Will I pay duty bringing my car over from Australia?

Vehicles from Australia generally attract 0% import duty under the CER agreement between the two countries, though GST still applies.

How much does entry certification cost?

It varies by entry certifier and the vehicle's condition -- budget a few hundred dollars for certification alone, more if repairs are needed first to meet NZ safety or emissions standards.

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Get your Australian vehicle NZTA-certified

Bringing your Australian car is comparatively simple, but it still needs NZTA entry certification and a biosecurity clean before it can be registered.

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New Zealand accepts an ADR compliance plate (the standard Australian vehicle compliance marking) as acceptable evidence your vehicle meets New Zealand's own standards, avoiding a more involved compliance process some other countries' imports need. It still needs entry certification from an NZTA-approved certifier before it can be registered here -- shipping the car alone doesn't make it road-legal on arrival.

What to do:

Confirm your vehicle has a valid ADR compliance plate before you commit to shipping it.
If you're not the vehicle's last registered Australian owner, get a PPSR certificate confirming clear title before shipping it -- this can take time to sort out if there's any ambiguity in the ownership chain.
Have the vehicle professionally cleaned before it ships -- MPI biosecurity inspects the undercarriage, wheel arches, and any cavity for soil, seeds, and insects, and a failed inspection means real delay and additional cleaning cost at the border, not just at home.
Book entry certification with an NZTA-approved certifier once it arrives, ahead of registering it -- this is a separate step from customs clearance and biosecurity, and needs its own booking.
Check whether your existing Australian insurance covers the vehicle in transit, since it typically won't cover it once it's landed in New Zealand.

Common mistakes: under-cleaning the vehicle before biosecurity inspection (assuming it "looks clean enough"), and not checking PPSR title clearance if you're not the original owner.

See NZTA: importing used vehicles from Australia for the current requirements. This task doesn't apply if you're not bringing a vehicle -- Navaroa's move profile doesn't currently capture vehicle ownership, so this shows for every Australia-origin move rather than being conditional on it; skip it if it doesn't apply to you.

Frequently asked questions

Will I pay duty bringing my car over from Australia?: Vehicles from Australia generally attract 0% import duty under the CER agreement between the two countries, though GST still applies.
How much does entry certification cost?: It varies by entry certifier and the vehicle's condition -- budget a few hundred dollars for certification alone, more if repairs are needed first to meet NZ safety or emissions standards.