Step by Step guide to Importing a Car in Australia as an individual

Australia has very strict criteria for the importation of any vehicle into the country. Not all vehicles are eligible to be imported as either a new or used vehicle. Essentially there are only two methods for which a used vehicle can be imported. Through the Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme (RAWS) there is a number of eligible vehicles which can be sourced overseas and immediately imported into the country. Please check http://www.raws.com.au/SEVSRegC.asp for vehicles that can be brought in RAWs scheme. If the vehicle you desire is this register we will be glad to export it to you though be aware that there are additional costs to make a vehicle compliant with Austratian regulations.

The only other method to import a used vehicle is through the personal import scheme.

This scheme is only available to people with the right to live/work in Australia who have lived, owned and used a vehicle overseas for a continuous period of 12 months. This is for obvious reasons a difficult method to satisfy the requirements.

Step by Step Guide

1. If you want to import a vehicle manufactured after 1989, please check if the car you want to import is in SEVS (Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme) Register (http://www.raws.com.au/SEVSRegC.asp). If the vehicle is in this Register and needs some compliance work to be done than it needs to be imported in the name of RAW (Registered Automotive Workshop) who will then make the vehicle compliant. They will arrange an import approval from the Vehicle Safety Standard board using the VSB 10 form. Please note that the aircondition must be be degassed before import and a certificate supplied to attest for the eame. Compliance costs vary according to the amount work required to make a vehicle compliant as well as the number of that particular model that are imported in for compliance, if this particular model is imported quite often the cost will be lower.
2. If the vehicle was built before 1989 then you generally don’t need to make the vehicle compliant in most states but there may be local registration regulation that you need to comply with. In any event you would still need to get an approved VSB-10 from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government