• copies of other documents that support your purchase of the vehicle (such as bank statements,

receipts from vendors); and

• copies of other documents that show you used the vehicle (such as receipts for any maintenance orrepairs made to the vehicle).

 

You may be required to submit original documentation (not photocopies) to confirm eligibility under the scheme.

 

Form to use for applying for a Personal Import

 

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/general/doc/Personal_Import_Application_1109.doc

 

or

 

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/general/pdf/Personal_Import_Application_1109.pdf

 

All Import-related information is in here, if you'd like more info:

 

Importing Vehicles to Australia - General Information

 

Is importing worth it? This is the $64m question of course! Going through the importing process for cars is not for the faint hearted, mainly because of the red tape you have to conquer.

 

If you absolutely love your car and can't bear to part with it, then obviously you're going to choose to import it regardless of what I say, and that's fine, I've brought in many cars over the years that don't make any sense from a financial standpoint.

 

If you've heard rumours that bringing cars to Australia is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, then I would encourage you to do some further research before going through the rigmarole of applying for import approval.

 

If your car is sold in Australia already, then I suggest you check what it is worth here on this website:

 

Car Prices - Search Car Prices & Values Online - Red Book

 

You may well find that you go to an awful lot of effort and expense to bring a car here, only to find that it is worth less here than what it owes you, particularly if it is a fairly basic model.

 

If you're bringing over something more upmarket, then there is potential for profit, particularly if the car you happen to own is a model that can't enter the country any other way and is therefore desirable to astute collectors here. Feel free to ask if you aren't sure whether your car falls into this category.

 

Why are Australian governments such ar$eholes? Dealing with them on a daily basis, I regularly wonder this myself!

 

The personal import regulations have been tightened recently in response to dodgy businesses here rorting the system to make as much money as possible, by contacting ex-pat Aussies living overseas and effectively paying them to have cars registered in their names. This, of course, is not the intention of the scheme - it's not set up so that Aussies can send back cars every year and make money on them.

 

Like most governments, Australian governments have never met a dollar they didn't like, and so when you import any goods over $1000 into Australia, you're going to get hit with 5% stamp duty on the cost of the car and its shipping charges THEN get another 10% GST charged on the cost of the car, its shipping charges and the 5% stamp duty - yes, you pay tax on a tax...

 

Not only that, the state government will also get you for stamp duty of approximately 4% of the vehicle's value when the time comes to register it here. As you can see, they all do quite nicely out of importers.

 

When should I apply for import approval? As soon as you've met the criteria for importing, or as soon as you have your visa. DON'T make the mistake of waiting until you're about to come over to Australia! Our government has a long history of making running changes to legislation without letting anyone know.

 

On the DIT website you'll see something written about 17 working day turnaround times - this is rubbish, expect up to 5 or 6 weeks. The section that processes applications is terminally (and in my opinion deliberately) understaffed, and you see that the 17 day processing time doesn't include peak periods, and they always manage to find a reason for slower processing (at the moment, it's the strong AUD v USD making everyone buy US cars...)

 

Which companies do insurance for personal imports? When most mainstream insurance companies in Australia hear the 'i' word (import), they will smile and show you the door. If your car is a model already sold in Australia, do NOT mention it is a personal import. There's nothing underhanded or illegal about doing this, so don't worry you're not breaking the law, you're just avoiding confusion on their end.

 

If your car is rare or unusual, I recommend Car Insurance for car enthusiasts and owners of classic and vintage cars - Shannons , or if you're under 25 Car Insurance for Young Drivers and Modified Cars - Just Car Insurance In the interests of ethical probity, I have all my cars insured through Shannons - they offer big reductions if you have multiple vehicles or home insurance through them too.

 

Air conditioning - what needs to be done? When you read the Department of Environment and Heritage's website, you'll read that no vehicle can be imported into Australia with R12 gas, which doesn't apply to many people these days.

 

Most of us have R134a, which is still regarded as an ozone-depleting substance, and therefore, to bring a car in with R134a still in the aircon system, the importer must have the appropriate licence to do this - back in the old days, it was only $50 to get the licence, but because of recent changes, it has now jumped to $600. I should point out that the wait to actually get a licence is horrendous too.

 

The alternative is to make sure your air-con is de-gassed before it leaves the UK. I'm not sure what your local mechanic would charge you to do this, but I doubt it would be much more than 20 or 30 pounds. From there, they need to sign the relevant paperwork to show that it has been done (I can send you the form for this), and then you give this form and the tax invoice from the mechanic to your customs broker in Australia. Re-gassing costs around $100AUD so you still end up miles in front compared to getting the $600 licence.

Market value vs customs value -

 

For personal imports, cars are generally valued independently once they arrive in Australia. This is done by a licenced valuer, at a cost of $200 or so (nice work if you can get it!).

 

There is a good reason for this - if you paid $50,000 for your car and had owned it for 5 years, it would be unfair to tax you on the original purchase price. So it makes sense.

 

The valuer is required to provide a customs value, not a market value. In virtually every case, the customs value is a much lower figure than market value.

 

Just for fun, I'll do a hypothetical scenario with a 2007 Jaguar XK convertible, purchased new by whoever is bringing it in.

 

Market value for one sold new in Australia is now $105,000-115,000AUD

 

Customs value (I'm no expert at this, but I know these are the rough figures used for depreciation!)

 

Purchase cost - £69,900 ($158,000 AUD based on an exchange rate of 1AUD=44p back in 2007)

 

Three years' depreciation at 22% per year brings the value down to $75389, THEN another 20% approx is reduced to take into consideration an imported vehicle being worth less than its equivalent locally sold model in Australia.

 

Customs value is $60,311.

 

Like I said, don't quote me on those percentages I've used, but they're in the right ball park, which should help some of you with your calculations for taxes and customs duty.

[tooktheredpill]

imported my 04 beemer sport. Was a pain in the A to do all the paperwork and get the approval. Took about 4 weeks to get compliance etc after it arrived at the dock and just sold for about a 3g profit. I'd only bother if you really love your car or its worth a lot .

[Iron Chef]

Hi Iron Chef, I am an Aussie citizen moving back from the UK after 12 years. I have a 2010 Audi A5 S line, sports back model (4 door), I satisfy all the criteria you have listed and was wondering if you can give me a quote to import this back to Sydney for me? If you no longer do imports, can you recommend someone who can do this for me? I am not looking to ship until Feb or March next year but just want a rough idea of costs and whether or not it is worth it?

 

Many thanks

 

Cantona7 (Ciaran)

 

Hi Ciaran, send us an email via the website to get a proper breakdown of the figures (we need a little more info) but at face value, yes it's almost definitely worth bringing over a late model A5.

 

imported my 04 beemer sport. Was a pain in the A to do all the paperwork and get the approval. Took about 4 weeks to get compliance etc after it arrived at the dock and just sold for about a 3g profit. I'd only bother if you really love your car or its worth a lot .

 

Like we always say, if importing a car was an easy process, we'd be out of a job

[Grimesy]

Alright bud,

i have a racing quad that I would like to import to oz when we move over. is it fine just to empty all fluids out of the bike and put it in the container? Or do I have to fill loads of forms out and paying loads of money to customs for import charges? If you have the answers can you please get back to me as I have been tryin every where to find othanks martynthanks martyn

[Guest Guest67761]

Alright bud,

i have a racing quad that I would like to import to oz when we move over. is it fine just to empty all fluids out of the bike and put it in the container? Or do I have to fill loads of forms out and paying loads of money to customs for import charges? If you have the answers can you please get back to me as I have been tryin every where to find othanks martynthanks martyn

 

Hi Martyn,

 

All motor vehicles need import approval from the Australian government before being shipped here. There are a few possible ways that you might get approval for this bike depending on the exact specifications and your specific situation. Here is a basic list of ways you can import motorbikes to Australia, starting with the easiest and/or cheapest options first:

 

** MOTORCYCLES FOR ROAD REGISTRATION **

 

Personal Import Scheme

Under this scheme you can import any vehicle regardless of make or model as long as you have owned and used it personally for at least 12 months prior to moving to live in Australia. You can only import one vehicle (car, bike, truck, whatever) under this scheme per person in any 5 year period. The requirements are very strict however this is what we specialise in helping clients with so please ask if you need any assistance.

 

Used Motorcycle Compliance

Many models of motorbike can be imported through with 'compliance' arranged through a RAWS workshop. 'Compliance' is the work required and certification to meet Australian Design Rules. The list of models which can be imported this way changes all the time so please ask us if you need to know about your bike. This will take longer and cost more than the Personal Import Scheme however if you do not meet the requirements or are already importing a vehicle under the Personal Import Scheme then this might be the only way to import a bike as well.

 

** NON ROAD USE MOTORCYCLES **

Pocket Bike / Mini Moto

If the bike is less than 50cc and the seat height is under 60cm then it's quite simple to get approval under this category.

 

Off-Road Bike

This is supposed to be for off-road use bikes like farm bikes or dedicated recreational vehicles like dirt bikes or snowmobiles, not really for race bikes, however if you can prove that this bike is for absolute off-road use and has dirt/mud tyres fitted, no lights, indicators, number plate mounts or other features normally found on road bikes, etc then we should be able to get an application for import approval going under this category.

 

Race / Motorsport Vehicle

This is a hard category for anyone to get approval under as you need to prove that the bike is a dedicated race bike and that you have been active in racing it in the past. They almost always want you to hold a current Australian motorsport licence as well. Unless we know more then it's hard to advise further on this one as there is a lot of grey area here.

 

Another method which some choose is to simply strip the bike down to parts by removing the engine, wheels and anything else needed to make sure it appears to be parts only. Yo do not need an import approval for parts however without an import approval you would NEVER be able to get the bike registered for road use if you ever decided to do that so this option is only suitable if you only going to use it off-road and never want to sell it.

 

I hope this helps a little with your questions and everyone else reading this too. Please make sure you contact us with your specific requirements as the rules and the way they are implemented change constantly so do not assume this information to be correct any time after it was written and just use it as a guide only. We will advise on each case individually as required.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

[chubbs75]

Hi

 

I have a Honda CRF450r off road motocross bike which I would like to ship to NSW? How much would it be and how long it would take?

 

Appreciate your help

[Guest Guest67761]

Hi

 

I have a Honda CRF450r off road motocross bike which I would like to ship to NSW? How much would it be and how long it would take?

 

Appreciate your help

 

The cheapest and easiest way to ship a bike would be in a container with your household goods, otherwise if you are not shipping other items then we can arrange separate shipping for just the bike however the cost will vary depending on where you are located, if you would deliver the bike to the depot or need it collected, etc. The importing costs into Australia would also vary depending on the Australian Customs valuation of the bike. We would need to know more before we could give much more information or make a decent guess at the likely costs.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

[chubbs75]

The cheapest and easiest way to ship a bike would be in a container with your household goods, otherwise if you are not shipping other items then we can arrange separate shipping for just the bike however the cost will vary depending on where you are located, if you would deliver the bike to the depot or need it collected, etc. The importing costs into Australia would also vary depending on the Australian Customs valuation of the bike. We would need to know more before we could give much more information or make a decent guess at the likely costs.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports

 

Hi Craig

 

Thanks for te reply. Yes I'm planing to put the bike in the container with our stuff. The UK value of the bike is £1000 and found some in Aus around 3000$ ?

 

Hope this helps

 

Thank you

[chubbs75]

Hi Craig

 

Thanks for te reply. Yes I'm planing to put the bike in the container with our stuff. The UK value of the bike is £1000 and found some in Aus around 3000$ ?

 

Hope this helps

 

Thank you

 

Also goi g to Bowral, NSW so I can collect it from Sydney.

 

Thank you

[Guest Guest67761]

Hi Craig

 

Thanks for te reply. Yes I'm planing to put the bike in the container with our stuff. The UK value of the bike is £1000 and found some in Aus around 3000$ ?

 

Hope this helps

 

Thank you

 

If the Australian value is only around $3,000 then that is good as bikes are exempt from import duty and only incur GST at 10% of the Australia value. Of course there would be other costs involved for Customs clearance which would most likely be handled by your household relocation company providing the container service depending on what they are including in their package, plus Australian compliance, roadworthy (MOT) and road registration (road tax) costs on top.

[chubbs75]

If the Australian value is only around $3,000 then that is good as bikes are exempt from import duty and only incur GST at 10% of the Australia value. Of course there would be other costs involved for Customs clearance which would most likely be handled by your household relocation company providing the container service depending on what they are including in their package, plus Australian compliance, roadworthy (MOT) and road registration (road tax) costs on top.

 

Thank you for your reply. How long does it take to get the import approval?

And what sort of crate the bike should go in?

 

Thank you for your help.

[Guest Guest67761]

Thank you for your reply. How long does it take to get the import approval?

And what sort of crate the bike should go in?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

They say that import approvals take around 3 weeks to be processed but we like to allow around 4 weeks to be safe. If you are shipping the bike in a container with your household relocation company then they should arrange the packing of the bike for you with treated timber or other materials which will not cause any issue for Australian Quarantine. If you wanted to know more so you could help package the bike yourself then you would need to ask your relocation company for their specific requirements as it will vary between companies.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Moor

Iron Lady Imports