Importing cars to Australia can be a tricky process. This is due to the country’s strict laws, which attempt to discourage car importing as much as possible. But... there are exceptions under the “Personal Import Scheme” and “Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme”. When Taurus Logistics promises a seamless shipping experience, we mean it – and that means you don’t need to worry about any red tape. See below to find out more about car shipping to Australia.
80% receive a quote in 30 seconds! More complex jobs will receive a response within 24 hours.
Costs to Consider When Shipping a Car to Australia
If you're planning to import your car to Australia it should be worth over AU$7,000 or have special value to the owner. Otherwise, it's not worthwhile.
Given the research we've done, many people choose to export their car given the expense of purchasing a car in Australia, others prefer to export their vehicles to Australia because of the sentimental attachment.
Ports We Ship to in Australia
Taurus Logistics can ship your car to all of the main ports across Australia, including Brisbane, Sydney and Fremantle. From there, we will load your cargo onto a truck or car carrier and deliver it straight to your home. This makes for a more seamless shipping process, taking the hassle out of the equation.
Ports we ship to in Australia:
How Long Does It Take to Ship a Car?
While it’s not possible to list the shipping times for every route Taurus Logistics offers, below are a few of our most popular routes. These are indicative transit times, and do not include all shipping lines, containers, or part container options. Please contact us to discuss container sailing dates, or for roll on roll off please refer to our RORO Sailing Schedule.
Vehicle Import Approval
When importing a car, motorhome or motorcycle into Australia, the first requirement is that you’re an Australian permanent resident or plan to be. You can apply for your import permit online before you move to Australia, and your permit will be emailed to you.
The five main categories for importing a car to Australia cover most people’s situations. There are more categories, but in most cases around 80% of people will use the Personal Effects Option, or as below.
Personal Effects Option
This option allows migrants settling in Australia or expatriate Australian citizens returning permanently to Australia after a long period overseas, to bring their personal vehicle with them as long as it has been owned for the qualifying 12 month period.
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Reimportation Import Approvals
This option allows road vehicles originally sourced within Australia but subsequently exported to be re-imported.
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Vehicles Manufactured more than 25 years ago
This option allows for the importation of road vehicles manufactured more than 25 years ago.
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Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Register
Listing on the Register of Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles means that vehicles can be imported into Australia under the Low Volume Vehicles Scheme and the Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme.
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Race and Rally and Support Vehicles Option
This option allows for the importation of vehicles intended for road vehicle rallies, closed circuit road vehicle racing and vehicles designed to support road vehicle racing or rallying.
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What happens if my car fails Quarantine Inspection?
The Department of Agriculture inspects all used vehicles at time of import, and only after this inspection is the cleanliness condition known. Even a very well-cleaned car by a professional cleaner can still fail because of the high standards required to enter Australia.
But there is no need to worry as we will arrange the quarantine inspection and if it needs cleaning we will handle all that for you too.
Allow AU$300-500 as an estimate to cover potential cleaning, and or vacuuming.
Fail Quarantine
Do I have to pay GST, duty, or luxury tax when importing cars to Australia?
Yes, unfortunately. There is only one condition for GST / Duty exemption and that is returning Australian cars. i.e., cars previously registered in Australia in your name and are now returning. There are no other tax exemptions even on used, personally owned cars. There are duty concessions for Vehicles over 30 years old that are Duty-free, and Luxury Car Tax(LCT) kicks in for cars valued at over AU$67,525.
Read moreHow do I calculate my GST, Duty and LCT?
Calculating your GST, Duty, and LCT can be a bit complicated, so we have designed a handy online Import GST / Duty / LCT calculator.
80% receive a quote in 30 seconds! More complex jobs will receive a response within 24 hours.