Bringing your car

[Pell]

Has anyone brought their car over to Australia from SA ? What are the formalities, does one have to get a broker to do that? Or will the container consultants help?

I was horrified to discover that to replace my car in Australia, I would have to pay 2,5 times more than in SA. Seems a waste to leave the car behind in that case.

Many thanks in advance!

[PauletJacques]

I really don't think it's worth it, not only will you have to pay import duties on the vehicle again, you have will have the trouble of trying to sell a "foreign import" down the line. Many of the models and designations in Oz are different to SA, as well as having slightly difference features which can affect your insurance. The car will also have to be completely paid for in SA for you to take it over.

From our research we've found the most cars are in line with the South African cost, and some are a bit cheaper, especially the Korean/Chinese vehicles like KIA & Hyundai.

[Jordy]

http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/19373-importing-a-trailervehicle/?hl=%2Bimporting+%2Btrailer

This is a link for a trailer import but a car would be similar I would think

[Kanniewagnie]

Hi, i also asked the same question on the forum a while ago. Will paste the link.

http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/39970-bringing-over-your-car/

Edited January 27, 2014 by Kanniewagnie

[flowman]

I have imported our car recently and it cost me about $9600 with Rego. I will break it down in my next post. It wasn't too difficult.

[flowman]

It was easy and not complicate at all. The process was straight forward. We imported our 2009 VW Tiguan TDi (full house). Possible value in RSA about R180-200K but value in Australia is $35000 as per dealer today.

The process for us (car paid up) - Obtain permission from infrastructure Australia -http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/imports/.

Once approved obtained, we did data dots for police clearance. Police clearance obtained (no costs). Car shipped with Bayleys (great service). 1 month later car arrived. Paid duty and GST on a "value of $8999" with the clearing agents. Collected car from Sydney warehouse and travelled to Canberra with Gauteng plates in NSW. Went for inspection (test) and passed. Finally sent the test results to obtain our "import clearance" sticker. Back to the inspection guys to stick the sticker. Paid rego and CTPi and now we have our car here in Oz. South African cars are generally better specced than some of the Australian models. Our Tiguan in Australia to replace with all the extras would cost about $57000. I think it was easy and worth it if you have a special car and it makes sense. By the way, double cabs are very expensive -top of the range Amarok is over $60K and still no leather and some extras.

DATE ITEM ZAR Exchange Rate AUD 13-Aug-13 Data dots for export R 570.00 9.00747 $63.28 28-Oct-13 Australian Vehicle import approval $50.00 01-Dec-13 Shipping and Insurance (Bayleys) R 57,019.50 9.2958 $6,133.90 20-Dec-13 Duty (5%) and GST (10%)-Value of car $8999 $1,680.38 08-Jan-14 Unregistered Vehicle permit (for Canberra to take car to test) $41.40 09-Jan-14 Travel costs to Sydney to pick up car $130.70 09-Jan-14 Vehicle inspection in CBR for Imported Car $61.30 10-Jan-14 Postage for name plate $8.95 13-Jan-14 Import Name Plate $86.00 14-Jan-14 Registration Surcharge $81.60 14-Jan-14 Registration Duty $270.00 14-Jan-14 Rego+CTP $1,050.00 Total $9,657.51

[Pell]

It was easy and not complicate at all. The process was straight forward. We imported our 2009 VW Tiguan TDi (full house). Possible value in RSA about R180-200K but value in Australia is $35000 as per dealer today.

The process for us (car paid up) - Obtain permission from infrastructure Australia -http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/imports/.

Once approved obtained, we did data dots for police clearance. Police clearance obtained (no costs). Car shipped with Bayleys (great service). 1 month later car arrived. Paid duty and GST on a "value of $8999" with the clearing agents. Collected car from Sydney warehouse and travelled to Canberra with Gauteng plates in NSW. Went for inspection (test) and passed. Finally sent the test results to obtain our "import clearance" sticker. Back to the inspection guys to stick the sticker. Paid rego and CTPi and now we have our car here in Oz. South African cars are generally better specced than some of the Australian models. Our Tiguan in Australia to replace with all the extras would cost about $57000. I think it was easy and worth it if you have a special car and it makes sense. By the way, double cabs are very expensive -top of the range Amarok is over $60K and still no leather and some extras.

DATE ITEM ZAR Exchange Rate AUD 13-Aug-13 Data dots for export R 570.00 9.00747 $63.28 28-Oct-13 Australian Vehicle import approval $50.00 01-Dec-13 Shipping and Insurance (Bayleys) R 57,019.50 9.2958 $6,133.90 20-Dec-13 Duty (5%) and GST (10%)-Value of car $8999 $1,680.38 08-Jan-14 Unregistered Vehicle permit (for Canberra to take car to test) $41.40 09-Jan-14 Travel costs to Sydney to pick up car $130.70 09-Jan-14 Vehicle inspection in CBR for Imported Car $61.30 10-Jan-14 Postage for name plate $8.95 13-Jan-14 Import Name Plate $86.00 14-Jan-14 Registration Surcharge $81.60 14-Jan-14 Registration Duty $270.00 14-Jan-14 Rego+CTP $1,050.00 Total $9,657.51

Thanks ever so much for your comprehensive answer, flowman!

We have a BMW for which we would have to fork out 2,5 x the price in Oz (in other words, unaffordable). It's one year old with little mileage and it would be such a pity to leave it behind.

Many thanks again!

[PauletJacques]

Ouch.

Sorry I don't mean to challenge your decision to bring your car over, but you're saying you spent almost R100k to bring a 2009 Tiguan over worth R200k?

And the new 2013/2014 costs R350k?

Personally I think we filled out enough forms for the Visas to have to bother with that sort of paper work as well

[gordonza]

Also remember the moment you have an imported car the dealers will battle to match the VIN numbers to their local systems so servicing might be an issue with parts specific to that model not readily available. Also when you sell the car you will have a problem on your hands as people will be hesitant to buy it. My own advice would be just to purchase something locally in Australia.

[flowman]

Yep, the decision was based on emotions but wife's happy and the car was as new with less than 30000Km. With regards to VIN numbers - not a problem with VW , they have entered it into their system today. No warranty issues as the car was older than 3 years.

[Pell]

Yep, the decision was based on emotions but wife's happy and the car was as new with less than 30000Km. With regards to VIN numbers - not a problem with VW , they have entered it into their system today. No warranty issues as the car was older than 3 years.

Yes, I'm sure BMW has to have some sort of international database as well. True, it's an emotional decision, but I rate it's worth it...

[PauletJacques]

Can't always put a price on what the heart wants

Personally I get an itch for a new car every 2/3 years so I'd rather just get a new one there, even if it is a downgrade

[RichardH]

A British friend of mine brought his Audi out to Perth. The cost the car in the UK was much cheaper than in Aus and the UK car prices are much better than SA especially for German cars. 3 years after bringing it out here he could probably still make a small profit on it. A fair few Brits bring their cars out, but mainly because their prices are so much better so the economics make sense.

[Precis]

This is not a simple question, and has no simple answer.

For a start, the person that quoted his 3-year-old Tiquan as arriving in Aus with a value of $8999 runs a very real risk of having Aus Customs do a quick market value check; you pay import duties on the (real) value of imported goods and for making false statements, the penalty can run as high as a fat fine AND confiscation of the goods.

I did a quick search on Carsales.com.au and the most expensive 2010 Tiguan (ie, over 3 years old) is asking $32,990 & the cheapest is $17,800, so to be "worth" over $50k, it must be a very special car! (http://www.carsales.com.au)

Also, all incoming vehicles less than 25 years must comply with a complex raft of ADRs - Australian Design Rules - which stipulate stuff like how far the indicators must be from the ground. To cerify this, Aus-delivered cars have a special plate under the bonnet that certifies that the vehicle complies with the relevant ADRs; without this Compliance plate, a vehicle may require an Engineer's Inspection report before it can be registered - or reregistered by a new owner; last I looked, these inspections & Reports could run to over a thousand dollars.

Different States have very different laws, too; regarding UK-spec cars - when they are subjected to a roadworthy test, a vehicle not on a Club, Historical or concessionary registration (ie, limited useage) WILL require a km/h speedo -so the UK-spec cars will fail..

In mitigation, a few Australian-sold cars were built in ZA: this has included some Benz, BMW, Audi & VW models over the years - but they may or may not have Aus-specific differences built into them at the factory: an example was a certain model 3-Series which in Aus had to have yellow indicator lenses, whereas in the rest of the world they were white.

Windscreens, tyres, exhausts and some engine components can and often do differ across international markets; expect that every time a used car changes hands, here in Victoria at least, you'll almost certainly be required to change the windscreen - even if there's nothing wrong with the old one.

Used car dealers being what they are, it's pretty sure than any reason to drive down the value of a used car will be found. Being a "grey import" is the kiss of death for many trade-in deals - accept that you may end up driving a ZA-built car into the ground because no-one will pay what it's 'worth'.

Don't forget too, that AQIS (Quarantine Service) will want to know that there is absolutely no mud, dirt or dust anywhere on the vehicle or its tyres that could house exotic insects, larvae or seeds; a steamcleaning & fumigation certificate will need to be produced. Don't ask me how I know about this - suffice to say that the lift onto a truck, 4km trip to te steam-cleaner, trip back and lift off the truck, can easily run into the thousands of dollars, depending upon where you are.

Having jumped through these hoops a few times has convinced me that it's just not worth doing unless you have something very special, like a Rolls-Royce or a classic car.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Precis

[flowman]

This is not a simple question, and has no simple answer.

For a start, the person that quoted his 3-year-old Tiquan as arriving in Aus with a value of $8999 runs a very real risk of having Aus Customs do a quick market value check; you pay import duties on the (real) value of imported goods and for making false statements, the penalty can run as high as a fat fine AND confiscation of the goods.

I did a quick search on Carsales.com.au and the most expensive 2010 Tiguan (ie, over 3 years old) is asking $32,990 & the cheapest is $17,800, so to be "worth" over $50k, it must be a very special car! (http://www.carsales.com.au)

Also, all incoming vehicles less than 25 years must comply with a complex raft of ADRs - Australian Design Rules - which stipulate stuff like how far the indicators must be from the ground. To cerify this, Aus-delivered cars have a special plate under the bonnet that certifies that the vehicle complies with the relevant ADRs; without this Compliance plate, a vehicle may require an Engineer's Inspection report before it can be registered - or reregistered by a new owner; last I looked, these inspections & Reports could run to over a thousand dollars.

Different States have very different laws, too; regarding UK-spec cars - when they are subjected to a roadworthy test, a vehicle not on a Club, Historical or concessionary registration (ie, limited useage) WILL require a km/h speedo -so the UK-spec cars will fail..

In mitigation, a few Australian-sold cars were built in ZA: this has included some Benz, BMW, Audi & VW models over the years - but they may or may not have Aus-specific differences built into them at the factory: an example was a certain model 3-Series which in Aus had to have yellow indicator lenses, whereas in the rest of the world they were white.

Windscreens, tyres, exhausts and some engine components can and often do differ across international markets; expect that every time a used car changes hands, here in Victoria at least, you'll almost certainly be required to change the windscreen - even if there's nothing wrong with the old one.

Used car dealers being what they are, it's pretty sure than any reason to drive down the value of a used car will be found. Being a "grey import" is the kiss of death for many trade-in deals - accept that you may end up driving a ZA-built car into the ground because no-one will pay what it's 'worth'.

Don't forget too, that AQIS (Quarantine Service) will want to know that there is absolutely no mud, dirt or dust anywhere on the vehicle or its tyres that could house exotic insects, larvae or seeds; a steamcleaning & fumigation certificate will need to be produced. Don't ask me how I know about this - suffice to say that the lift onto a truck, 4km trip to te steam-cleaner, trip back and lift off the truck, can easily run into the thousands of dollars, depending upon where you are.

Having jumped through these hoops a few times has convinced me that it's just not worth doing unless you have something very special, like a Rolls-Royce or a classic car.

Precis,

Custom value is determined by customs themselves - it is 50% of standard value in Australia. No cheating there as I didn't provide a value. Before you import one applies for permission and that will advice whether compliant with Aussie rules etc. As our car is the same as the Australian model -no issue- They checked the vin numbers to figure other compliance. ACT inspection is one of the most comprehensive and they found no issues. Australian plate is then issued.

[Canetoad]

Buy a car here, you wont have the hassle of convincing a dealer of what it is to get parts and the hassle of selling a import for next to nothing. New cars are cheap here and second hand cars are worth next to nothing. Oh, when working out the price calculate it as percentage of your pay and I think you will be surprised at how much cheaper they are here.

ANother point to remember is they are not status symbols here, nobody really cars what kind of car you drive

[Koekemoers]

I say go for it. Some vehicles will be worth the effort.

From my January 2014 RSA Car Magazine: BMW 320i AT, R 403 000 and Toyota 86 High AT, R 373 000 (at R9.90/$) that's about $41 000 and $38 000 in dollar terms ($ 3 000 difference)

and in Australia Toyota 86 GTS AT $ 42 000 (Carsales) and BMW 320i AT $ 68 000 (BMW website) and that's about R 415 000 and R 673 000 in Rand terms ($ 26 000 difference).

Both Toyotas from Japan and both BMWs from ZA I believe.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Koekemoers

[Precis]

Imported cars over about $52,000 attract a "Luxury car tax" that artificially inflates the cost of even basic cars like a BMW 320.

For much less money you get a lot more car in a Holden or Ford - while they're still being made here - and no hassles with parts, servicing or eventual resale.

I met a guy complaining he'd been ripped off by a dealer who had sold him a "Saudi Arabian BMW" - of course the plate under the bonnet said "Vervaardig in Suid Afrika" ... which he read as being from Saudi Arabia. When I explained where the car was really built and that it was just the same as the locally-available ones, he still didn't want it and had a hell of a fight to get his money back.

And as Canetoad rightly says, cars aren't seen as a status symbol here, just a depreciating asset. If anything, the opposite applies (don't forget the "Tall Poppy Syndrome"!) and you might find negotiating the price of a house rental down a bit harder if you turn up in a Tristar or a Bankrot Maar Windgat.

Here, the safety aspects are of greater concern: must have ESP/ASC, lots of crashbags and a 5-Star safety rating.

[patrice]

i agree - my wife had a 320d - thought about bringing it over - but the motor plan is not valid here - that and the 'import' hassels was just not worth it ( in my opinion) so we sold it and my new cruiser - bought new vehicles here

[ShannonE]

So my 2cents....not sure why some people are planning to leave SA and then you go and buy a new car ....and then have to sell it or think its special and do more paper work to bring it over.

We resisted the urge to buy new car in SA and sold our 2 cars a 14yr old Landie and a 5 year old Polo. When we got here we bought a new car ...much less drama, and you get really great service from the car dealers here in Oz, they gave us a demo to drive around with a full tank ($80 worth LOL) for a week while our new car was being organised.

We bought a Subaru Forester ...great car and great street cred here in Oz