How to Import an Exotic Car to Australia: The Complete Process

Importing an exotic car to Australia is a process that more buyers are considering as the Australian new car market offers limited allocation of certain models. Understanding the import process, costs, and compliance requirements is essential before beginning the journey.

The Two Main Import Pathways

There are two primary ways to import a vehicle to Australia: the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS) and the Personal Import Pathway.

SEVS allows vehicles that are not sold through official Australian dealer networks to be imported by approved RAW (Register of Approved Workshops) workshops. The vehicle must meet specific eligibility criteria, and the workshop is responsible for ensuring the vehicle meets Australian Design Rules (ADRs) before registering it.

The Personal Import Pathway allows Australian residents returning from overseas to bring a vehicle they have personally owned and used abroad for at least twelve months. This pathway has specific restrictions and is not suitable for most exotic car purchases.

Most imported exotic cars come through SEVS.

SEVS Eligibility

A vehicle is eligible for SEVS if it meets one of several criteria, including being sold in numbers of fewer than 25 vehicles per year in Australia through official channels, being a specialist sports vehicle, or meeting specific environmental or safety criteria.

Hypercars and limited-production exotics – Pagani, Koenigsegg, certain limited Lamborghini and Ferrari variants – are often SEVS-eligible because they are not offered through standard dealer networks in Australia. Mainstream supercars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and McLaren are typically not SEVS-eligible because they have official Australian distributor relationships.

The Import Process

Working with an approved RAW workshop, the process typically follows these steps:

Vehicle identification and purchase: Identify the vehicle overseas and purchase it. The vehicle must comply with the SEVS eligibility criteria at the time of import.

Shipping: Organise shipping from the country of origin. Vehicles are typically shipped as roll-on roll-off (RORO) or in a container. Container shipping offers more protection but costs more.

Biosecurity inspection: All imported vehicles must pass biosecurity inspection on arrival in Australia to ensure no prohibited biological material is present. The vehicle must be thoroughly cleaned before shipping.

Import approval and customs: The RAW workshop handles the import approval with the Department of Infrastructure and customs clearance. Import duty applies at five percent of the vehicle’s value.

Compliance: The RAW workshop inspects the vehicle and modifies it as necessary to comply with Australian Design Rules. This may include modifications to lights, speedometer, seat belts, and safety systems.

Registration: Once compliance is complete, the vehicle is registered in the buyer’s name in their state or territory.

Costs to Expect

The total cost of importing an exotic car to Australia includes:

Purchase price of the vehicle in the country of origin plus applicable taxes in that country.

Shipping: Typically $3,000 to $8,000 depending on origin and method.

Import duty: Five percent of the vehicle’s customs value (typically the purchase price plus insurance and freight).

GST: Ten percent of the customs value plus duty.

LCT: Luxury Car Tax on the amount above the LCT threshold, at 33 percent. This applies to imported vehicles the same as domestically purchased vehicles.

Compliance costs: Vary significantly by vehicle and model. Simple compliance may cost $3,000 to $5,000. Complex compliance involving significant modifications can cost $20,000 to $50,000 or more.

RAW workshop fees: Workshop margins vary but expect to pay for their coordination services.

Registration costs: State-based, similar to any registration.

Finding a Reliable RAW Workshop

The quality of RAW workshops varies significantly. Research workshops that specialise in the type of vehicle you are importing – a workshop experienced with Japanese domestic market vehicles may not be the best choice for a European exotic. Ask for references from previous customers who have imported similar vehicles.

Timeline

Allow six to twelve months from identifying the vehicle to having it registered in Australia. The process involves multiple government agencies and the timing of shipping, inspection queues, and compliance work is difficult to predict precisely.

Alternatives

For cars available through official Australian channels, the import process often costs more than the difference between Australian new car pricing and overseas pricing once all duties, taxes, and compliance costs are added. The case for importing is strongest for vehicles genuinely not available through official networks.