Vehicle compliance in Australia: getting your import on the road

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. Check the car is eligible before you buy: on the SEV Register, 25 years or older, or your own car as a personal import.
2. Get import approval in ROVER before the car is shipped.
3. We ship it, clear customs and biosecurity, and deliver it to the compliance workshop.
4. The car is inspected, modified if its pathway needs it, and entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV).
5. Your state's checks are done, and the car is registered in your name.

What compliance actually means

Under the Road Vehicle Standards Act, a vehicle has to be on the Register of Approved Vehicles before a state or territory will register it. Imported used cars usually get there through a concessional RAV entry approval, which is also the import approval. The work done between the car landing and it going on the RAV, plus your state's own checks, is what the industry calls compliance.

Which pathway your car is on

The 25-year rule is rolling: the age is counted from the date you apply, not a fixed build year. Check the import guide for Japan for the full eligibility rules.

State checks before registration

Each state adds its own requirements on top of the federal approval, so a car complied for one state may need more work for another. In NSW, for example, Transport for NSW asks for a compliance certificate from a licensed certifier under the Vehicle Safety Compliance Certification Scheme before an imported vehicle is registered. Tell us and your compliance workshop which state the car will be registered in before it ships.

Our compliance partner: Vehicle Import Compliance

When a client needs a car complied, we recommend Vehicle Import Compliance, run by Matt Hill. Matt and his team look after import approvals, compliance inspections and pre-purchase asset evaluations, and their site sends clients to us for shipping, so the handover between us is simple.

• Import approvals: concessional RAV entry (RAW-modified, 25-year and personal import cars), non-RAV entry and reimports. They can apply for you, or check an application you lodge yourself.
• Compliance: inspecting the car once it lands and taking it through to registration-ready.
• Asset evaluations: checking a car meets the import rules, and what duty and tax it's likely to attract, before you commit.
• Locations: Peakhurst NSW (by appointment), Chandler QLD and Welshpool WA, plus mobile service in Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
• Experience: GT-Rs (R32, R34 and R35), JZX100 Chasers and Tourer Vs from Japan, a Ferrari 348 from the UK, a Jaguar F-Type from New Zealand and a Kombi from South Africa.

Their site puts approvals at about 10 to 20 business days and compliance at 1 to 10 business days once the car arrives. Compliance pricing depends on the car and its pathway, so ask Matt for a quote. Call 0475 264 455, email info@vehicleimportcompliance.com, or visit vehicleimportcompliance.com.

How we work together

1. Matt's team confirms the car is eligible and sorts the import approval.
2. We book the shipping and clear customs and biosecurity at the Australian port.
3. We deliver the car straight to Vehicle Import Compliance instead of your driveway.
4. Matt's team complies the car and gets it ready for registration in your state.

Shipping from Japan? See the all-in shipping price from Japan, and use our import tax calculator for duty, GST and luxury car tax.

Before you buy

• Check eligibility first. A car that can't be approved can't be registered, however cheap it was.
• Don't ship until the import approval is granted.
• Deal with asbestos before the car leaves the overseas country. Brake pads, gaskets and clutch facings are the usual problems.
• Budget for compliance, any modifications, state inspections and registration, on top of shipping and tax.

Common questions