Cost to Ship a Car from the UK to Australia in 2026

RORO shipping from Southampton to Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane typically costs £1,300-£2,100 for a standard saloon, with larger 4x4s and vans towards the upper end. Container shipping, whether a shared or dedicated container, runs from £1,900 to £3,200. Classic and left-hand-drive cars usually travel by container for extra protection and to simplify Australian Border Force inspection. Get an exact figure using our cost calculator.

RORO vessels from Southampton to Melbourne take roughly 35-45 days depending on the carrier and routing (many services call at Middle East or Asian ports en route). Container shipments from Tilbury or Southampton to Sydney or Brisbane take a similar 30-42 days. Add a further 7-14 working days for quarantine inspection by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which examines every imported vehicle for soil, seeds and biosecurity risk before release.

Australia's Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS) restricts which used vehicles can be permanently imported — the model must appear on the approved SEVS list, and only a limited annual quota of each eligible model can be imported by RAV-approved workshops. Vehicles over 25 years old (calculated from the compliance date) are exempt from SEVS restrictions entirely as historic vehicles, making pre-2001 classics far easier to import than a recent used hatchback. Always check the current SEVS register before committing to a purchase, as models are added and removed periodically.

Import duty on passenger vehicles is 5% of the customs value, plus 10% GST calculated on the duty-inclusive value. If the vehicle's value exceeds the Luxury Car Tax threshold (around AUD 80,567 for standard vehicles, higher for fuel-efficient models in 2026), an additional 33% LCT applies to the amount above the threshold. A £20,000 SUV would typically face around £1,000 duty and £2,100 GST, taking the landed cost to roughly £23,100 before compliance and biosecurity fees.

Once through customs and quarantine, the vehicle must pass Australian Design Rules (ADR) compliance through a Registered Automotive Workshop (RAW), which typically costs AUD 3,000-8,000 depending on modifications needed (speedometer conversion to km/h, daytime running lights, child seat anchor points). Only after compliance certification can the vehicle be registered with the relevant state transport authority such as VicRoads or Transport for NSW.