hi ive also posted a similar thread elsewhere and was after some info on port fees in oz.im shipping from the uk and was told buy the agent in oz it will cost another AU$1200 to get the bike through.also if it dosnt pass the quarantine inspection whats the cost then???ive herd australia is a hard place to ship to so any info would be great
cheers cam

BMW Motorcycle Owners of America | Carnets

To import your bike temporarily into Australia, you must also obtain in advance a 'Vehicle Import Approval' from the Australian DOTRS, Vehicle Safety Standards Branch, GPO Box 594, Canberra ACT 2602, +61/2 6274 7444, fax +61/2 6274 6013; vimports@dotars.gov.au; brochure & application downloadable www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/index.aspx See also Australian Customs Service, www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4371, and their Guide to the Importation of Privately Owned Motor Vehicles or Motor Cycles, a pdf file brochure downloadable at that website.

You should be able to find the fees on one of the above OZ govt website downloads; or the exact office to contact to verify fees & procedures.

OK,so the vehicle import cert IS needed?when i applyed for a carnet in the uk RAC reckoned thats all i would need.is it a long process to apply for it as im in oz now,bike lands in fremantle in 4 weeks.
cheers

Hi Camnz,

If you have a Carnet de Passages en Douane then that's all you will need if your bike is temporarily in Australia.

Just make sure you get it stamped by Customs every time your bike crosses an international border - like when it left the UK and when it enters Aust, when it leaves Aust, when it enters any other country and again when it leaves any other country and again when it enters the UK. That way you'll get your Bond refunded when the bike is back in the UK.

For a permanent import you need the DOTARS Vehicle Import Approval and it's best to apply for that before your bike/vehicle is exported from the country of origin.

CourtFisher - dunno where you get your information from, but it's wrong.

__________________
Kind regards
Dave Milligan

cheers dave good news then $50 isnt a problem just the hastles it could have caused.now for the carnet,bikes on the way and i havnt paied for the carnet yet fingers crossed RAC can still get a stamp on it in the uk for me....happy days!!

Dave Milligan,

My post above may be mis-leading; it's partial quote out of context. The complete text from website was written (primarily) for USA riders considering importing their bikes temporarily only to OZ (not going anywhere else).

In that case, a Carnet issued to USA-reg bikes by CAA is more expensive; and the DOTARS Vehicle Import Approval is necessary for temporary import (in lieu of Carnet), easier to get & less expensive than Carnet.

In Camnz's similar situation, if the bike is shipping directly to OZ from UK (for temporary import only to OZ), then it would depend on the relative cost/ hassle for Camnz to obtain Carnet from UK RAC, vs. DOTARS Veh Import Approval. Yes, a RAC-issued Carnet will work, but what is the cost/ time to obtain a RAC Carnet vs. DOTARS (in lieu of Carnet) for temporary OZ import ?

Hope that clarifies. Sorry for the confusion.

Are there other things wrong?

thanks,
CourtFisher

Have you ever applied for and received an Aussie Vehicle Import Approval to bring a bike temporarily into Australia and if so what were the circumstances you put forward to DOTARS??

I still disagree that a DOTARS VIA would be issued under Camnz's circumstances. It doesn't matter where the bike has come from for a VIA, it matters whether the vehicle/bike has been manufactured to Australian standards as required by Aussie law/regulations.
VIAs are issued for vehicles/bikes coming permanently into Australia.

No, it further muddies the waters and spreads more misinformation. An Aussie Vehicle Import Approval is NOT intended for bikes coming into Australia temporarily.

Again, where did you get your information from??

Ah, Ha! I apologise - I've just discovered where you got your info from. The North American BMW Club's web site. I can tell you it's wrong. If you attempt to apply to DOTARS for Temporary Entry into Australia for a bike or any other vehicle you will be wasting $50.

They will simply reject your application and suggest you get a Carnet de Passages en Douane from the country from which the bike/vehicle originated from. It appears Paul Gowen of the RAC can do retrospective applications for bikes which have already departed from the UK. I didn't know that was possible and I doubt very much if the Aussie Automobile Assn or the NZAA would entertain such an application for Aussie or NZ nationals.

The reason I object to this stupid spread of misinformation is simple - for newbies who have never shipped a bike before it could cause way too much hassle in their first week of the start of a trip in a foreign country, not to mention the horrendus expense for storage while the bike is held in a bond store while the difficulties are sorted out - in this case it could take at least a couple of weeks and add hundreds of dollars to Camnz's costs,....if his RAC Carnet doesn't arrive before the bike does.

The reason I know all this stuff is that I have a small motorcycle shipping (internationally by sea container) business which ships Aussie bikes to NZ, the UK & USA and back. Mostly I deal with people who are wanting a 1 to 4 month holiday with their own bike in one of our destinations. Sometimes it's RTW travellers wanting One Way shipments, but it all means I have to know the rules and regs for the benefit of my clients. I spend considerable time dealing with Customs & Quarantine officials in these countries and have a fairly good handle on how it's all done.

__________________
Kind regards
Dave Milligan

David,

Many thanks. It appears you're right/ I'm wrong .

(I'm responsible for the BMW MOA website text linked above, written several years ago--when, I think, it was still possible to use DOTARS VIA for temporary import in lieu of Carnet.)

I re-read the DOTARS website documents dated Feb 2009, in detail. Current DOTARS seems pretty clear that only Carnets are acceptable for temporary import to OZ. That's too bad for USA-originating riders, because the out-of-pocket cost of a CAA-issued Carnet to import/ ride temporarily to OZ only is quite substantial vs the AUS$50 VIA fee.

We'll correct the info on the BMW MOA website.

Thanks for the correction/ beating "stupid" (at least out-of-date) me over the head

Thanks

Hope I didn't hit you too hard! No offence intended, just wanted to let newbies have the correct info.

As a side issue, I'm doing a shipment of USA bikes from Portland, Oregon to Christchurch, NZ - loading in Portland in December. Bikes will be in NZ from 4 Feb till 8 March when I load them to ship them back to Portland. Mostly old BSAs going to the International Rally. I have space for 6 more bikes. If you know of anyone wanting to use this service tell them to email me on dave@getrouted.com.au for more info. NZ is a whole lot easier getting Temporary Imports in and out than Australia.

Kind regardss
Dave Milligan

__________________
Kind regards
Dave Milligan

all good guys i spoke to the VIA people today and no VIA needed just the carnet.cheers for the contact too dave i spoke to him aswell so will get him to sort the customs and quarantine out for me.as for the carnet stamp he reckon its not a big prob if i dont have it but is always a bonus aye!
cheers

Yep, Dave is right. We took our bikes over to Oz a couple of months back for a few weeks of touring, at first glance the temp. import permit seemed to be the cheap way to go, but on calling up Oz customs to ask I was told that a Carnet is the only thing they will accept. ( in contradiction to what was written on their website at the time )

A temp permit was possible in the past, a friend got in on one a while back, but not any more.

Cheers
Clint