Importing a car from Japan

[beeza]

My friends girlfriend (she's Japanese) is getting a small 2 door Toyota sent over from Japan,It's a 98 model,not sure what type.They are paying 2.5K including the import/export duties.

I was always under the impression that you have to do some things to the car to do with emission standards etc... I mean if it was that easy/cheap everyone would be doing it...

Am I right or wrong about this?

[xedent]

Yes, i was researching this before and im pretty sure that you need to get it all complienced and up to the Australian standards before you can get it registered etc
I was also told that these days its not worth it anymore with all the duties on top.

Thats about all i know. Hope that it helps

[xtina]

2.5k doesnt sound right for the car and taxes but add on the cost to change bits and pieces to make it compliant and also if she changing states in australia the road worthy for vic roads (or wateva it is called in other states)

[beeza]

I think she must be getting mates rates...

[Nepolian]

Dont know the details, but it sound like a personal import which has very different rules to import versus RAWS.

[z3lda]

2.5k is just shipping, taxes, customs, duties. etc which sounds about right.

my car costed me 3.5k to be shipped, duties and taxes, customs and quarantine.

[beeza]

I've been reading through heaps of threads about this as it has been covered a few times.I just could never get a strait answer but this chart that your father posted in a old thread is good:


Strait answers are hard to find,alright.I think they make it that way so U just give up.

[panda[cRx]]

it's a personal import, which she has to prove she has owned and used for a year overseas. usually they pay the import taxes, then in some cases they need to pay to have the side intrusion bars, seatbelts and other safety items changes to meed aussie safety standards

[beeza]

So it's best to check out what needs doing to the particular vehicle as every vehicle may require different things done to it.
I was just reading how Japanese cars don't have the intrusion bars in the doors,OMG,but I guess there's a reason for it.

[Drew]

It will cost you a lot more than you think it will

Getting an engineer to just look at hte car and sign the import approval is anywhere from $250-$400
plus anything that needs to be modified
fuel filler will need to be modified to have a restricter; which it will not have right now, or get one off a wrecked car here thats the same model

There's the personal import plate which is $75-$150

Stamp duty on the car; depends on the market value of the car in australia

I thought it would only cost me $4000 to import my car; nearly double that by the time it was registered

[beeza]

Thanks Drew,Great help mate!

[Limbo]

pretty sure you also need to put a new cat on it