There are several key steps to kick off the process of shipping your car to Australia. First, gather all necessary documents, get an instant rate, and book your shipment online. This will provide a clear understanding of costs and timelines involved in the process. Checking a comprehensive Pre-Shipment Checklist is of utmost importance to understand what cars can be imported to Australia, the associated costs, and the steps required for clearing duties and registering the car once it arrives.
The good news is that if the car that you are interested in is at least 25 years old and has not been modified, then there is no reason that it cannot be imported into Australia. You should check with your local State Road authority, but in most cases cars can be registered and driven as left-hand drivers, eliminating any need to convert your vehicle to a right-hand drive.
Make sure you have all the necessary documentation before shipping your car to Australia. This includes proof of ownership, typically the vehicle’s title or registration documents. Additionally, a US passport or an overseas passport is essential for exporting the vehicle from the US to Australia. These documents are vital for a legally compliant and smooth export and import process of your car.
Obtaining a Vehicle Import Approval (VIA) is mandatory before your vehicle leaves the USA, as required under Section 22 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA). Without this approval, the Australian Border Force (ABF) will not release your vehicle from customs control, potentially leading to significant storage costs. This approval is a vital step for your car to meet all Australian regulations, including emission levels and safety standards.
The Department of Infrastructure has developed the ROVER system to assist people interested in importing to Australia. There are many areas on the system that could be of interest. Click here for more details on Australia's ROVER program.
It is important to know that every vehicle shipped to Australia requires import approval by the Australian government. It is the importer's requirement to set up a profile in the ROVER system and submitting 100 points of ID . Upon verification you can apply for the import approval through the Rover system. We can also assist with this process.
How to apply for import approval in Australia
The application for a VIA must be made through the ROVER system, an online portal managed by the department for vehicle import approvals. The process can take up to 60 business days for assessment and approval.
Acquiring this approval before importing cars and shipping your car is vital to avoid storage and other charges upon arrival in Australia.
To import a vehicle to Australia, it must comply with the country’s safety and emission standards under the Motor Vehicles Standard Act of 1989. Additionally, the importation of vehicles containing asbestos components is prohibited. Necessary modifications might include changing headlights or installing child restraint anchor points to meet Australian standards. With the growing trend of Australia importing cars, it’s essential to be aware of these requirements.
Before registration, you may need to arrange for these modifications and conduct compliance testing.
Download the Australia Import Guide to get answers to your questions about importing a car to Australia.
Vehicle documentation:
International residents:
US citizens:
We accept wire transfers, checks, and ban deposits only. Read more about banking fees when paying from overseas.
We do not accept credit card payments.
The average cost to ship a car to Australia from the USA ranges between $2,150 and $2,250 per car. This port-to-port shipping cost does not include vehicle collection, destination fees, import duties, and cargo damage protection. The most affordable destination port in Australia for container shipping is Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Use our instant car shipping calculator for an up-to-date rate and to view the destination fees in Australia.
