How to Apply for a Non-RAV Vehicle Import Approval for Temporary Use in Australia

When is a non-RAV entry import approval the right pathway?

This federal approval is designed for road vehicles that are not eligible to be entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) and are being brought to Australia for a limited purpose or temporary period without normal public-road use.

Under the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019, the non-road-use eligibility criterion can cover a vehicle used only for a race or rally, public exhibition, film or television production, testing or market evaluation, a significantly modified vehicle such as a hot rod, or another vehicle considered suitable for this type of approval consistently with the Road Vehicle Standards legislation.

There is also a temporary eligibility criterion. Departmental guidance states that this applies where the vehicle will be in Australia for 12 months or less and will either not be used on a public road or will only be used on a public road in exceptional circumstances.

This is different from importing a vehicle for ordinary ongoing road use. Vehicles intended for regular use on public roads must use an appropriate pathway that permits entry on the RAV.

Get approval before the vehicle is imported

You must obtain the relevant approval before importing a road vehicle into Australia. Section 22 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 makes importing a road vehicle without an applicable approval an offence. The department also warns that a vehicle arriving without import approval will not be released from customs control by the Australian Border Force and storage costs may result.

If you previously exported an Australian vehicle and are bringing that same vehicle back, the separate reimportation approval pathway may be relevant instead. If you are moving to Australia with your own eligible vehicle for ongoing use, review the separate personal vehicle concessional RAV pathway.

Can you drive a non-RAV vehicle on public roads?

Normal public-road use is not the purpose of a non-RAV entry import approval. The vehicle must either not be used on a public road or be used there only in exceptional circumstances.

The legislation does not give a specific definition of exceptional circumstances, so each application is assessed on its facts. Departmental guidance gives examples such as a short trip needed to reach the site of an approved race or rally, certain one-off functions, and some controlled or limited road use.

You must disclose the planned use of the vehicle, including proposed public-road use, in the application. If exceptional road use is proposed, the department may ask for documentation from the relevant state or territory authority and may require information about compliance with safety-related Australian Design Rules. An approval may instead contain a condition requiring you to obtain the relevant road-use permission before using the vehicle on a public road.

A federal import approval does not itself replace state or territory requirements governing registration or permission to use a vehicle on a public road.

What evidence should you prepare?

The evidence depends on why the vehicle is being imported. In addition to identifying the vehicle, the department expects information demonstrating that the proposed use fits the selected non-RAV category.

Vehicle details and road-use evidence

• Vehicle type, make, model and year of manufacture.
• VIN or chassis number.
• Clear front, rear and side photographs that identify the vehicle.
• Details of how the vehicle will be used in Australia.
• Evidence or a declaration showing that it will not be used on a public road, or information supporting any proposed exceptional public-road use.
• Information about how long the vehicle is required in Australia where applicable.

Evidence for the purpose of the import

For a race or rally application, supporting information can include the event or series, organiser, location, whether the vehicle is a competition or support vehicle and relevant competitor information. For a public exhibition, provide details and evidence authorising the vehicle's use in the exhibition and evidence that it is not generally available in Australia.

For film, video, television or advertising use, provide production details, explain the vehicle's role and provide the relevant written agreement from the production company or film body. Testing or market-evaluation applications require information about the purpose and method of testing, the applicant's authority or basis for conducting it, the number of vehicles required, the period in Australia and what will happen to the vehicles afterwards.

For a significantly modified vehicle, provide the original specifications and details and dates of the modifications. For a temporary application, provide the intended use and the projected arrival and export dates.

How do you apply through ROVER?

The application is made online through ROVER, the department's vehicle application and approval system. You must first create an account and provide identification details for checking. The department's guide directs applicants to the 'Single road vehicle approvals' area, where the application questions are completed and supporting documents are uploaded.

The application carries a $60 fee, payable when the application is made. The application cannot be assessed and decided until the fee has been paid.

How long does the decision take?

Under section 154 of the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019, the decision must be made within 30 business days after the application is received. For this rule, business days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in the Australian Capital Territory.

If the department formally requests further information, the statutory clock does not count the period from the request until the last requested information is supplied. Departmental guidance says an applicant is usually given 30 days to respond to a request for further information and can contact the department to request more time if necessary.

What happens after you apply?

If the application is granted, the approval notice is provided through ROVER. The approval identifies the holder and vehicle, when the approval takes effect, any expiry date where the approval is for a specified period, and the applicable conditions.

Conditions matter because they control what you may do with the vehicle. The Rules allow conditions that can require export or destruction within a specified period, evidence that this has occurred, restrictions on who may access the vehicle, restrictions on how it may be used, record keeping, modifications or verification. The approval holder must also cooperate with specified inspection and information requirements.

Do not assume approval gives unrestricted use of the vehicle. Read the approval notice before arranging activities in Australia and comply with its exact conditions.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Shipping the vehicle before the import approval has been granted.
• Using the non-RAV pathway for a vehicle actually intended for ordinary or regular public-road use.
• Failing to explain proposed public-road use or treating exceptional road use as automatic.
• Providing photographs that do not clearly identify the vehicle.
• Submitting insufficient evidence for the selected purpose, such as no exhibition authorisation or no production agreement.
• For temporary imports, failing to provide clear projected arrival and export dates.
• Ignoring a request for further information in ROVER, which can delay the decision and may prevent the application from being considered.
• Assuming federal import approval automatically authorises registration or road use under state or territory law.

When should you use another vehicle import pathway?

A non-RAV approval is not a general alternative to the RAV system. If the vehicle is intended for regular public-road use, determine which RAV-entry import pathway applies instead. If the vehicle was previously exported from Australia and meets the reimportation requirements, use the reimportation pathway. If the item is not actually a road vehicle because it is designed principally for non-road use, the department advises considering an advisory notice that the thing is not a road vehicle rather than applying for a road vehicle import approval.