Importing Your Own Car

[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
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/s...ting.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 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 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. 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

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

[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

Why you wanna keep the LHD??

[venus]

just get one over here

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

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