Carnet for OZ needed?
 

Do I need a carnet for Australia? I will be entering around March 2002 on a UK registered Transalp.

why has no one answered this question???

Good question - guess I missed it.

NO carnet required for Oz or NZ.

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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Grant,
Having just spoken to the RAC today, your note about not requiring a carnet for Aus or NZ appears to be invalid?
The chap at the RAC has stipulated that there has been a change in laws and he requires us to get a visa first as Aus has changed something and become a lot more stringent on the movement of foreign vehicles in their country.
Do you have any info. / news on this?

Many thanks
Dom
http://www.twinadventurers.com

Grant,
Having done some homework on your site I found Pan Europeans comment:

I looked at the Australian Government Documentation on their website Importing Vehicles to Australia - Page 10, and read the following:
OVERSEAS VISITORS TO AUSTRALIA
In accordance with the provisions of certain international conventions on road traffic,
Australia recognises the temporary import of vehicles for a period of less than 12
months by visiting foreign nationals of signatory countries who hold a visitors visa
In this category vehicles may be allowed entry in one of two ways:

(a) By presenting a valid Carnet de Passage en Duane at port of entry to
Australia, in which case no Vehicle Import Approval is required.

(b) By submitting an application to import a vehicle accompanied by a copy of
current overseas registration document valid for the period of the visit and
passport pages showing nationality, personal details and valid Australian
visitor's visa.

The way I read this (just my interpretation, YMMV), you can do it the 'hard' way, with the old fashioned carnet, or you can do it 'their' way, by filling out a form and asking for permission in advance. My guess is that if you and the bike appear to them (on paper) to be bona fide visitors who are just passing through, they will grant you a permission in advance, without requiring you to get a carnet. If they think you plan to import something that is not available or allowed in Australia (Hayabusa, 400hp street racer, exotic crotch rocket tax unpaid, etc.) and then sell it, they'll probably ask you to post a bond or get a carnet.

Let us know what you find out.


Thanks in advance for the confusion!!

Dom
http://www.twinadventurers.com

As of January, when I made the post, no carnet was required.

However, there are very recent changes, in just the last few weeks.

(PanEuropeans post is dated 24 March.)

Exactly what the changes really are and how they affect us in practice I don't know, someone with some time is going to have to research it and post it for all. Better yet, do it. We have found many times that that is the only true test when it comes to bureaucracies and paperwork.

Don't forget, we can't begin to keep track of what all the countries are doing on a daily basis. All we can do is provide a forum for exchange of information. Maybe someday when we get rich from the website we'll have a staff of 1000 people and will be able to do so. yeah right...

I suspect PanEuropeans post is pretty much right on. Read it carefully.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000173.html

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Grant Johnson

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I used a carnet at the Sydney airport in the middle of Feb. 2002 and asked if this was the only way other than paying an import duty and was told this was the only way. I didn't push any further with anyone above the duty officer to see if new reg.'s were coming or if the officer wasn't up on different methods.

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I have recently imported my bike through Freemantle, Perth without a carnet. It is time-consuming and more expensive than a carnet, but possible.

1. Get permission from Canberra in advance of import. The forms are available from Australian embassies. Do this 4 weeks in advance of your trip.
2. You then need to clear customs. I went through a Freighting Agency, although you could do it yourself and save 80USD. I was required to pay the GST (sales tax) on the stated value of the bike. They didn't have a problem with my low estimate. There were also sundry fees that every importer has to pay.
3. Pass quarentine. Under the wheel arches is the key area for cleaning.
4. Get temporary insurance in order to drive out of the port (yippee). This is done over the phone giving a credit card number.
5. Get permission from the state to import the bike. Each state has a different ruling on this: in W.A. you must go to Welshpool, near Perth.
6. Pass the vehicle test of roadworthyness (called MOT in UK). Carnet holders don't need to do this. There a Vehicle Inspection Centre at Welshpool.
7. Get your Australian registration plate and accompanying insurance. You can also do this at Welshpool.

That's it. Note that each step costs and many of these costs are not incurred if you have a carnet. I wouldn't recommend the route I took, but it is possible. You end up with an aussie plate for a souvenir though.

Re the "Aussie Plate Souvenir": while you would probably get away with keeping it, technically these plates remain the property of the government and a customs agent might give you some grief on exit.

Also, the GST (sales tax) you pay on entry is refundable when you depart.

All in all, a carnet sounds much easier.

I airfreighted my bike from Kuala Lumpur to Perth at the beginning of Oct. 2002, with a Carnet. It took 15 minutes at Customs of Welshpool (Perth Cargo Terminal) to clear bike. Contacted quarantaine. They arrived one hour later at the air freight shed, inspected the bike, and gave me a clean bill of health. Bike had been cleaned and crated in KL. I had to pay Aus.$30 to freight handlers disposal fee for empty crate. No road worthy certificate, no third-party liability insc. was asked for, so I didn't bother. Oz is a safe country to ride. Save your money.

Regarding return of tax: I don't think so. The small print specifies that it is only refundable on items that can be carried through customs and onto the plane in hand luggage. If you have any suggestions as to how I might do this...

You also may wish looking into different states laws. A few years ago you required a carnet and an unregistered vehicle permit which covered all state except WA.The Roads and Traffic Authority New South Wales should have a web site on this stuff or contact the NRMA (motoring assöciation NSW)

we have just brought our bike over from singapore to freemantle at the start of feb and we offered our carnet to customs and within 5 minutes it was stamped. all we had to do was meet the man from quarantine at the cargo centre who took one look at the bike,stamped the release papers and told us there would be no charge as it had taken so little time.we had given the bike a good scrub in singapore which obviously helped.
iff you want to ship your bike use this bloke(name and address to be supplied)it doesnt get easier than this.leave the bike at his office in sing. and ride away in oz.no crates and he handles all paperwork.

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March 2003,

Just flew from KL to Perth, clearing was easy peasy with my Carnett. Only had to pay warehouse charges (76.20) thats was all.

People were pretty unfrinedly though.

Quarantine had a short look and as I cleaned the bike it was no problem!

Ronald Colijn

http://www.RonaldColijn.Net

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Round the world on a Bullet,
it can be done!

I am told by a pretty reliable source that South Australia state allows UK registered vehicles in without a carnet. Oh course, if you did it this way you wouldn't be legally allowed to leave the state...