Car Shipping to Australia

Shipping your car, automobile, and vehicle to Australia.

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Wikipedia

Australia Car Shipping

Australia is an isolated island continent with a long coastline and shipping is a major economic use of our seas, estuaries and coastlines. In terms of tonnage carried and distance travelled, Australia ranks as the fifth largest user of shipping in the world. Each year there are around 12,000 overseas shipping arrivals and almost 380 million tonnes of freight carried in Australian waters.

Whether door-to-door or port-to-port, we will tailor our transport and relocation services to meet your deadlines. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Major Ports in Australia:

• Sydney (Port Botany)
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide
• Fremantle
• Westport

* Services are also available to other cites in Australia.

Shipping Advice

Time frame - Shipping a car or container of household items generally takes three to four weeks. Cars and Autos are shipped in individual containers, but many sea carriers will allow partial containers of household goods.

Please contact one of our shipping agents to discuss your auto transport and shipping needs. If necessary, we will be able to help deliver the container to your house for packing, then retrieve it for delivery to the docks. All of our agents are skillfully trained and certified.

Important Country Facts

In land area, Australia is the sixth largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the United States of America and Brazil. It has, however, a relatively small population. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the south-eastern corner of the continent. Australia has had one of the most outstanding economies of the world in recent years. As a high-growth, low-inflation, low interest rate economy, it is more vibrant than ever before. The Australian dollar (sign: $; code: AUD) . There is an efficient government sector, a flexible labour market and a very competitive business sector.

This economic boom has given rise to international trade which in turn has given rise to international shipping.

Immigration is an important feature of Australian society. Since 1945, over six million people from 200 countries have come to Australia as new settlers. Migrants have made a major contribution to shaping modern Australia. People born overseas make up almost one quarter of the total population.

The federal government sets immigration intake numbers on a yearly basis. Australia's immigration policies are non-discriminatory and all applicants to migrate must meet the same selection criteria. With so much migration and trade taking place , most of the main 68 ports are very busy catering to the various needs of various people.

Auto Shipping To Australia Information

Overseas-manufactured vehicles are often built to different specifications to those required for the Australian market. Any new or used vehicle that a diplomatic mission or eligible consular post or individual wishes to import must conform to Australian safety and emissions standards.

Before making arrangements to import a vehicle into Australia, import approval must be obtained from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government ( the approval certifies that a vehicle meets the Australian Design Rules -ADRs).

It is strongly recommended that you do not ship your vehicle to Australia until such time as you are issued with an Import Approval. If you ship your vehicle before receiving an approval and your vehicle arrives before the application is processed, you may incur storage costs from the shipping company/freight forwarder. You may also be open to prosecution, as it is an offence to import a vehicle without an import approval. Importation takes place when a vehicle is landed within the port of intended discharge and not once the vehicle clears customs control. If the import application is not approved, you will have to either export the vehicle or have it destroyed at your own expense. Destruction will need to take place under Customs supervision.

The vehicle must be fitted with a compliance plate indicating that it meets the ADRs. Failure to obtain such approval before importing a vehicle into Australia may result in considerable financial costs and could result in the imported vehicle having to be re-exported or scrapped.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has no authority to override decisions of the Office of the Administrator of Vehicle Safety Standards and will not support registration in the ACT of a directly imported vehicle unless the Administrator has provided an appropriate certification.

Unless approval from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has been obtained, it is unlikely that a vehicle will meet State or Territory registration requirements for the vehicle to be used on Australian public roads. Normally vehicles for use on public roads in Australia are required to be right-hand drive. Before bringing a vehicle to Australia, it is advisable to check with the motor vehicle registration authorities of the State or Territory where it is intended the vehicle be registered to ensure that the vehicle will meet their registration requirements. Australia's quarantine regulations applicable at the time of the vehicle’s entry have to be complied with – quarantine clearance must be obtained from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) after the vehicle has arrived at the port of entry.

• A proper valid insurance must be attained for the car. The car should meet the safety requirements . Insurance is usually in the form of third party insurance.
• The Motors Vehicles Standard Act of 1989 , which states that all imported must meet all safety standards and emission levels required by Australia.
• Australia has banned the use of air conditioning with emission of CFC gas (R12 ). HCFC (R134A ) may be imported under a license.
• Temporary Import : For those who are on a tourist or temporary resident visa can import a car for a period of up to 12 months without paying customs duty.

Taxes and Duties paid to the Australian Government are as follows:

Vehicle Taxes:

• Vehicles over 30 years old | Duty 0% | GST 10%
• New and used vehicles up to 30 years old | Duty10% | GST 10%
• Four wheel drive off or commercial vehicle | Duty5% | GST 10%

Special note:

The Customs Value: The customs value of your vehicle can be either based upon the Original Country Purchase Price ( which may be subject to depreciation allowance ) or rated on Australian as Landed Value , which in some cases could be as low as 50% of the current Australian Market Value.

Import Duty and GST Valuation: Once the Customs Value of the vehicle has been determined ,the Duty is applied to the Current Value . The GST component will be applied to Customs Value and the Import Duty applied.