How to Import a Race, Rally or Exhibition Vehicle into Australia

When does the non-RAV import pathway apply?

Australia's Road Vehicle Standards framework requires an import approval before a road vehicle is imported. For vehicles brought in for limited purposes rather than ordinary public-road use, the relevant pathway may be a non-RAV entry import approval.

This pathway can cover a vehicle that will be used only in a race or rally, a vehicle used to support a race or rally vehicle, or a vehicle used only in a qualifying public exhibition. It can also cover other limited purposes under the legislation, but those are separate factual situations and require their own supporting evidence.

The key distinction is intended road use. A non-RAV vehicle must not be intended for ordinary public-road use. Its purpose must either involve no public-road use or road use only in exceptional circumstances.

Get the approval before the vehicle is imported

You must obtain the appropriate import 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 if a road vehicle arrives without an import approval, the Australian Border Force will not release it from customs control. Storage costs can be substantial and are the importer's responsibility. Do not treat the ROVER application itself as permission to ship the vehicle: wait for the approval.

If the vehicle was previously an Australian vehicle that was exported and you are bringing that same eligible vehicle back, the separate reimportation approval process may be the correct pathway instead.

Race, rally and support vehicle eligibility

Under section 151 of the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019, the non-road-use eligibility criterion can cover a road vehicle that will be used only in a race or rally, or in providing support to a vehicle used in a race or rally, where its purpose does not involve public-road use or involves it only in exceptional circumstances.

Your application should identify the event or series, organiser and location. You should state whether the vehicle is a race or rally vehicle or a support vehicle and describe the features that make it suitable for that role. The department also requires competitor information, including club membership.

This is not a general pathway for importing a competition-style vehicle and then using it normally on Australian roads. The intended use described in your application matters and can become the basis of conditions imposed on the approval.

What qualifies as a public exhibition vehicle?

A vehicle imported under the public exhibition criterion must be used only in a public exhibition and must be not generally available in Australia.

The department explains that a vehicle may be considered not generally available where it is unavailable for purchase in Australia or difficult to acquire because of factors such as rarity, the condition of locally available vehicles, remote location and transport difficulty, or a long waiting time.

Your application should identify the exhibition and include documentation authorising the vehicle's use there, such as a letter from the museum or exhibition organiser. You should also provide evidence supporting the claim that the vehicle is not generally available in Australia, such as relevant search records for the make and model.

Can the vehicle be driven on a public road?

Only in limited circumstances. The legislation allows this pathway where public-road use occurs only in exceptional circumstances. The term does not have a specific statutory definition for this purpose, so each application is considered on its facts.

Departmental guidance gives examples that may include a short trip needed to reach the site of the approved race or rally activity. You must disclose the planned road use in the application rather than assuming that a short journey is automatically permitted.

If exceptional public-road use is proposed, the department may ask for documentation from the relevant state or territory authority showing that the vehicle is permitted to be used on the road and/or evidence concerning compliance with safety-related Australian Design Rules. Depending on the application type, you may instead be able to declare that the relevant permission will be sought, although the department can still require in-principle support from the relevant road authority or the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

Federal import approval and state or territory permission are separate issues. An import approval does not by itself create unrestricted registration or road-use rights.

What evidence should you prepare?

The exact evidence depends on the application, but the department's current guide identifies core vehicle and use information that applicants should prepare.

• Vehicle type, make, model and year of manufacture.
• VIN or chassis number.
• Clear front, rear and side photographs that identify the vehicle.
• A declaration concerning compliance with safety-related Australian Design Rules.
• Details of any proposed public-road use and supporting state, territory or NHVR information where required.
• Details of relevant road vehicle legislation contraventions or possible contraventions by the applicant and, for a body corporate, relevant key management personnel.
• The expected period for which the vehicle is required, where applicable.
• Evidence specific to the race, rally, support or exhibition purpose.

If a vehicle does not have a 17-character VIN and one is required, the department's guide says to provide the VIN or chassis number it already has and indicate in the application that a 17-character VIN is required. If the application is approved, the department can issue one.

How do you apply through ROVER?

The application is made online through ROVER, the department's Road Vehicle Standards applications and approvals portal. Any person can apply. An agent or another representative can also apply on the applicant's behalf with authority to act.

You must first create a ROVER account and provide the identification details required for account verification. Once the account is available, select the Single road vehicle approvals option and complete the vehicle-use questions. ROVER uses your answers to create the appropriate application.

Upload the supporting documents, review the information carefully, submit the application and pay the application fee. ROVER can also be used to monitor the application and receive or respond to requests for information.

How much does the application cost?

The application fee prescribed by section 248 of the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019 for a non-RAV entry import approval is $60. The fee is due when the application is made.

This is the federal approval application fee only. Import duties and other customs, shipping, storage, quarantine, vehicle handling, state or territory road-authority or event-related costs are separate where they apply.

How long does the approval take?

Under section 154 of the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019, the Minister must decide the application within 30 business days after receiving it.

If the department requests further information, days from the request through the day you provide the last requested information do not count toward that 30-business-day period. In practical terms, an incomplete application can therefore take longer than 30 business days.

A departmental request for further information generally gives you 30 days to respond, unless a longer period is allowed. Failure to provide required information within the allowed period can result in the application not being considered.

What happens after approval?

If the application is granted, the department provides written notification and a copy of the approval through ROVER. The approval identifies the holder, the vehicle, when the approval comes into force, any applicable expiry date and the conditions imposed on the approval.

A non-RAV entry approval does not place the vehicle on the Register of Approved Vehicles. That distinction is important because RAV entry is generally part of the framework for vehicles intended for ordinary registration and road use.

Conditions can control how the imported vehicle is used. Depending on the circumstances, they may require the vehicle to be exported or destroyed within a specified period, require evidence of that action, require verification by an authorised vehicle verifier, impose record-keeping obligations, restrict access to the vehicle or specify its permitted use.

Read the approval notice before shipping and again before using the vehicle in Australia. Breaching an approval condition can attract offences or civil penalties under the Road Vehicle Standards legislation.

What if the vehicle will only be in Australia temporarily?

A separate non-RAV eligibility criterion applies where a road vehicle will remain in Australia temporarily and will either not be used on a public road or only be used on a public road in exceptional circumstances. The department's current guide describes a temporary import under this criterion as 12 months or less.

For a temporary application, the department expects details of how the vehicle will be used, the projected arrival and export dates, and where the vehicle will be exported to. Approval conditions may require export or destruction within a specified period and evidence that this has occurred.

If your primary purpose is simply temporary use rather than a race, rally or exhibition, see the separate Helpydo procedure for a temporary non-RAV vehicle import approval.

When is a different import pathway needed?

Do not choose non-RAV approval simply because the vehicle is unusual or modified. Vehicles intended for regular public-road use generally need to qualify for a pathway that permits entry on the Register of Approved Vehicles.

For example, a person moving to Australia with an eligible personal vehicle may need the personal-effects concessional RAV pathway rather than a non-RAV approval.

If the vehicle is not designed solely or principally for use in transport on public roads, the department says you should consider whether an advisory notice that the vehicle is not a road vehicle is appropriate. That is different from obtaining a non-RAV entry import approval for a road vehicle.

Mistakes that can delay or prevent the import

• Shipping before approval: an application is not an import approval. Obtain the approval before importing the road vehicle.
• Using the wrong pathway: a vehicle intended for regular road use does not fit the ordinary non-RAV criteria merely because it will also race or appear at exhibitions.
• Providing vague event evidence: race and rally applications should identify the event or series, organiser, location and competitor or club information.
• Missing exhibition evidence: exhibition applications need evidence of the exhibition and evidence that the vehicle is not generally available in Australia.
• Assuming road use is automatically permitted: disclose all proposed public-road use and obtain any separate state, territory or NHVR permission required.
• Ignoring a ROVER request for information: the statutory assessment clock pauses while requested information is outstanding, and failure to respond within the permitted period can cause the application not to be considered.