If you happen to be visiting Australia or if you happen to live there but want to import a vehicle from a different country, there are a couple of things that you should know, and some steps that you should follow to achieve your goals. We are going to cover both of those things, so keep on reading.
Research if you are eligible
Before you decide to import the vehicle into Australia, or even think about how you are going to do it, you should research if the vehicle you are going to import is eligible to be imported to Australia, to begin with. Australia has quite a lot of rules when it comes to importing vehicles, and doing research are essential so you do not end up wasting time and money.
Vehicle approval comes first
Before 2018, there used to be the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989, which was then replaced by Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018. The second mentioned act came into use on 1 July 2021, and since then, before a vehicle can be provided to a person for use on the Australian road, the vehicle must enter the Register of Approved Vehicles.
Anyone can apply for the registration, whether you are doing it as an individual, or as a company. You can import multiple vehicles with the same model, but if you are importing just a single vehicle, that is just fine. To apply, you will have to visit the Department of Infrastructure, transport, Regional Development And Communications online IT service, which is also known as ROVER.
Since the whole thing is done online, all you have to do is create an account and fill in the information necessary to submit your application, which you will also have to pay a small fee for. Once you are approved for registration, you will receive an e-mail. Note that this process is the same for both luxury and classic car imports in Australia, but the fee might differ for luxury cars in later steps.
Before, there was a different procedure for vehicles that did not meet certain requirements, but today, this process is also used for vehicles that are modified by a registered automotive shop, vehicles that are older than 25 years, vehicles that are moved to Australia when the applicant is moving to the country, or when the vehicle is used for a special purpose.
Arrange the shipping
One of the most important parts of importing the vehicle to Australia is to hire a reliable company that will handle your vehicle correctly in the transport. This is very essential to American car imports, as they will have to travel a long way before they reach Australia. With that said, it is always best to hire professionals that handle vehicle importing instead of trying to organize everything yourself.
In most cases, if done by professionals, when your vehicle is shipped to Australia, it will be shipped in a container, where it will be protected from any kind of tampering and damage until it arrives at its new destination. Another benefit of hiring professionals to help you in the shipping is that they will help you out with the next steps as well, and they are very important steps.
Get customs clearance
Like with most services, when you are importing a vehicle to Australia, you will have to pay certain fees, such as the import declaration, customs duty, and goods and services tax, if your car is from a luxury category it will require another special tax, and the most important customs clearance is to assure that there is no asbestos in your vehicle
When you hire professionals to help you with the import, they will make sure that your car is as clean as it can get, and that it has no asbestos in it. They will also take care of other things that could hold your vehicle for a longer period of time at the Australian quarantine.
Do the necessary modifications
Sometimes a vehicle might have to undergo certain modifications before you can import it into Australia and drive it on the road. If necessary, once the vehicle is out of customs and quarantine, it will undergo this process. If you had some items that have to be changed, you might have to reapply for the RAV again.
Final word
Once you get the vehicle, you will be able to drive it on your property. However, if you wish to drive it on the official road, you will have to register the vehicle in the relevant state or territory. After you do that, you can drive the vehicle anywhere in Australia.