Shipping HHG’s into Australia or Tasmania

• Full contact details in Australia
• Copies of first 5 pages of your passport (even if they are blank) & picture page
• Insurance Form: If you wish to take out additional insurance with Arrowpak you will be sent an insurance form to complete. This needs to be returned to us before shipment is sent.

Shipping Vehicles in Australia or Tasmania.

Before you can ship any vehicle, trailers, caravans or motorbikes over 500 cc you have to gain permission from Australian customs.

This process can take from 8 – 12 months and we have to have this permit in writing before we can sent it from the UK

There are several steps to privately importing a motor vehicle:

• Obtain a "VEHICLE IMPORT APPROVAL" from the Vehicle Safety Standards Branch of the Department of Transport and Regional Services. Phone: 1800 815 272 (Australia only) or (02) 6274 7506, Fax: (02) 6274 6013, email: Vimports@dotars.gov.au;
• Pay Customs duty, GST and Luxury Car Tax (LCT) where applicable and obtain a customs clearance at the port of entry; and

Because of the various duty rates applicable, and the existence of two valuation regimes depending on whether the car was purchased before or on or after 2 March 1998, a publication, called the Guide to the Importation of Privately Owned Motor Vehicles or Motor Cycle" is available below which clearly describes the process involved and the methods to be used in calculating any duty and tax liability.

Any person may import a motor vehicle or a motorcycle into Australia as directed in the section Motor Vehicle Standards Act detailed below.

If you plan to drive the vehicle on Australia's roads it is essential that you contact the Vehicle Safety Standards Branch before importing the vehicle to ensure that the vehicle can meet the safety requirements and to obtain a permission to import the vehicle.

All privately imported vehicles are subject to the same rates of Customs duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) and, where applicable, Luxury Car Tax (LCT) as commercially imported vehicles. The Customs duty is based on the Customs value of the vehicle.

The rate of Customs duty payable is that which applies to the particular type of vehicle on the date it is entered for Customs purposes in Australia. GST and, where applicable, LCT applies at the date you import the vehicle into Australia. Without permission to import, which can be obtained from the Vehicle Safety Standards Branch, a special duty of $12,000 may apply.

As Customs duty varies according to vehicle design and value, and is subject to change, you should contact a Customs office before importing any vehicle into Australia.

Prior to making a decision to import your vehicle you should take into account the costs involved in the process such as: freight, Customs duties and entry processing charges, steam cleaning for quarantine purposes, other wharf and transport charges and any costs involved in having the vehicle meet state or territory registration requirements (whether your vehicle will indeed meet these requirements should be checked prior to importation).

Vehicles manufactured in Australia:

You may import an Australian manufactured motor vehicle or a motorcycle without paying Customs duty on it, providing you have owned and used the vehicle overseas and there are no outstanding Australian duties, taxes or charges owing on it.

However, you will be required to pay GST and, where applicable, LCT on the vehicle if no GST or applicable LCT was paid when the vehicle was originally exported from Australia.

Additional paperwork needed from the above are

• V5 – Copy of registration document
• M.O.T. – Copy of in date M.O.T. Certificate

Your vehicle must be steamed cleaned and free of any soil, dirt or bugs.

For more information you can visit www.customs.gov.au