UK to Australia Car Shipping: Import Laws Explained

Australia will not allow a vehicle to be landed without a Vehicle Import Approval (VIA) issued by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts through the ROVER portal. Apply before you book freight, not after.

A vehicle that arrives without approval cannot be cleared, cannot be stored indefinitely, and in the worst case is re-exported or destroyed at the importer's cost. Processing normally takes twenty to thirty business days; allow longer in the December to February peak.

- Personal import: you owned and used the vehicle overseas for at least twelve continuous months while holding a licence, and you are migrating or returning. The most common route for UK expatriates.
• Vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1989: the pre-1989 pathway, used for classics. Fewer compliance requirements, but the vehicle must be genuinely of that build date.
• Registered Automotive Workshop / concessional RAW: for eligible models on the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle register.
• Returning Australian-compliant vehicle: for a car that previously held Australian registration.

RHD is an advantage: UK vehicles are already correct for Australian roads, which removes the conversion cost that dominates LHD imports.

Australia enforces a zero-tolerance asbestos ban at the border, and it applies to vehicles. Brake linings, clutch plates, gaskets and heat shields on older British cars can all contain asbestos.

The Australian Border Force may require documentary evidence, testing, or both. For classics the practical approach is to have the relevant components tested in the UK by a UKAS-accredited laboratory and to carry the certificates with the shipping file, or to replace the suspect parts before export and keep the invoices. A vehicle detained for asbestos testing at an Australian port accrues storage while it waits, and testing itself can take weeks.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry inspects every imported vehicle for soil, plant material, insects and seeds. The vehicle must be steam-cleaned to a standard that includes the engine bay, the underbody, the wheel arches, the spare wheel well and the interior carpets.

Failing inspection means mandatory cleaning at an approved facility at AUD 350–900 plus re-inspection and storage. Cleaning properly in the UK before loading costs £120–£250 and is the best-value item on the whole shipment. Detail on preparation is in the Australia import guide.

- Customs duty: 5% of the customs value for passenger vehicles. Vehicles over thirty years old attract 0%.
• GST: 10%, calculated on the customs value plus duty plus international freight and insurance.
• Luxury Car Tax: 33% on the amount above the LCT threshold, which is set annually and is higher for fuel-efficient vehicles. LCT is the reason a high-value import can cost far more than the freight suggests.
• Quarantine inspection fee: AUD 60–200.

After clearance the vehicle must be entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles, then presented for state registration and roadworthy inspection in NSW, VIC, QLD or wherever you settle.

RoRo from Southampton to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Fremantle runs £1,395–£1,695 for a standard car with a transit of 38–48 days via Singapore. A shared container is £1,450–£1,850 per vehicle, and a sole-use 20ft £2,395–£2,895.

The sequence that works:

1. Apply for the VIA on ROVER and wait for the approval letter.
2. Resolve asbestos evidence for any pre-2004 vehicle.
3. Book freight and steam clean to biosecurity standard.
4. File the UK export declaration and notify DVLA of permanent export.
5. Clear customs and biosecurity on arrival, pay duty, GST and any LCT.
6. Register in your state.

Get a quote and we will schedule the freight around your approval date so the vehicle never waits at either end.