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| This is a work in progress so stay with me on this.
TODO
(1) Add in all costs
It is really worth it?
If you own a rare or unusual car or if you just love your car then you should consider it. However, most people should consider selling the car in the UK and buying a similar margue in Australia. They are not that much more expensive and, once you add up all the sheer costs associated with moving the car, you could end up saving money and picking up a dealer used warranty in the process.
Selling Personal Imports is also apparently a lot harder and most dealers will fleece you if you try to sell to them.
While garage labour charges here are much cheaper then in the UK parts for European cars (Audi, BMW, etc) are more expensive.
Prerequisites
To be eligible for a personal import the following criteria must be satisfied:
* Visitors, temporary residents, foreign diplomatic personnel, companies and corporations are not eligible to import a vehicle under the personal import scheme.
* The vehicle has been owned and used by the applicant for a continuous period of at least 12 months (3 months where ownership and use of the vehicle commenced before 8 May 2000);
* At the time the vehicle is imported, the applicant is an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident or a person who has applied to beome an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident
* The applicant is of an age that entitles him or her to hold a licence or a permit to drive a road vehicle of that type;
* The applicant undertakes to comply with any requirements as to road safety that are imposed in respect of the vehicle by the Administrator; and
* The applicant has not imported a road vehicle owned by him/her within the year ending on the day on which the vehicle in respect of which the application is made is landed in Australia. If an applicant has imported a vehicle under any other provisions in that time, approval will not be granted.
Link: DOTARS - Importing Vehicles to Australia
The Process
While in the UK
* Get valuation from Approved Victorian Valuer
* Prepare all the paperwork for the car (get a folder with EVERYTHING just in case)
* Apply for Approval to Import (VB10) from DOTARS. You will need to jump through hoops, including send them a letter of testimony stating every day you have spent outside the UK since you bought it (pain in the arse)
* Receive Approval to Import (VB10) Certificates
* Arrange for Shipping Company ship to Melbourne (choose RORO or Container)
* Arrange for Shipping Agent in Melbourne to manage Dockside, Quarantine, Customs Duty, GST & Container (if used)
* Deliver Car to UK Docks
* Go to Australia
Once in Australia
* Wait (we had to wait for weeks)
* Arrange Temporary Insurance in Australia for the period while you are waiting to get your Registration ("Rego"). Your insurer must be willing to insure a Personal Import (some specialists like Vigil are OK, but most will charge you an extra 70% because its a personal import)
* Obtain Unregistered Permit (1 MONTH is best) from VicRoads to drive your car while awaiting for approval. Should be dated to start a couple of days after your ship is due.
* Shipping Agent manages clearance on Dockside.
* Pay your customs Duty and GST at this point or they won't release the car to AQIS for Quarantine inspection.
* Wait for AQIS to clear your car (same day usually)
* You get "the call" to pick the car up
* Contact Insurer to start your insurance
* Go to the Docks to pick her up, put the Unregistered Permit in the window and drive her home. You CAN NOT drive the car until its registered by Vic Roads unless you are driving to or from one of the stages below. You will get stopped and fined.
* Get your a Roadworthyness ("Roadworthy") Test (like an MOT) from a local garage (I would recommend Audi Spares - Matt is just great)
* Arrange for a VASS Inspection. There are only about 20 guys in Melbourne who do this (we can recommend Andrew Enkelmann in Braeside). They will vet your car for compliance with Australian Standards. We failed the test, getting caught out by not having Child Seat Restrain Anchor points on the rear seats and we had to get them custom fitted to the car by Audi Spares. Wasn't expensive but was a pain in the arse and over two weeks. Also, your car MUST have Kmph on the Speedo ring next to Mph or you will need to get a new instrumentation cluster (the one for my TT was £1,000! - thankfully it didn't need it)
* Once you have your VASS clearance you need to apply for a yellow Personal Import Plate (self adhesive metallic sticker) from Niddrie Nameplates (the VASS guy will explain it all). Once this arrives (~1 week) you will need to stick it to the frame in the engine bay
* Arrange for your Registration from VicRoads. This is another full inspection and more forms followed by your License Plates being presented and the Vic Rego sticker in the Window.
* Get your UK plates removed and the Vic ones bolted on and your away!
Tips
* I would also recommend you swap your UK Drivers License for your Victorian early once you arrive and have semi-permanent address. It helps a lot.
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| | All communications contained in this message board are 'information only' and should not be regarded as 'advice'. Only your appointed agent can provide advice as these are the requirements of the Australian Migration Act. You are advised that action taken as a result of any information received that does not come from your appointed agent may jeopardise your migration application.
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Info on Importing a Car to Aus
