Import Car from USA to Australia

Are you interested in importing your car from the USA to Australia? Here’s what you need to know:

• How much does it cost? Car import from the USA to Australia starts at a cost of $2,395 USD, and Australia levies customs duties, a Goods & Services Tax (GST), and a Luxury Car Tax (LCT) that can vary depending on the car you’re importing and how long you intend to keep it in the country.
• How long does it take? Car import to Australia from the United States has an estimated turnaround time of 30 days.
• These estimates can vary depending on make and model of the vehicle, the nearest departure port in the United States, and your final destination in Australia.

Below, our 2024 guide will explore everything you need to know about importing your car from the USA to Australia.

US to Australia Vehicle Import Checklist

Vehicle Import Approval

US to Australia Car Import Costs & Time Frame

US to Australia Vehicle Import Options

Additional Services

Ports Served in the US and Australia

Cleaning Your Vehicle of Biosecurity Concerns

Plating Your Vehicle in Australia

Other Australia/US Shipping Options

Are you ready to get started importing a car from the USA to Australia?

Here’s a rough breakdown of the process you’ll need to go through to import a car to Australia.

More information on the process of importing cars to Australia can be found here.

Under the Road Vehicle Standards Act of 2018 (RVSA), Australia recently introduced the new ROVER (Road Vehicle Regulator) for importation of road vehicles. The ROVER system will collect the information necessary for approval of your vehicle import. While our agents can assist you with questions about the application process and provide insights into the likelihood your vehicle is eligible, you will need to fill out the application yourself in order to determine your vehicle’s eligibility for shipment.

To set up your account, you’ll need to navigate to the ROVER portal and create an account. To do so, click “Create an Account” and follow the prompts. You will be required to provide 100 points of identification in order to have your details registered in the ROVER system. Note that you will be asked to a copy of your passport and driver’s license in order to gain the full 100 points they require for the application.

The registration process will take 5 days before your account is approved (note that this is only account setup, not vehicle import approval).

Process for Importing Road Vehicles

Once you have been approved and your account is set up, you can proceed with your vehicle import application using the steps below.

• Once you have access to your account, you can begin your application at the ROVER portal. Click on “Sign In” and enter your e-mail address and password.
• Click “New Application.”
• Click “Single Road Vehicle.”
• Scroll down the page and click the Privacy Declaration.
• On the next page, click “application is for myself.”
• On the question, “Has the vehicle been entered on the RAV or filled with an identification plate?” answer “No.”
• Scroll through the application questions and answer them.
• At the end of the application, you will be asked to pay an application fee of $42.00 via credit card.

Please note you will be asked to upload the following information into the application form:

• Photograph of each side of the vehicle
• VIN plate on the vehicle
• Engine bay of the vehicle
• Interior of the vehicle
• Bill of sale

Your application for import approval will take approximately 30 business days to process; you should not proceed with the export of a vehicle to Australia until you have received vehicle import approval.

When your vehicle arrives at its final destination, you will have to obtain quarantine clearance from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. You will need to produce identification, proof of ownership, valid insurance, and proof that all safety standards for importing cars have been complied with.

Things to Consider

Taxes & Duties for Vehicles Imported to Australia

Vehicles over 30 years old

New and used vehicles up to 30 years old

Four wheel drive off road or commercial vehicle

To obtain an estimate of the cost to import a car to Australia, fill out our free quick quote form.

Importing Cars to Australia can be performed using a shared container, a sole container or a roll-on/roll-off service.

Roll-on/roll-off – This option for importing cars tends to be one of the more affordable ones as you only must pay port charges and customs clearance charges in addition to the shipping charge. Your vehicle will be loaded into the holding area of a large vessel, one which resembles a big parking garage. This method is suitable for shipping and handling bulkier vehicles like work trucks, which are quite commonplace due to Australia’s large mining industry.

Transits tend to be faster with the roll-on/roll-off service as the containers depart on a weekly basis.

Shared container service – Several vehicles are shipped using one single container. The container must be processed, so more fees are involved than with the roll-on/roll-off method, however, they are shared between several clients who are shipping cars. Fees include customs clearance, trucking charge, terminal handling charge, and a charge for unloading the vehicles at a bonded warehouse in Australia.

With shared container car shipping to Australia, you may be required to wait for a longer period before your car can be imported as the container can only depart with a full load thanks to other clients.

Full container load – This method for importing cars is the same as the shared container load, except that one single vehicle occupies the entire container and the fees, which are like those for shared containers, are borne by you alone.

Container loading for importing cars to Australia offers the benefit of added security. When the vehicle is received, photographs are taken of the car itself as well as the loading process, after which the container door is locked and the car is kept safe. The vehicle is only released when the container arrives at the destination, and an agent once again takes photographs of the uploading process. The vehicle is kept secure, so clients may transport other items inside the vehicle, although they are advised to pack with care as we are not liable for any loss or damage sustained during the import process.

We choose not to use wood ramps to import cars like other companies but instead employ a steel loading system, which is more effective in preventing loss and damage – ideal for shipping exotic or classic cars.

Sourcing vehicles – Our long list of car buyers enables us to find and buy vehicles such as classic cars for purchasers located overseas for a commission or additional fee to be paid to the car buyer.

Other services – Some of the auto transport services we offer in overseas territories include domestic pickup, vehicle import assistance, tracking of your shipment, customs clearance in the USA and a full vehicle inspection report.

Departure Ports – United States

The location your vehicle will depart from depends on the method of importing cars to Australia, where your vehicle is located, your budget and which services the nearest port offers. We have multiple departure locations in the USA, including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Miami, Savannah and more.

Destination Ports – Australia

Here are the Australian entry ports where your vehicle can be imported.

If you are importing your vehicle to Australia, it is your responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is clean and free of biosecurity concern. The Australian government is very serious about preventing the introduction of damaging non-native pests, plants and diseases to the continent.

Upon arrival in Australia, your vehicle will be subject to biosecurity control. Biosecurity officers may inspect your vehicle, and if contamination is found, it will need to be cleaned or fumigated. The officers may even require the export or destruction of the goods.

As such, you must clean your vehicle before export, ensuring that it is free of contamination.

According to Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, such contamination includes, but is not limited to, “live insects, seeds, soil, mud, clay, animal feces, animal material, and plant material, such as straw, twigs, leaves, roots, and bark.”

If you intend to operate your vehicle on Australian roads after you ship your car to Australia, you’ll need to have the vehicle registered for road use.

This requires you to fill out and submit an Endorsement of Compliance Certificate and register the vehicle in one of the appropriate States or Territories in Australia.

Visit the government website for the relevant Australia Territory for more information about plating your vehicle in Australia.

Importing a Car from the US to Australia
Importing a Car from Australia to the US
Car Shipping from USA to Australia
Car Shipping from Australia to USA
Cargo Shipping from the US to Australia
Cargo Shipping from Australia to the US
Moving Household Goods from the US to Australia
Moving Household Goods from Australia to the US

This information was updated in January 2024. All information, time frames, pricing, and regulations are subject to change. Please contact a sales representative for the most current rates and information.

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