Australia requires an import approval before a road vehicle is imported; applications are managed through ROVER.
Establish the eligible approval pathway before purchase, then check the current BICON conditions and prepare the used vehicle for full internal and external biosecurity inspection.
Verify with Australian Government vehicle-import guidance ↗Approval, biosecurity and customs sequence
- Confirm eligibilitySelect the approval pathway that fits the exact vehicle and circumstances. A model appearing on the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Register is not by itself an approval to import that individual vehicle.
- Receive approvalApply through ROVER and wait until the import approval is granted before arranging shipment. The department says an assessment may take up to 60 business days.
- Prepare the vehicleCheck the current BICON conditions. The Department of Agriculture says the importer must ensure the vehicle is clean and free from biosecurity risks before arrival.
- Inspection and customsUsed vehicles are subject to full external and internal biosecurity inspection on arrival unless processed by a recognised offshore treatment provider. Lodge the required customs declaration and pay applicable duty, GST and Luxury Car Tax.
- Compliance and registrationMeet every condition on the approval, complete any required modification or testing and RAV step, then satisfy the registration and insurance rules in the destination state or territory.
Contamination can create more than a cleaning bill. The agriculture department says treatment, export or destruction may be ordered at the importer or owner’s expense when biosecurity risks are found.
Asbestos is a separate prohibited-goods risk. ABF says the importer is responsible for ensuring the vehicle does not contain asbestos, even when the country of origin has an asbestos ban.
RAW and RAV are different checkpoints
RAW means an approved Registered Automotive Workshop. For the applicable concessional pathway, the workshop modifies the vehicle to an approved Model Report and a separate Authorised Vehicle Verifier checks the work.
RAV is the Register of Approved Vehicles—the national searchable database. A vehicle that uses the RAW pathway is entered on the RAV only after the required modification and independent verification. RAV entry is required before state or territory registration, but it is not the registration itself.
Check the official RAW and RAV explanation ↗Registration still depends on the destination state
Choose the state or territory before paying for compliance work. These official examples show why a national import approval or RAV entry should not be treated as a promise of registration:
- New South WalesCheck NSW requirements before import. NSW says registration can be refused if they are not met, and the general imported-vehicle route requires a VSCCS compliance certificate from a licensed certifier. For a vehicle approved through the personal-import pathway, Service NSW gives an additional post-customs sequence: go directly to a weighbridge if the make and model is not normally available in Australia and/or to an AUVIS station, without breaking the journey or taking the vehicle home unless it is trailered. Registration documents include the vehicle import approval, AUVIS report, CTP receipt and any applicable VSCCS or VIIU report.
- VictoriaVictoria says vehicles less than 30 years old must be right-hand drive. A RAW-modified vehicle needs a current roadworthy certificate, the appropriate Concessional—Vehicles modified by a RAW entry on the RAV and a VIN stamped, etched or engraved on the vehicle. A Personal Effects or Older Vehicles import instead needs the matching concessional RAV entry, a current roadworthy certificate and a stamped VIN. For those two pathways, a vehicle manufactured after 1968 needs a VASS approval certificate and blue modification approval plate even if it has not been modified; a vehicle manufactured before 1969 needs them when it has major modifications such as a steering conversion.
- Western AustraliaCommonwealth approval alone does not guarantee licensing in WA. Before applying, the imported vehicle must pass a roadworthiness inspection, and a temporary movement permit is needed to move the unlicensed vehicle to the inspection location and allow a road test. A vehicle imported through the Personal Effects pathway cannot be inspected at an Authorised Inspection Station; Transport WA directs these vehicles to DTMI Vehicle Operations.
- QueenslandCheck steering position before purchase: Queensland says a light vehicle up to 4.5 tonnes and less than 25 years old must be right-hand drive, apart from limited special cases. At registration, a pre-registration inspection may be required to confirm identity or Australian Design Rule compliance; the state does not describe that inspection as automatic for every imported light car. The current centre directory identifies which locations offer pre-registration inspections and their vehicle-size, weather or appointment limits. If an unregistered vehicle is driven to an inspection or registration, the driver must carry the original CTP insurance certificate; otherwise arrange trailer transport. Registration duty is calculated on the higher of the total amount paid or the vehicle's market value, so an overseas invoice alone may understate the state cost.
- South AustraliaConfirm steering position and the federal approval pathway before purchase. South Australia generally limits left-hand-drive light vehicles to those at least 25 years old; a newer vehicle must be on the RAV and use the Rarity or Personal Effects pathway. Every overseas vehicle needs a Tier 2 identity inspection and must be presented complete and roadworthy; many imports also need a roadworthy inspection. Service SA then requires the applicable RAV or import-approval record, inspection and ADR evidence, identity and state charges.
- Australian Capital TerritoryAn imported vehicle establishing Australian registration for the first time, or currently registered in another state or territory, must be inspected at the Access Canberra Motor Vehicle Inspection Station in Hume. Some imported vehicles already registered in the ACT—including eligible Personal Effects imports and vehicles more than 25 years old entered on the concessional RAV—can use an ACT authorised inspection station; other concessional RAV vehicles still go to Hume. Hume inspections require an appointment booked by phone or at an Access Canberra Service Centre, and walk-ins are not accepted.
- Northern TerritoryFirst NT registration requires the federal import approval, any required engineering certification, an NT roadworthy inspection, evidence of residency and a compliance check at a government vehicle inspection facility. Under the Personal Imports pathway, a left-hand-drive vehicle may be accepted without steering conversion if it meets the NT safety requirements, including external rear-view mirrors on both sides. After the MVR inspection, the signed approval is used to obtain and fit a personal import plate. Registration in the NT does not guarantee that another state or territory will accept the vehicle.
- TasmaniaTasmania requires an Approved Inspection Station report before registration at Service Tasmania. Some imports also require certification by an Approved Vehicle Certifier, and import-approval conditions can still prevent registration. A left-hand-drive vehicle must be at least 30 years old to be eligible for Tasmanian registration, so confirm steering position and manufacture date before purchase.
Best Japanese cars to research for Australia
These are research starting points, not paid rankings. The best vehicle depends on eligibility, use, roads, fuel, service support and individual condition.
Import process: five decisions in order
Shipping and arrival
A vehicle arriving without approval may be held in customs control and incur storage costs. Biosecurity treatment, export or destruction can also be required at the importer's expense when contamination is found.
Documents to prepare
Import approval, identity, purchase and shipping documents, customs declaration records, and evidence needed for biosecurity, compliance and registration.
Estimate the total landed cost in AUD
Obtain the appropriate import approval before shipping and include biosecurity, compliance, customs, registration and state-level costs.
Vehicle, inland transport, exporter and port charges
Freight, insurance and shipping-related charges
Duty, tax, inspection, port, agent and storage
Compliance, registration, insurance and delivery
Use the planning tools
Find a suitable Japanese car →Estimate total landed cost →Compare exporter quotations →Verify official import sources →Frequently asked questions
Can I import a Japanese used car to Australia?
Yes, when the exact vehicle and buyer meet current import, inspection, customs and registration requirements.
Which Japanese cars should I research for Australia?
Start with Nissan GT-R, Nissan Skyline, Suzuki Jimny, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Hilux, Subaru Forester, then choose by use, eligibility, parts support and condition.
How should I estimate the import cost in AUD?
Obtain the appropriate import approval before shipping and include biosecurity, compliance, customs, registration and state-level costs.
What does total landed cost include?
Vehicle and Japan fees, freight, insurance, duty and tax, inspection, port and agent charges, inland delivery and registration.
JapanAutoPort does not sell, inspect, ship, clear or register vehicles. Rules and inventory change; verify the exact vehicle with official authorities and contracted providers before payment.