From an Australian driveway to a UK number plate
About 10 to 16 weeks, one company managing it the whole way. Here is what happens, in order, and the little you need to do.
The timeline
- Collection Week 1 Picked up from your address, anywhere in Australia, and taken to the port.
- At sea 6 to 10 weeks Loaded into a shared container, or a 20ft to itself. Marine insurance throughout.
- Customs On arrival Unloaded at our site, cleared by our own customs team.
- Workshop and test Car dependent Speedo and fog light, then IVA or MOT in our lane.
- Registration ~10 working days DVLA application, number issued, plates fitted.
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Day one
Quote
It starts with the quote form. Tell us the car, where it is and why it is coming over, and one of our team builds a quote around it. Not a price list: your car, your collection point, your tax position.
If you are happy with it, we start. If something changes, such as you find a different car or your moving date slips, we re-quote.
Your part: Fill in the form. Five minutes, give or take.
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Week one
Collection in Australia
We plan the most sensible route from your address to the nearest port, using transport partners in Australia we have worked with for years. A dealer forecourt, an auction yard or your own driveway all work.
From here on you can follow the car in your own online portal, with updates at each stage and guidance on what comes next.
Your part: Hand over the keys and the paperwork. We will tell you exactly what we need.
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6 to 10 weeks at sea
Shipping
Your car is loaded into a container at the Australian port. Usually that is a shared container with other cars we are bringing over, which splits the cost. If you would rather it travelled in a 20ft to itself, we can do that too.
It is covered by marine insurance for the whole crossing: the full purchase value on a total loss, with a £450 excess on repairs.
Your part: Nothing. This is the long, quiet bit.
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On landing
Arrival and customs
When the ship docks we bring the container to our own site in Castle Donington and unload it there, carefully, rather than in a rush at a port warehouse. Our customs team handles the import entry and the NOVA notification to HMRC.
It only takes one small error on the paperwork for things to go haywire, and a delay at customs has a knock-on effect on everything after it. Handling it ourselves is how we avoid that, and how we make sure you pay what you owe and nothing more.
Your part: Pay any duty and VAT due. If you qualify for Transfer of Residence, there may be none.
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Car dependent
Workshop
The car is inspected for anything that might trip it up at the test, and checked over for transit damage. Photos of the car before it leaves Australia help us here.
Then the compliance work. Because Australia drives on the left, it is usually light: the speedometer converted to show miles per hour and a rear fog light fitted.
Your part: Nothing, unless we find something we need to talk to you about.
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In our own lane
Testing
Under ten years old means an IVA test; older cars need an MOT. Both happen on site, in the first privately owned IVA testing centre for passenger vehicles in the UK. We book the slot ourselves, so your car never leaves us to join a queue somewhere else.
Your part: Nothing.
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around 10 working days
Registration
Once the car has passed, we send the registration application to the DVLA through our dealer-level account. A registration number usually comes back in around ten working days, and the plates go on.
Your part: Sign the forms we send you.
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The finish line
Collection or delivery
Collect it from us in Castle Donington, or we deliver it to any UK address on an open or enclosed transporter. If you need us to hold onto it for a while, we have indoor and outdoor storage and keep it charged and ready.
Your part: Drive it.
Already started?
Can you do just part of the job?
Yes. If you have already shipped the car, we can pick it up from customs and handle the testing and registration. If it is already cleared, we can do the modifications, the IVA or MOT and the DVLA paperwork on their own.
Will I know where my car is?
Yes. Every customer gets access to our online portal, which shows where the car is in the process, the estimated sailing and arrival dates, and what happens next.
What slows an Australian import down?
At sea: vessel schedules, routing and port congestion. Before collection: finance or paperwork that is not ready. At this end it is usually paperwork arriving late, or a car that needs more work than expected to pass its test. Sending us clear photos and documents early helps with both.
Tell us about the car
Make, model, year and where it is. We come back with an itemised quote, and aim to do it the same working day.