Australia to NZ - Shipping Car

The cost for a standard vehicle is between $2500 and $3500 AUD. This price is typically for vehicles under 18cbm in size and may include the following services:

• Pick-up within 50km from the loading port (or custom quote available otherwise)
• Pre-export inspection, documentation, and fees
• Ocean Freight and marine insurance
• Landing port inspection and clearance, import fees, and delivery within 50km of the port

These services are packaged together as they are directly part of the shipping process. However, there are other costs that aren’t charged directly from your freight forwarding agent. 

Things typically excluded from the standard price are: 

• GST (calculated on the cost of value of vehicle, freight, and insurance) + $55.71 Entry Fee
• MPI Cleaning (if required)
• Compliance & registration

MPI is the government agency in charge of preventing any foreign animals, insects, soil, and plant materials from entering NZ. You must ensure a clean vehicle before shipping to avoid hefty cleaning costs. 

You can think of vehicle compliance in NZ as the first warrant of fitness. It ensures the car meets all NZ road safety standards before being registered. The cost is around $550NZD for the compliance inspection, however, it can be more if repairs are needed to pass.

The Phoenix Shipping team has over 10 years of experience in car shipping. Thus, we’re able to offer the most cost-effective ways while ensuring a smooth and safe shipping journey. 

Ultimately, you will need to weigh up whether shipping a car is your best option. Whether it’s a family car, a luxury or rare vehicle passed down through generations, it’s a worthwhile consideration.

The most common and cost-effective way of car shipping is via a RORO vessel. The shipping lines normally do not permit any personal items to be stored in the vehicle during transit. Customs may also reject the vehicle on the basis of excess items.

Our longstanding relationships with the shipping lines, enables us to give some leeway when there’s minimal items shipped. However, we cannot guarantee that the shipping line won’t reject additional cargo.

MPI has clear guidelines on cleanliness and accessibility to inspect the vehicle. Any associated unloading and inspection costs will add to the cost of import. Thus, we discourage it when shipping via a RORO vessel.

However, if you’re looking at shipping a car via a container, you can pack additional items. As long as it can fit, and is safely secure in the vehicle or within the container, it’s possible. Importantly, we highly recommend not packing any items that may cause damage to the vehicle during transit.

The same principle applies when shipping to Australia. Australian customs are just as strict on personal items transported via RORO vessels. Regardless, you also need to consider security. Most marine insurance will not cover any personal items while in transit. While a container provides security, RORO shipping means your vehicle goes through multiple hands. There’s a heightened chance of Items getting lost in transit or left behind and therefore it is normally not permitted.

Some finance companies do not permit car shipping without paying the loan fully. We get asked this frequently and it’s important to address it in the early discussions. 

The main reason (from their perspective) is the fact that the vehicle is typically the security against the loan. If you were to default on the loan, they would repossess the vehicle. Of course, if you’re shipping the car (export) that removes their ability to repossess.

The ultimate decision before shipping rests with your finance company. Some international finance companies have offices in both countries and allow you to transfer the loan over. You should discuss this with them well in advance before shipping.

You do have 3 options available before shipping:

1. Pay the loan off to ensure a hassle-free process.
2. Re-finance the loan through a local company that allows you to export your vehicle. 
3. Re-finance the loan with a company at the destination you’re moving to and pay off your existing loan. 

As long as you keep us in the loop in advance, we’ll ensure that the transition is hassle-free. By contacting us, we are able to coordinate with your insurance provider to file all the relevant documentation. Thus, enabling the journey without any unwanted surprises.

Pickles and Manheim are the most established vehicle auction providers in Australia. Being a similar market, many Kiwis look to source rare models or repairable write-offs.

We have multiple regular clients that book car shipping Australia to NZ with us right from the auction yards. You may be a regular looking for better prices or customer service or want to explore more about this opportunity. Phoenix Shipping offers a complete full package door-to-door solution of car shipping Australia to New Zealand from auction yards. 

Australian write-off standards are typically very strict and thus you can find absolute bargains to import to New Zealand. Things such as minor hail damage cars or minor impact accidents can be repaired and registered in NZ. After the cost of repairs and car shipping Australia to New Zealand, you can still come out a winner.

Once you have paid your zero-rated tax invoice, you can forward it to us in order to arrange pick up before shipping car to New Zealand. The auction house gives you a set amount of free storage days for you to pick up your vehicle. Therefore, the sooner you notify us, the quicker we can pick up your vehicle and avoid storage charges.

Sometimes, you may purchase a vehicle without knowing it is a non-starter. This means the vehicle doesn’t drive. Because of the added implications, this typically adds to your cost of shipping a car from Australia to New Zealand. Whether it is a flat battery, or something more serious, the vehicle may need to be forklifted. Phoenix Shipping will notify you as soon as we find out on the condition of the vehicle. It is also highly recommended to arrange pre-transit photos before shipping car from Australia to New Zealand.

When shipping a car you want to feel confident it can get there in one piece! Whether it’s to protect sentimental or monetary value, moving your vehicle safely and in a timely manner is a priority. In short, yes, it is a safe and common practice.

The process of shipping amounts to thousands of vehicles being shipped each month. Phoenix Shipping and its subcontractors ensure we are following the latest and best industry safety practices. There is less than a 1% chance of any damage happening during transit.

If you choose to ship via the RoRo method, your vehicle is securely strapped in position throughout the entire journey. You can think of the RoRo vessel as a large multi-story car park. Straps are used at the wheels to ensure the vehicle doesn’t move during transport. The vehicle is driven onto and off the vessel at the loading and discharge ports. 

Shipping via a container adds another level of safety. This method is typically more expensive. However, it does ensure your vehicle is carefully strapped and untouched inside the container for the entire journey. 

An added layer of safety provided by Phoenix Shipping is our Marine Insurance option. Typically, your private car insurance provider may not cover you during car shipping. We offer this option to cover any external damage that can happen during transit. You can get in touch and request a quote for further information on marine insurance.

We understand that cost plays a role in your decision-making. Weighing up your options to sell and buy or decided to ship can often come down to cost comparison. While new cars are on average cheaper in Australia, used cars are on average cheaper in New Zealand.

New Cars – Australia has a very competitive new car market with 67 brands and over 350 models available. According to the FCAI, new car price comparison data across different models demonstrates cheaper prices in Australia over New Zealand. It also makes sense as Australia is a bigger market. There are over 1 million new car sales each year compared to a record-breaking 165,287 in NZ in 2021.

Used Cars – New Zealand imports over 100,000 used cars predominantly from Japan each year. Meanwhile, the figure for used imports in AU sits at around 15,000 each year. Naturally, the sheer difference in supply levels will correlate with the average price of used cars being cheaper in NZ. The main reason for this difference in supply is the Australian import regulations being much stricter than in NZ. According to an NZ Herald article, used cars in Australia can cost 2 to 5 times more than in NZ.

Therefore, you may consider bringing your used vehicle to Australia instead of selling and buying again. To check what it’s worth in each country you can find similar models listed on TradeMe and Gumtree. That way, you can make an informed decision before contacting us.

As with the majority of imports, car shipping is also liable for GST payment to clear Customs. The GST is calculated as 15% of the value of the vehicle plus the cost of freight and insurance. 

You may qualify for a GST exemption if you meet certain criteria. NZ Customs has strict requirements that must be met with supporting documents in order to qualify. Here are a few questions to ask yourself in regards to the GST exemption when shipping a car:

• Have you owned and used the vehicle privately for more than 12 months?
• Are you returning or coming to New Zealand to live?
• Have you lived outside of New Zealand for more than 21 months?
• Do you have NZ residency or a NZ work permit?

If the answer is yes and you can provide the required supporting documents, you may be eligible for GST exemption. You will need to sign a Deed of Undertaking (DOU) stating you will not sell the vehicle for 2 years. Otherwise, you will have to pay the GST owed. 

The supporting documents to qualify for concessionary entry may include: 

• Your Passport (proof of living outside of NZ for more than 21 months and eligibility to live in NZ).
• Original registration certificate (proof of vehicle ownership for more than 12 months).

Getting in touch with an experienced vehicle freight forwarder has its benefits. Oftentimes, a general freight forwarder doesn’t have such in-depth knowledge which can often be a disadvantage to you. You can save thousands of dollars in GST payable by simply being aware of regulations specific to the vehicle industry. 

The answer is no, there is no ferry for shipping across the Tasman at the moment. We can only speculate as to why that is, but we suspect it’s got to do with financial viability. A ferry transporting you along with car shipping will likely cost upwards of $3000 for a ticket. If there aren’t enough people to cover the cost of each ferry trip, then it makes bad economical sense. 

Flights across the Tasman are also relatively cheap. Moreover, hiring the right freight forwarder will make the process hassle-free. 

However, shipping a car is possible and quite common. The most common way is through a RoRo vessel, which is essentially a ship built for transporting vehicles. It functions as a multi-level car park where port workers drive cars in and out of the vessel. The RoRo vessel is not designed for passenger transport and you will need to arrange your own transport. 

Alternatively, you can look at shipping via container. The option is generally more expensive, however, it is classed as an added layer of security. Unlike RoRo, you can also ship personal items along with your car as long as they can be packaged safely. 

If you want to import a car, most vessels will go to Japan first and loop back. You can ship directly to Australia but that’s more expensive. 

So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with Phoenix Shipping to safely import your car.