Infobase > Compliance > Personal Imports
Personal Imports
A special exception is made for people living and owning a car overseas for more than 12 months who are either moving back to Australia or emigrating to Australia for the first time. In such a case you are permitted to take your vehicle with you (there are no restrictions other than it must be right hand drive or converted to) and have it complied and registered in Australia.
If you are an Australian resident returning home:
You must have been living overseas on a working visa or long-term visa (a working holiday visa is not sufficient), have been overseas for 12 months (and not in Australia for much of that time), and have owned the car and had it registered in your name for more than 12 months.
If you are a non Australian resident moving to Australia:
You must have owned the car in your home country and had it registered for more than 12 months in your name, and must be moving to Australia to live full time as a resident or on a long term/working visa.
J-Spec can assist in advice on what paperwork is needed and what is necessary to prove that you meet the above criteria to DOTARS (the government body handling imports) as application for a Personal Import can sometimes be a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare. J-Spec can also help with the booking of shipping and handling of customs in the source country, and advice on any issues regarding preparation of shipping the car as well as of course assistance with landing the car in Australia. For personal imports the value of the car for tax purposes is based on an evaluation of the car once landed in Australia, so unfortunately an accurate landed price can't be given in advance until the car has been valued, however we can offer advice on what the taxable figure might be based on our experience and knowledge.