How to Reimport an Australian Vehicle After It Has Been Exported Overseas

When do you need a reimportation import approval?

A reimportation import approval is the federal pathway for bringing a road vehicle back into Australia after it has previously been exported from Australia. Under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, you must obtain an import approval before importing the road vehicle into Australia.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts manages these applications through ROVER, its online applications and approvals portal. Importing a road vehicle without the required approval is an offence and penalties may apply. 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 and storage costs can be considerable.

This pathway is different from importing a vehicle into Australia for the first time. If your vehicle was not previously exported from Australia and instead needs a concessional pathway, see the separate guide to importing a personal vehicle with a concessional RAV entry approval.

Which vehicles qualify for reimportation?

The Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019 set specific eligibility conditions. You must own the vehicle when you submit the application, and the vehicle must be outside Australia.

The vehicle must also fit one of these three categories:

• it is on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) and remains consistent in all relevant respects with the information recorded on the RAV;
• it has an identification plate placed on it in accordance with the former Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and remains consistent in all relevant respects with the details on that plate; or
• it has a used import plate placed on it under the former Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and remains consistent in all relevant respects with the details on that plate.

The RAV is a publicly searchable database of vehicles that have met Road Vehicle Standards legislation requirements and were approved for provision to the Australian market. The identification-plate and used-import-plate alternatives cover relevant vehicles approved under the earlier Motor Vehicle Standards framework.

What documents and vehicle evidence do you need?

The department recommends preparing the required information before starting the application. You should have:

• vehicle details, including its type, make, model and year of manufacture;
• proof of ownership, such as a purchase invoice, receipt or registration documents;
• the country where the vehicle is currently located;
• the RAV entry number, if relying on a RAV entry, or a clear photograph of the Australian identification plate or used import plate;
• clear, well-lit photographs identifying the vehicle;
• details of all modifications made to the vehicle while it was overseas;
• details of relevant actual or possible contraventions of road vehicle legislation by the applicant and, for a body corporate, relevant key management personnel; and
• the required declarations that the information is true and correct and that approval conditions will be followed if approval is granted.

The vehicle photographs matter because the department must be able to identify the vehicle and determine whether it remains consistent with its RAV record or plate details. Poor or incomplete photographs can result in a request for further information.

What if the vehicle was modified while overseas?

You must disclose all changes made to the vehicle. The department assesses whether the vehicle is still consistent in all relevant respects with the information on its RAV entry or the details on its identification or used import plate.

The department's current guide gives seating changes, an engine replacement that does not conform to the original vehicle engine power, lengthened or widened bodywork, and major accident damage that has not been sufficiently restored as examples of changes that may make the vehicle unlikely to satisfy the reimportation pathway.

By contrast, panel repairs, paint work and minor repairs following an accident are examples that may be minor enough for the vehicle to remain consistent. These examples are indicative rather than automatic rules. If the modifications are substantial enough that the vehicle no longer matches its RAV information or plate details, the department says the vehicle is unlikely to receive a reimportation import approval and another import pathway may need to be considered.

How do you apply through ROVER?

The application is made online through ROVER. You must first create a ROVER account and supply identification details for checking by the department.

Once the account is ready, select 'New application' and then 'Single road vehicle approvals'. Complete the questions, upload the required evidence and sign the declaration about the information supplied.

The owner can submit the application personally. Another person may apply on the owner's behalf if they have authority to act. Even when an agent submits it, the vehicle owner remains responsible for ensuring the application information is correct.

How much does the reimportation approval cost?

The department's published Road Vehicle Standards fees schedule lists the application fee for a new reimportation import approval as AUD $40. Payment is made through ROVER when the application is submitted.

The department's current reimportation guide states that the application cannot be assessed and decided until the application fee has been paid. This fee is for the federal import approval process; other costs connected with transporting, importing, customs clearance or subsequently registering the vehicle are separate.

When should you apply?

You must submit the application and obtain approval before the road vehicle is imported into Australia. Do not ship the vehicle on the assumption that approval will be granted before it arrives.

The department advises applicants to allow enough time for assessment before the planned importation date. If a vehicle reaches Australia without an import approval, the Australian Border Force will not release it from customs control, and the importer is responsible for resulting storage costs.

How long does the assessment take?

Under section 165 of the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019, the Secretary must decide a reimportation import approval application within 30 business days after receiving it. For this purpose, the Rules define a business day by reference to Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in the Australian Capital Territory.

If the department requests further information or asks for the vehicle to be inspected, the statutory clock pauses for the relevant period until the requested information is provided or the inspection occurs. The department's guide therefore describes the practical assessment period as taking up to 30 business days, subject to this pause.

What happens if the department asks for more information?

The department may send a request for further information notice by email, with the request available in your ROVER account. The current guide says applicants are usually given 30 days to respond. If more time is needed, the applicant should contact the department to request an extension.

The Road Vehicle Standards Rules permit the department to refuse to consider an application if a statutory request for information or an inspection is not complied with within 30 days from the request, or within a longer period allowed by the department.

What happens after the application is assessed?

There are three practical outcomes described by the department. The application may be granted, in which case the approval notice is provided through ROVER; it may be refused; or the department may refuse to consider it where required application requirements have not been met.

Examples that can lead to an application not being considered include failing to use the approved ROVER form, failing to provide required information or failing to pay the application fee. If the application is refused, the department provides written notice and reasons.

An approval may contain conditions. The standard framework allows the department to require access for an inspection and to request information or documents relating to compliance. Additional conditions can also apply and are identified in the approval notice.

Does reimportation approval automatically register the vehicle?

No. A federal reimportation import approval permits the vehicle to be imported under the Road Vehicle Standards framework. Vehicle registration remains subject to the requirements of the relevant state or territory registration authority.

A vehicle on the RAV is available for registration by a state or territory authority, but it must still satisfy that authority's applicable registration requirements. The federal approval should therefore not be treated as an automatic registration or guarantee of registration.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not import or arrange the vehicle's arrival before obtaining the approval.
• Do not use the reimportation pathway merely because you previously owned the vehicle overseas; it must satisfy the specific RAV or former MVSA plate requirements.
• Do not apply while the vehicle is already in Australia. It must be outside Australia when the application is made.
• Do not omit modifications made overseas, even if you consider them minor.
• Do not provide unclear photographs of the vehicle, identification plate or used import plate.
• Do not assume the 30-business-day decision period will continue running while the department is waiting for requested information or an inspection.
• Do not confuse the federal import approval with state or territory vehicle registration.