CHECK LIST
Before committing to purchasing or shipping your car, please ensure you have taken into account all of the below points. If you can’t provide one of these documents then please contact us to discuss before committing to purchase your car. As some of these are pre-requests to importing, and without them you can’t import your car.
1. Import Compliance
First check the car you wish to import was manufactured to meet approved safety and emissions standards. This depends on the class of vehicle, date of manufacture and the country from which the vehicle is being imported. To find out more information please visit the New Zealand Transport Agency.
2. Bill of Sale
If purchasing the car we will need a copy of the Bill of Sale from the seller. If you already own the car, then we need a copy of the original purchase Bill of Sale.
If this has been misplaced then you will need to obtain a "sight unseen" valuation from a car dealer.
3. Registration / Ownership papers
We will need a copy(via email of fax) of the registration papers showing ownership.
Depending on the country of purchase, and in some cases the state, the original ownership papers are needed to export the origin country.
DO NOT have these sent to you, or altered, until our agent instructs the seller.
4. Photo ID
A high quality colour scan copy of the photo page form your passport.
5. Remove ALL personal items from your car
When shipping on a RORO vessel personal items must not be left in the vehicle, if they are, the vehicle will not be accepted on-board the vessel.
There is the option to load your car into a container which would allow you to also ship some personal belongings, but this is normally a more expensive option than RORO.
6. Wash your car
You should aim to have your car in the cleanest possible condition. Best practice is to have the car thoroughly steam cleaned and vacuumed prior to shipment. There is no need to get it "detailed" but the goal is to remove all dirt and contamination inside and out. We can offer this as an additional service in some locations.
7. Have you taken out Marine Insurance?
Not compulsory, but worth asking us for a quote. Your road insurance will not cover any damage that may occur while in transit.
If you’re taking out marine insurance then a pre-shipment inspection report is required to be done by an independent party. If this is not done prior to shipping then any excess is doubled.
8. Have you taken into account GST?
It depends on your criteria: is this a new purchase or something you class as a personal effect?
New purchase: GST of 15% is payable on the landed value, which is the value of the vehicle plus freight and insurance, otherwise known as the CIF (Cost + Insurance + Freight) price.
Personal Effect: In some cases you may be exempt from paying GST, you will need to meet the following conditions:
- Be a first time immigrant or a returning New Zealand citizen
- If you’re a returning citizen you must have been out of New Zealand for over 21 months
- You must be prepared to sign a deed where you agree not to sell the vehicle for at least 2 years
- The vehicle must have been owned and used for the last 12 months.
NOTE : You must be in New Zealand at the time of importation to be eligible for GST exemption
9. De-registration
On export from some countries the car needs to be de-registered.
Summary
If you have ticked off all of the above, then your car is ready to ship to New Zealand. Welcome home!
