Moving home to NZ: shipping your car or caravan from Australia

Checked against official sources on 9 October 2026. Rules change, so we confirm the details for your shipment when you book.

The short version

1. Get a price. Cars, vans, utes and 4WDs up to 20 m³ ship at one all-in price; caravans and motorhomes are priced on size. See current prices.
2. Check whether you qualify for the NZ Customs vehicle concession, which can mean no GST or duty.
3. Book a weekly RoRo sailing from Brisbane, Port Kembla or Melbourne to Auckland, with connections to Wellington, Lyttelton and Nelson.
4. Clean it thoroughly, inside and out, before it goes. MPI inspects every unit.
5. Collect it in New Zealand, then get it entry certified (cars) or registered (caravans).

1. The NZ Customs vehicle concession

If you qualify, NZ Customs waives the duty and GST on a vehicle you bring with you. You need to:

• hold an NZ passport or another document authorising NZ residence on the day it's imported;
• have lived outside New Zealand for more than 21 months before you arrive;
• have personally owned and used the vehicle overseas for at least 1 year before you leave (or before you hand it over for shipping);
• sign a Customs undertaking (form NZCS 80c).

If you sell or dispose of the vehicle within 2 years, the duty and GST become payable. The concession covers cars, motorcycles, motorhomes and campervans; caravans aren't listed, so check with us before you rely on it for a caravan.

2. If you don't qualify

NZ Customs charges GST of 15% on the price paid plus international freight and insurance, plus any duty. Duty is 0% on cars and motorcycles and 10% on motorhomes and campervans, though units that qualify as Australian origin under the Australia–New Zealand trade agreement may enter duty free with origin evidence. Use our NZ GST and duty calculator for an estimate.

3. Cleaning for MPI

MPI inspects used vehicles on arrival. There's zero tolerance for live insects, standing water, seeds and fresh plant material, and only small amounts of loose soil are allowed, so clean underneath, in the wheel arches and inside every compartment. A unit that fails is cleaned and re-inspected at your cost. Australia isn't one of New Zealand's stink bug risk countries, but a ship that calls at a risk country on the way can bring extra checks. Our cleaning checklist covers it room by room.

4. Getting it on the road in NZ

• Cars, utes, vans and motorhomes need entry certification: a border inspection, then a certifier's check before registration. Keep the original Australian registration papers.
• Light caravans and trailers (usually under 3,500 kg) aren't entry certified, but they still need registering, a licence and a warrant of fitness. Check large vans against the NZ size limits.
• Returning New Zealanders who've owned and used the vehicle overseas for more than 12 months may be exempt from some standards; your certifier will confirm.

5. Shipping it

We ship from Brisbane, Port Kembla and Melbourne on weekly RoRo sailings with MOL and Toyo Fuji. Your price includes Australian export clearance and port charges, and New Zealand port, customs entry and MPI fees; cars also include collection and delivery to the port within 50 km. Ask us before you pack anything inside: shipping lines have strict rules on loose items in RoRo cargo, and MPI inspects everything inside.

Common questions