Has anyone any experience of permanently importing a vehicle to Asutralia? If so what's the process and costs?

Am currently making the decision on whether to import my KTM Adventure on my carnet and then ship back to the UK to probably sell
OR
import into Asutralia and sell there.
The decision must be based on cost and ease of process rather than any sentimental value attached to the old beast.



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Simon Davidson

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John Sutherland

Iv'e imported 3 motorbikes privately over the years, beginning in 1984 and the most recent being in dec 2002. After this last one I swore I would never do it again. So the short answer is yes, you can permanently import. But the obsticles and costs that the various gov departments place in front of you, make it very difficult unless you have a particular attachment to the bike. All info can be found on the Australian gov web site, under vehicle importation. But briefly you must first write to the relevent state government registering aurthority ( the state in which you intend to first land the bike in Australia. If this is not first sort, then they will have the aurthority to turn the bike back to where it came from when it arrives in Aus. ) asking for permission to import, at the same time suppling copious amounts of paperwork, such current rego, insurance, original purchase reciept etc. Once permission is granted you can proceed. On arrival in Australia you need to pay off as it were, Customs, Quarrantine and an amount to Treasuary as GST ( goods and services tax, equivalent of VAT in England ). This is determined by how long you have owned the bike outside of Australia. You must make sure that the bike is spotlessly clean, otherwise they will hit you with an steam cleaning bill. For me it cost in dec about $2500Aus on top of shipping costs and I did all the "leg" work myself, having my own car and trailer here. Also I owned the bike ( 1978 Mk 1 Moto Guzzi Le Mans ) for a 5 years in England. Which greatly reduced the GST payable. So thats it in brief. Beware that the rules to importing vehicles do change from time to time, therefore you must do your homework first. Also be aware that the market for motorbikes out here, can be quite a bit different to other parts of the world. So first make sure that you can off load it, as it were for a reasonable price. Referring to your own criteria, I'd so that the hassle is just not worth it, Cheers, Graeme.

Hey guys

I have also imported 2 bikes, one in 1984 and one in 2001. I can vouch for the replys, it is not worth it! All the government departments here have their hand out plus you must apply and pay for a VIN number as well. The only win that I had was it was a German bike and they forgot to make me change the headlight.

I have decided that bikes are ceap enough in Oz rather than go through all this rigmarole again.

Cheers
Ivan

Hi fellas , i am/was planning to import my bike into OZ after my trip through Africa(6-9 months west africa ,east, then south to capetown=25 000 k,s) but now the import show sounds like a nightmare.
I bought the bike in london, ktm adventure, it,s uk rego and spec.
Question- the NT any easyier to get into than WA or are they all the same??.
cheers gazza.


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Ride hard,ride safe- Ride on...with no regrets of life passed by.

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Ride hard,ride safe- Ride on...with no regrets of life passed by.

My 3 previous imports into Australia were all brought into Victoria, as such I can't vouch for other states. We do have this predisposition for far too many governments here in the "lucky" country and as such, laws do vary from state to state. Therefore it would be well worth while investigating the process in either Western Oz or Northern Territory. It is fair to say that on issues such as this, the Federal government has the over riding jurisdiction. Particularly with the application of our ADR's ( Australian design rules ). So I can only image that the import process would differ in detail only. Such as how much your've got to pay the blighters for registration etc. If your in the UK, your first port of call should be Australia House in London. They can be contacted by phoning 02073794334. They can be difficult to get through to, just perserve. Make sure you mention, into which state you intend to import. I wish you all the best. Graeme. Bureaucrats don't ya love em!

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Consider importing and selling in NZ. The country relaxed importing rules for vehicles a few years back, and the process is pretty simple now.

I just imported my bike into NZ (was USA registered).

I did use an agent, and there were fees for agricuture check, import tax (GST - same as anthing else you bring in), registration and a fee for getting the vehicle approved for new zealand roads.

Sounds complicated, but in reality I called an agent, went to see him, filled out a form, went to the bike in a warehouse so the MAF (agriculture) check could happen, went back the next day, unpacked & assembled the bike, rode it to the vehicle testing station, got the thing approved and registered and rode away (all in 5 hours).

All up about $1000 NZ. (from vague memory)

and in NZ you do not need insurance - which is a killer in most Western countries if you don't have a history there...

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http://www.elevatorfactoids.com

Believe me, don't worry about it. I have imported 2 from Europe and would never do it again. There are to many public sevants with their hand out to take your money off you.

My advise is to sell it before you arrive and buy one in Oz, then sel it before you leave. Or take it home with you. Or leave it and come back to do other trips in Oz??

Cheers
Ivan