Thread: Personal imports

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Unfortunately Brian that is rarely the case, i have lost count of how many vehicles we have had to clear customs without the owner/importer submitting a permit approval to DOTARS.
There is no law that says you cannot ship a vehicle without an import permit for the country of entry.

I have imported several pre-1989 vehicles from the USA in recent years and I can assure that not one of the agents I used will accept the vehicle without the import permit. Have a look at www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicle/imports/

Here is the preamble. Note the first sentence of the fourth paragraph.

The importation of vehicles to Australia is prohibited except in very specific circumstances. Most vehicles are imported by large manufacturers that invest substantially in research and development to ensure that every new vehicle meets minimum safety standards that maintain the safest possible environment for all road users and our community. Manufacturers wanting to import vehicles to Australia for supply must first obtain an identification plate approval. Information on this process is available here.

Approved companies known as Registered Automotive Workshops (RAWs) may import a limited range of used vehicles on behalf of individuals. To find out if your make and model of vehicle is currently approved click here. If your vehicle is not currently approved you may be able to find a RAW that will import it for you. To check if your vehicle is eligible, click here. Please be aware that vehicles imported by RAWs must undergo a range of modifications and maintenance procedures to ensure that they meet minimum safety and environmental standards. You will be charged for this work and the costs of importation by the RAW.

Individuals can also apply to import vehicles to Australia. The Department administers legislation setting out when an import approval may be issued. More information on import options is available here.

A Vehicle Import Approval is required before a road vehicle is shipped. The vehicle will not be released from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service unless it has a Vehicle Import Approval. All costs incurred in this process are the responsibility of the importer.

It is important to note that these requirements relate to vehicles designed solely or principally for the transportation of people, animals or goods on public roads. For vehicles that are not designed for road use, import approvals are not required, however a positive assessment of this through the Vehicle Import application process will ensure the clearance of your vehicle by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

An application for a Vehicle Import Approval, with all necessary supporting documentation will generally be assessed by the Department within 15 working days of receipt (including payment of the lodgment fee). This is a service target and in unpredictable peak periods it may not be met. This process will take longer if any further information or clarification is required, if the necessary supporting documentation is not initially provided, or if the original application is incomplete.

Obtaining a Vehicle Import Approval is only one step in the process of importing a vehicle into Australia. Depending on the type of vehicle, the processes may be complex, involve several organisations, and take many weeks. For an overview of the process, click here.

This site provides you with information required to apply for a Vehicle Import Approval. In particular we recommend you review:

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Unfortunately Brian that is rarely the case, i have lost count of how many vehicles we have had to clear customs without the owner/importer submitting a permit approval to DOTARS.
There is no law that says you cannot ship a vehicle without an import permit for the country of entry.

It is true that complete vehicles can be imported without Dept of Infrastructure and Transport import approval, but these vehicles can only be destined for the spare parts trade. Usually they come as half cuts to save space.

A vehicle imported without the Import Approval will never be able to be registered in Australia.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

It is true that complete vehicles can be imported without Dept of Infrastructure and Transport import approval, but these vehicles can only be destined for the spare parts trade. Usually they come as half cuts to save space.

A vehicle imported without the Import Approval will never be able to be registered in Australia.

I do this for living so yes i know all that, what i said was that there are a lot of vehicles that require an import permit that arrive here without even an application being sent. This then makes Dotars take their time and usually takes up to 4 weeks to the get the approval meanwhile your shipment is gathering storage at a large rate.

The Lightweights that came into Darwin in 1999 with the Bedfords were from Brunei via Timor,imported by an English wheeler-dealer,first into Timor to sell to the UN,but they only wanted diesels,and they were petrol,so were re-imported in Australia arrived in Darwin dirty and with spiders,(Bedford was rumoured to have live snake impounded, Quarranteened, and washed,importer handed the bill BIG $$$ (6 figures) he went to Darwin Airport and bought 1 way ticket home,vehicles sat on Darwin wharf until Customs got sick of them,they went to Adelaide and were auctioned,six went to Sydney the others West,Colin Brown in Sydney had them/some I believe.

I have the 24V Radio truck, which was 16-HG-54 (last No unconfirmed)at the moment.it is a 1980 model S3 1/2 Air Portable.

cheers

Originally Posted by UncleHo

The Lightweights that came into Darwin in 1999 with the Bedfords were from Brunei via Timor,imported by an English wheeler-dealer,first into Timor to sell to the UN,but they only wanted diesels,and they were petrol,so were re-imported in Australia arrived in Darwin dirty wad with spiders

I believe there were some 101's in that lot.

Originally Posted by loanrangie

I do this for living so yes i know all that, what i said was that there are a lot of vehicles that require an import permit that arrive here without even an application being sent. This then makes Dotars take their time and usually takes up to 4 weeks to the get the approval meanwhile your shipment is gathering storage at a large rate.

So, is it possible to import a complete vehicle to use for parts, to be dismantled, never to be registered?

G'day Mick

Yes,I believe there were 101's in that lot,don't know how many.

this is our motor reg people.

Importing motor vehicles - Government of South Australia

hope that helps... you'll enjoy being a crow eater!!
may I ask what trade you're in?

digger

Useful reading all, thanks. I would be interested to hear about the coiled lightweight that came in Mick.

I trained as an Agricultural Engineer, found myself mostly working on cars and 4WD's for someone else, and have spent the last 3 years self employed as a Land Rover specialist doing servicing, conversions, rebuilds etc.

The main limiting factor for us at the minute is getting the money together to get out there.