Let us take care of it for you
If you choose us to clear your vehicle we will take care of a large chunk of the process for you.
You will need to apply to Canberra for your DOTARS permit, (or we can do this if you sign the application form), and then when required we will electronically lodge a Customs Declaration on your behalf, pay the duty and GST via Electronic Funds Transfer and arrange for the Quarantine Clearance. It will involve only one easy payment on your behalf, and you will be able to pick up your vehicle. To download the application form click on the DOTARS link in this paragraph and then on their page on the right hand side click on Application Form.
We can even arrange to have it delivered, once all the Customs and Quarantine formalities are done.
Things to Consider
Note: The following is for a personal importation of a motor vehicle. It is a simple, plain English guide. For a more formal explanation of the full requirements, see the Australian Customs Services pages.
Large fleet importations should apply for compliance plates. For more information on this type of import, see the Department of Transport and Regional Services pages.
- The New Tax System
- Age of the Vehicle
- DOTARS Approval
- Documents Required
- Customs Clearance
- Quarantine clearance
- Registration
The New Tax System
Effective 01-07-2001 the whole taxation system changed in Australia. We now have in place A flat 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST).
As far as Motor Vehicle are concerned, there is a significant saving on imported vehicles, as the rate reduced from 22% to 10% - that is 10% of the CIF plus duty value (cost, insurance and freight value plus duty).
For example, if you were importing a vehicle from the United Kingdom:
Car Value: £1000.00 = AUD$2000
Marine insurance: £100.00 = AUD$200
Ocean Freight: £1000.00 = AUD$2000
Total: £2100.00 = AUD$4200
Customs duty (10% of FOB price) = AUD$200
GST AUD$4200 + AUD$200 = AUD$4400 x 10% = AUD$440
Total of AUD$660 (AUD$200 + AUD$440) is paid to Customs.
Age of the Vehicle
Post January 1989
If your vehicle is less than 20 years old, you will need to have owned and used the vehicle for a continuous period of NOT LESS than 12 months for an Import Approval (permit) to be issued by the Department of Transport and Regional services (Canberra), and for Customs clearance purposes. Ownership will need to be substantiated by formal documentation. Duty and G.S.T. will be payable. Alternatively, if the period of ownership is less than 12 months and you can gain approval for the vehicle to be Complied* to Australian Standards, Canberra will issue a permit.
On May 8th 2000 the rules were once again changed and you are NO longer able to import vehicles for wrecking purposes.
Duty and GST will be payable.
* Some Vehicle manufacturers and/or their appointed agent(s) will sometimes issue a letter of authorisation for the compliance of a particular make/model vehicle to Australian standards. Canberra (DOTARS) will generally issue an import approval once they see that a letter to comply the vehicle has been issued by the authorised agent. The cost of the letter can be up to A$385.00 (inc.GST) and the cost of compliance additional.
NOT all manufacturers (or their agents) will issue compliance letters.
20-30 years old
If your vehicle is over 20 years old on the date it lands in Australia , you won't have to have owned and used it for the above mentioned 12 month period. If you have owned the vehicle for a substantial period however, you may be able to claim depreciation** against the purchase price when calculating duty and GST.
**PLEASE NOTE - effective 02-March-1998 the Australian Customs Service CHANGED the rules regarding depreciation. Vehicles purchased prior to 01-March-1998 will still be allowed the depreciation process as regards value for duty purposes.
Vehicles purchased after 02-March-1998 WILL NOT be allowed depreciation. Further, if the intent to export the vehicle to Australia is not shown, the vehicle will be valued on arrival in Australia by the R.A.C. (Royal Automotive Club) or equivalent in each State at your expense (approx A$170). There are also Customs approved Motor vehicle valuers appointed in each State. The amount the "Valuer" gives as the value of the car will then have subtracted from it:
- the duty (as assessed on the Vehicle valuation), plus
- the tax (again assessed on the Vehicle valuation), plus
- marine insurance cost, plus
- ocean freight costs.
This total will give the FOB (free on board) price which will appear on the Customs Declaration. The duty and tax you pay will be based on this FOB price.
If the vehicle WAS purchased with the intention of shipping to Australia , then the purchase price is the one used for Customs value purposes.
Over 30 years old
A real car lover, eh?
The government doesn't consider your importation to be a threat to the local car industry, so no duty is payable. GST, however, will still be applicable and again, if you have owned the car for a substantial period, you may claim depreciation** off the purchase price in the calculation of the tax you will have to pay. Luxury Car Tax is applicable for those vehicles with a wholesale value in excess of A$58,000
** See above for the new rules on depreciation.
DOTARS Approvals
All vehicle imports require a Motor Vehicle Import Approval from the Department of Transport. This will involve sending off an "Application for Vehicle Import Approval" form, along with your cheque or money order for AUD$50 to:
The Administrator of Vehicle StandardsVehicle Safety Standards
GPO Box 594
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
email: vimports@infrastructure.gov.au
Please note: You should never send cash through the post. Send either a cheque or money order (which must be in Australian Dollars) instead. Also note that any motorised vehicle be they for childrens' use or for use by an invalid person also require DOTARS approval. Off road vehicles are NOT exempt from DOTARS regulations.
A copy of this Application form can be obtained through the Department of Transport ; or you can contact us and we'll forward one to you in the post. It is important to send off the application form as soon as you can (although you must wait the compulsory 12 month ownership period for vehicles under 16 years). They can sometimes take some time to process, and they are an essential part of the Customs Clearance Process.
When it receives your completed form and payment, the Department of Transport will send you a series of forms depending on the age of your vehicle. For vehicles up to 16 years old you will receive 4 pages: one page is to be used in the Customs Clearance process, one pagel for your personal records, one page which will allow you to actually register your vehicle and a receipt. For vehicles over 16 years old, you will only receive a one page approval, which takes the place of all of the above.
NOTE: The DOTARS approval(s) themselves do not constitute Customs Clearance and thus permissable entry for your vehicle. You will still need to obtain a Customs and Quarantine Clearance for your vehicle to be allowed into the country.
Also, original approvals will only be sent to an Australian address. They will not be sent to an applicant who is still overseas. We can receive your approval(s) if necessary.
Note Well: On 10-01-2002 the Department of Transport and Regional Services issued a notice which states that they WILL NOT issue an Import Permit, where the vehicle is already in Australia. Please, DO NOT arrange transportation of your vehicle until a valid Import Approval is in place. If you need assistance please contact us.
Documents Required for Customs Clearance
- The Customs B357 Form "Vehicle Imported By A Passenger" (for pre 1998 purchases only)
- The Sales Invoice / Receipt for Vehicle Purchase
- The Original Bill of Lading or Sea Waybill (the sea freight document)
- A Photocopy of your Passport - photo page and visa page (if applicable)
- The Overseas Vehicle Registration Form
- Import Approval from the Department of Transport & Regional Services (DOTARS) (the DOTARS permit as mentioned above)
- Keys to any locked items in the Vehicle or Container (Eg Toolbox, Suitcase etc.)
- Any other relevant information (Vehicle wheel nut lock keys or security device details etc)
Note: In addition to the Sales Invoice, Australian Customs are now sometimes asking for the following documents:
- Copy of Motor Vehicle Advertisement (if advertised),
- Copy of Bank Statement (or Visa Statement) or similar,
- Copy of Insurance Cover Note/Policy,
- Copy of any other foreign Passport (if relevant).
- The ORIGINAL Import Permit as issued by the DOTARS
ACTUAL evidence of the amount of monies paid, by whom, and to whom, must be provided if a straightforward clearance is to be expected. Having a sellers invoice/receipt is NOT sufficient.
If you have any Personal or Household effects in the Vehicle or Container, you will also require:
- A Full list of Contents of any Personal / Household effects in Vehicle or Container
- The Customs Form B534 "Unaccompanied Effects Statement"
Customs Clearance
Once the vehicle has arrived in Australia and you have your Motor Vehicle Import Approval back from Canberra , a Customs Clearance must be gained. This can be done either through a Customs Broker (like FPI) or by you personally.
If you choose to do the clearance yourself you will need to assemble the documents listed above, and take them down the Customs House (in W.A. this is on Henry St in Fremantle). There you will be required to fill out a Nature 10 "Import Declaration" form and lodge it, along with your documents. This lodgement (from the 1st April 1997) will incur a fee of approx AUD$117.00
The initial minimum waiting period for the processing of manual entries is 24 hours. This declaration has been processed, you will have to pay any duty and GST owing to gain your clearance.
The whole process of Customs Clearing your vehicle yourself can involve several days and multiple visits to Customs house. ***
FPI is connected electronically to Customs, and we can raise and lodge all declarations from our office for any ports in Australia.
*** Please be aware: Once your vehicle arrives in Australia , you will only have 3 days to complete the Customs and Quarantine clearance formalites and move your vehicle off the wharf before storage costs will be incurred. These can cost anything up to AUD$100- $250 per day.
Quarantine Clearance
Once your vehicle arrives, the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) must be notified, and your vehicle will have to be cleared by them as well. This will involve an inspection by an AQIS officer, steam cleaning of the vehicle if they so order (and they usually do!), and re-inspection.
You can expect to pay approximately:
- AUD$197 (minimum) for the Inspections
- AUD$110 for the Steam Cleaning plus the cost of transport to cleaning, plus GST
Registration
Okay, so once you have obtained the DOTRS permits, Customs has cleared your vehicle, you've paid your Duty and GST and AQIS has given you the nod, are you all free to go? Not quite.
To move your vehicle from its' unpack station you will have to have to tow it which will cost approximately AUD$100, or drive it away. To drive the vehicle, you will need a temporary permit from a Transport Licensing Center. This will cost AUD$12.55 and you will be required to present your vehicle's country of origin Registration document (eg: the V5 form for cars from the U.K.).
This permit will allow you to drive the vehicle in daylight hours between nominated places, usually the business' you have chosen to perform any repairs and/or alterations, and the Transport Inspection Center where you intend to finally register you vehicle.
Before putting your vehicle in for Transport Inspection, you may need to:
- Check that there are three 5/16 UNF fittings in the rear parcel shelf for 'child seat' restraints. These fittings are available from Diesel Motors, Chellingworth Motors in W.A. and any other vehicle parts dealer.
- Ensure the car is fully road worthy, with all safety related components operational.
Once your car is finally registered – smile! You are free to drive away.
Please note: the above is intended for information only, and changes to law may affect this procedure. We are more than happy to provide you with a specific assessment of your own personal importation and provide all the facts and figures relevant to your individual shipment. Although we Customs Clear between 1 and 12 Private motor vehicles every week, we receive between 10 and 30 enquiries each week from interested parties. We will charge for specific quotations as this takes up to 1 hour for each enquiry.
Try our Online Quote form today to see how much you can save by letting us arrange your forwarding and Customs Clearance.
Or contact us direct and discuss your requirements with one of our specialised team.