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 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 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 .