Importing Your Own Car

[b18c_crx]

hey guys

wondering what does it take to import your own car into australia. it is worth it?
say if i purhcase a car from japan and i wanted to import it to australia and be able to drive it as well. what would i need to be able to make it aus road worthy. Paper work and just stuff like that.


thanks you

[JaCe]

I'm no expert on the subject... but when you say import your own car, are you referring to buying your car from an importer, or bringing a car you already own/purchased yourself overseas?

On a sidenote, are there any issues with compliance with ADR or something when importing a car not designed for Australian market?

[AsH_]

jap cars dont have side intrusion bars... im pretty sure AUS rego'd cars need them installed if not already on...

[kid_dynamite]

hey guys
wondering what does it take to import your own car into australia. it is worth it?
say if i purhcase a car from japan and i wanted to import it to australia and be able to drive it as well. what would i need to be able to make it aus road worthy. Paper work and just stuff like that.

It depends on the car and how you are intending to import it.

Basically there are four main methods of bringing a car into Australia:
Race/Rally: not applicable since you want to road register it.
15 year rule: any car produced before 1/1/1989 can be brought in, has to meet state rego requirements.
SEVS: any car produced after 1/1/1989, only certain models are allowed in (ie none which have been sold to the domestic market). Strict rules on condition and modifications (generally it must be a stock car).
Personal Import: if you are overseas and own a car for more than 12 months, you can import it into the country, has to meet state rego requirements.

If you want to tell me what car you want (and where from) I can give you a breakdown of approximate costs.

//edit: Check out this link (http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/safety/road/bulletin/importing.aspx) on the DOTARS website which will explain the methods.


jap cars dont have side intrusion bars... im pretty sure AUS rego'd cars need them installed if not already on...
Actually since the early 90s most Japanese cars have had side intrusion bars standard.

[kj887]

yo kid_dynamite,

i would like to import both 99 Toyota Levin AE111 BZ-R 6sp or either 96 JDM ITR under personal import rule. I m planning to buy one of each in my original country for a year, den ship to oz, of cos i will get all stuff to stock condition no after market stuff, may be just the after market rims. :P

do u know wat kind of procedures will be involed in this situation? i know got to take the car to pit/gov inspection centre, in oder to get the personal approval. be4 that, shipping arrangement/import documents/my car current registration document/my possport have to be organised n well-prepared, correct?

the procedure is so take time n complicated, but i really wanna bring a rare n performance car to oz. i really wanna bring an AE111 levin coupe or JDM ITR, but very hard to choose which one to bringing in.....cos they both are pretty gd, but of cos all u guys must prefer ITR, not much know abt the AE111 levin coupe :<

[MarekSan]

It depends on the car and how you are intending to import it.

Basically there are four main methods of bringing a car into Australia:
Race/Rally: not applicable since you want to road register it.
15 year rule: any car produced before 1/1/1989 can be brought in, has to meet state rego requirements.
SEVS: any car produced after 1/1/1989, only certain models are allowed in (ie none which have been sold to the domestic market). Strict rules on condition and modifications (generally it must be a stock car).
Personal Import: if you are overseas and own a car for more than 12 months, you can import it into the country, has to meet state rego requirements.

If you want to tell me what car you want (and where from) I can give you a breakdown of approximate costs.

//edit: Check out this link (http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/safety/road/bulletin/importing.aspx) on the DOTARS website which will explain the methods.


Actually since the early 90s most Japanese cars have had side intrusion bars standard.

Do you know if a DC5 ITR can be imported from Japan since they are not sold here in Australia anymore? Maybe a 2005 or 2006 model? Has anyone imported a JDM DC5 ITR into Australia yet? I can't find any information if anyone has.

[kj887]

not much diff, i think. but sure the JDM has brembo brake cap.........

[MarekSan]

not much diff, i think. but sure the JDM has brembo brake cap.........

I know, but since it's not sold here by Honda Australia as a full compliance vehicle for over the last 2 years, can they be imported easily?

[civicVI]

what about EP3 ... can it be import?
my gf want to import it from Hong Kong!

[chicken8]

its based on the model not the variant

a integra cant be imported no matter what variant (LS, GSi, VTiR, Type R, Type S, luxury) because the model integra was sold here

the EP3R is currently being imported under SEVS i believe

and the 15yr old rule is now 18yrs, which someone has previously mentioned to be from year 1989. this was to stop some imports coming into australia, such as the NSX, R32GTR and various other high performance vehicles

"to make our roads safer"

[kid_dynamite]

yo kid_dynamite,

i would like to import both 99 Toyota Levin AE111 BZ-R 6sp or either 96 JDM ITR under personal import rule. I m planning to buy one of each in my original country for a year, den ship to oz, of cos i will get all stuff to stock condition no after market stuff, may be just the after market rims. :P

do u know wat kind of procedures will be involed in this situation? i know got to take the car to pit/gov inspection centre, in oder to get the personal approval. be4 that, shipping arrangement/import documents/my car current registration document/my possport have to be organised n well-prepared, correct?


First off, you can only bring in one car per 12 months under the personal import rule. But you can bring in any car, no restrictions - so long as you can meet the state registration requirements.

That link I posted above, click on that and look up the section on Personal Imports. It lists all the documentation you need. Briefly the process is:
- you are overseas, purchase car
- keep all documentation as listed in the DOTARS weblink
- after minimum 12 months owning it, download the application for import approval and send to DOTARS with $50 application fee
- they will get back to you in about 28 days, hopefully yes :)
- once you get approval, put car on a boat for Australia
- once car is on it's way arrange with a 'customs broker' in Australia to clear Customs / Quarantine and pay all associated fees
- Call up state reigstration authority and they will either require some sort of roadworthiness check
- They will then direct you to someone to get a 'personal import plate' fitted to your engine bay (to state the car is a personal import)
- Then you just register the car as per usual.

[Zdster]

LOL. A few rep points will be given in this thread :).

[chicken8]

First off, you can only bring in one car per 12 months under the personal import rule. But you can bring in any car, no restrictions - so long as you can meet the state registration requirements.

That link I posted above, click on that and look up the section on Personal Imports. It lists all the documentation you need. Briefly the process is:
- you are overseas, purchase car
- keep all documentation as listed in the DOTARS weblink
- after minimum 12 months owning it, download the application for import approval and send to DOTARS with $50 application fee
- they will get back to you in about 28 days, hopefully yes :)
- once you get approval, put car on a boat for Australia
- once car is on it's way arrange with a 'customs broker' in Australia to clear Customs / Quarantine and pay all associated fees
- Call up state reigstration authority and they will either require some sort of roadworthiness check
- They will then direct you to someone to get a 'personal import plate' fitted to your engine bay (to state the car is a personal import)
- Then you just register the car as per usual.

for private imports due to residency. i remember that you needed to show parking permit for the car (assuming the car was coming from japan) and also employment contract for the country that the car was being imported to

[kid_dynamite]

for private imports due to residency. i remember that you needed to show parking permit for the car (assuming the car was coming from japan) and also employment contract for the country that the car was being imported to

Yep. Cars from Japan will require extra documentation.

Here's the link for all those too lazy to read my previous post :p
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/safety/road/bulletin/importing.aspx#5.06

[JaCe]

Hmm DOTAR website not working for me.

I'm considering importing some cars from M'sia... but out of interest, if a car is modified, but is sold (stock) in Australia, is that acceptable? I notice the stamp duty and so on is largely dependent on the estimated market value of the car- but does it count if you've owned the car?

[kid_dynamite]

Hmm DOTAR website not working for me.

I'm considering importing some cars from M'sia... but out of interest, if a car is modified, but is sold (stock) in Australia, is that acceptable? I notice the stamp duty and so on is largely dependent on the estimated market value of the car- but does it count if you've owned the car?

- If you've owned the car overseas for at least 12 months (you need to be overseas as well for the full time), and can supply documentation to prove it, you can import any car as a personal import. However you are limited to one car every 12 months.

- Stamp duty is still paid on personal imports. Read this Customs factsheet (http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/importguidePrivOwnMV.pdf) on valuation of personal imports.

- If you haven't owned a car for 12 months, then it depends on the age of the car. Vehicles with a build date before 1 January 1989 may be imported without restriction. If it was newer than that, only the cars listed in the search feature here (http://raws.dotars.gov.au/rawswebpublic/RAWPubSearch.asp) are eligible for import, and must be in stock condition, with no accident damage.

[kerim]

pm or wait for drew to post, he imported his jdm accord from NZ under the personal import rule i think, and i know it was a bit of a pain to get registered, but in the end its all worth it

From memory he had to put in something for his fuel emmsisons i think, and restraints

[040501912]

WEll.. another way is to have a friend over in other country that have a car that u want. ask them to bring in. and complied here. :p than change to your name LOL..

friend of mine bringin a track but street registered super charge S2000 380 WHP from UK, and somebody here already wanted it and make deal with him. :).

with Personal imports, is much easier to bring a modified car *CORRECT me if im wrong.. as long it meet the regulations in here and pass the PITS :).

[Drew]

You need to have owned the car for a minimum of 12 months before applying for an import approval... At the same time you need to show proof that you have used the vehicle in that 12 months on a regular basis ie it wasn't just sitting in storage

Then you need to show proof that you are relocating to Australia permanently
Which means but not limited to; you need to show
- Cancellation of rental agreement/sale/lease of property
- Closure of bank account
- Employment termination confirmation
- Shipping of personal affects if any
etc etc

Unless you've had it for 12 months and been in the same country for 12 months theres sweet **** all chance of getting an import approval for it

[040501912]

^^ yep he stay there in UK for 3 years, study over seas. and had the car more then 2 years.. easy :p

Well if when you got register in here, it would be easy to just change the owner name or sell the car :wave:

[Drew]

Sigh... They need to prove to DOTARS that they are moving to Australia PERMANENTLY not just to import and resell the car; then go back

[venus]

ok, any ideas on how to have a U.S. car (lhd) made to comply with aust adr's? id prefer to keep it lhd it hasnt been used regularly as atm i cant drive it, im a duel citizen au/us. i cant link to the dotars site (damn ie)

[JasonGilholme]

just get one over here :p

Why you wanna keep the LHD??

[venus]

just get one over here :p

Why you wanna keep the LHD??

jase its the civic not the del i'd like to import. reason being i like it!! and aust dont have the coupe i have here, and a few medical grounds as well for wanting lhd :p

is there any chance or should i just give up wanting to import it?

[lil_miss_vtec]

it would b very unique :D :D :D

[JasonGilholme]

Which one?? EM1?? or the older EG one??

[venus]

last years model civic coupe

[kid_dynamite]

Honestly it would depend on how strong those medical grounds are. If you wanted to look into it further, contact the Federal Office for Road Safety. They are the ones who you need to seek approval from if you are importing a vehicle for reasons of disability.

If you just tried to bring it in via Personal Imports, and rego it in NSW (I'm guessing from Newy in your profile) - it would need to undergo conversion, which wouldn't be that attractive / cheap. Not worth it in my opinion.

[venus]

Honestly it would depend on how strong those medical grounds are. If you wanted to look into it further, contact the Federal Office for Road Safety. They are the ones who you need to seek approval from if you are importing a vehicle for reasons of disability.

If you just tried to bring it in via Personal Imports, and rego it in NSW (I'm guessing from Newy in your profile) - it would need to undergo conversion, which wouldn't be that attractive / cheap. Not worth it in my opinion.

dodgey left leg after a prang i can still drive a rhd auto but lhd would be easer and a lil unique, if i have to change the dash and everything to rhd it wouldnt be worth it, im only willing to do mechanical stuff to comply, i dont want to really change how it looks in or out :(

[Drew]

ok, any ideas on how to have a U.S. car (lhd) made to comply with aust adr's?

Make it RHD

I've looked into this already

I doubt that the dodge left leg with fly with them; or any medical condition for that matter... They will just tell you to drive an automatic; or worse yet force you to drive an automatic

As for a conversion it has to be done by someone who is certified to do it; can't just do it yourself; and you will have to change the dashboard and everything for it

It's really not worth it

[simonnowis]

id say go to an importer, otherwise just too many expenses and headaches, not worth it. you rather spend the money on modding a audm car.

[040501912]

get it and get engine swap :p

[kenda_civic]

Hey guys! Just wondering, if anyone has imported a car with J-spec? I want to know how reliable they really are?

Btw, I want to purchase and import a civic hatchback ek type R from a japanese dealer through SEVS. Is this model allow to be imported to australia?

[kj887]

ek9 type r is not allowed to import to aus through sevs, but personal import will be fine, the problem is u need to owe a car overseas at least 12 months.

[Frost_FD]

Lets say i am importing the EP3R and it cost 15000 correct me if im wrong but will the custom duty and GST be this price?

Custom duty 15000 x 10&#37; = $16 500
Shipping insurance 150 = $16 650
GST x 10% = $18 315

And thats not even complied yet.....

Quite expensive, does any one know what changes to the EP3R are made to make it complied?