Before you ship your vehicle, check it will meet NZ safety, emissions and frontal impact standards. As the importer this is your responsibility.
Once a vehicle has been imported into New Zealand, it must be border-checked, certified, registered and licensed for use on the road. The process involves an entry certifier:
- Verifying that the vehicle met the required safety, emissions and frontal impact standards when manufactured
- Carrying out a vehicle inspection to verify it is still in good condition (effectively a warrant of fitness check)
- Deciding whether the vehicle needs any repairs and/or specialist certification to meet legal safety requirements
- Verifying who legally owns the vehicle
Where the vehicle meets requirements, the certifier issues:
- A registration application form (form MR2A), which verifies that it has passed these checks and is safe for you to drive, and
- A warrant of fitness or certificate of fitness, depending on the vehicle's size
Note
Make sure you check your paperwork, and that the VIN, chassis and frame numbers are correct, as vehicles without correct paperwork may not be able to be registered.
You will need an original Registration certificate, and original Passport – please confirm requirements with your Compliance Centre.
Estimated Costs
- Check with your chosen entry certifier, as cost will vary depending on your vehicle and immigration status.
- Repairers, repair certifiers and LVV certifiers also charge different rates and their costs will depend on the work required for each vehicle.
- The costs for registration and licensing vary according to vehicle type, engine size, the period of the licence (i.e. 6 or 12 months) and what the vehicle will be used for. A full schedule of these costs is available from the NZTA. Call the motor vehicle registration contact centre on 0800 108 809.
We do not take responsibility for vehicles that do not comply with the safety and emissions requirements of New Zealand.
