If you are considering shipping your vehicle overseas to Australia then you will need to make sure that you have completed all of the relevant paperwork to obtain an import permit. If you ship your vehicle to Australia without an import permit then your vehicle will not be released from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and you will have to pay to either dispose of the vehicle or ship the vehicle back to where it departed from.
To obtain your vehicle import permit your vehicle you will need to ensure that your vehicle meets all the minimum safety standards set out. Many large manufactures invest substantially in research and development to meet this criteria. It is worth noting that these import permits only relate to vehicles designed for vehicles designed solely or principally for the transportation of people, animals or goods on public roads. If you are shipping a vehicle that is not designed from road use to Australia then an import permit is not required however a positive assessment of this through the vehicle import application process will ensure the clearance of the vehicle by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
Time to get your import permit
Once you have sent your application for a Vehicle import Approval with all the supporting documentation required will generally be assessed by the Department within 15 working days. This is a service target and in peak periods it may take longer. Delays can also occur when further information clarification is required, if the necessary supporting documentation us not initially provided, or if the original application is incomplete.
Getting you import permit approval is only one step in the process of import a vehicle into Australia. Depending on the vehicle, the process may be complex and take several weeks. If you are not sure what you need to do to ship your vehicle overseas to Australia then please visit First Base Freight, an international shipping company based in the UK who ship thousands of vehicles every month all over the world. With over 25 years of experience in the shipping industry we can provide all the latest and relevant information you require about shipping your vehicle overseas including links and documentation required.