Collected anywhere in Australia
Sydney or Darwin, a dealer or your driveway. We plan the route to the nearest port with transport partners we have used for years.
Australia to the UK, door to door
Your car, from Australian rego to UK plates.
We collect it anywhere in Australia, ship it, clear customs, test it in our own lane and register it.
- 20,000+ cars imported by My Car Import
- 4.8/5 from 1,000+ Trustpilot reviews
- First privately owned IVA testing centre for passenger vehicles in the UK
- ~10 working days for DVLA registration, through our dealer-level account
Right-hand drive, both ends
Same car. New plates.
Australia drives on the left, just like we do. Your car arrives with the wheel on the right side and headlights that already dip the right way, so most need two changes at this end: the speedometer and a rear fog light.
Ten to sixteen weeks, door to door
Most of that is the ship. Everything either side of the crossing is ours to run, and you can follow every stage in your own online portal.
- 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.
Collected anywhere in Australia
Australia is about 32 times the size of the UK
That red outline is the UK, drawn to the same scale. We collect from anywhere on this map, from a Sydney driveway to a station in the Kimberley, and take the car to the nearest sensible port.
- 2,050 mi
- Perth to Sydney, in a straight line
- 8
- states and territories, all covered
Every part of the job, under one roof
20ft
A shared container, or a 20ft to itself
Sharing a container with other cars we are bringing over brings the cost down. If you would rather your car travelled alone, ask.
Tested in our own lane
IVA, MSVA and MOT on site, in the first privately owned IVA testing centre for passenger vehicles in the UK.
£450
Insured at full purchase value
Marine insurance for the whole crossing. A total loss is covered in full; damage repairs carry a £450 excess.
Customs, done in-house
The container is unloaded at our site and cleared by our own customs team, so you pay what you owe and nothing extra.
Transfer of Residence
Moving here? You may owe no duty or VAT at all.
Many of the people bringing a car over from Australia are moving here at the same time. If that is you, the tax side can disappear entirely.
Check if you qualify- You have lived outside the UK for more than 12 months
- You have owned and used the car for more than 6 months
- You are moving your main home to the UK
- You apply to HMRC online before the car ships. We are happy to talk you through it.
Work it out for yourself
Put in your own numbers and dates. It all runs on your device, and nothing is sent to us.
Duty and VAT calculator
What the tax would be on your car, or whether there is any.
- A car bought in Australia
- £15,000
- Shipping and transport
- £3,500
- Customs value
- £18,500
- Duty at 10%
- £1,850
- VAT at 20%, on the value plus the duty
- £4,070
- Tax to pay
- £5,920
- The same car, over 30 years old and original
- £925
- Moving home, with Transfer of Residence
- £0
An example, not a quote. HMRC sets the final figure at clearance. Run your own numbers
- Where we collect Tap a state for its port, rego body and time difference.
- Ship it or sell it? Both options side by side, in pounds.
- Arrival planner A collection date in, rough arrival dates out.
- IVA or MOT? The year decides the test and the tax rate.
- km/h to mph dial What your speedo will read on UK roads.
The cars we see from Australia
Some of them you simply cannot buy new in Britain.
- LandCruiser 70 Series Toyota’s old-school workhorse. Still built for Australian farms and mines, and not sold new in the UK today.
- Holden Commodore and Ute V8 saloons and utes, built in Adelaide until 2017. Good ones get harder to find every year.
- Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo, XR8 and the FPV specials. Australian-built, rear-wheel drive and never sold new here.
- Hilux, D-Max and Ranger Utes that arrive with the bull bar, snorkel and canopy already fitted. Kit that is not cheap to add here.
- Classics HQ Monaros, Falcon GTs, early Holdens. Over 30 and original usually means 5% VAT and no duty.
- The family car Plenty of what we ship is simply someone’s everyday car, coming home with them.
The questions everyone asks first
How long does it take to import a car from Australia?
Around 10 to 16 weeks for the whole job. The sea crossing alone is usually 6 to 10 weeks, and the rest depends on the vessel, the port and what testing your car needs once it lands.
How much does it cost?
Across our most common Australian enquiries, the typical outlay sits between £3,000 to £5,000. Your car, the shipping method and whether you owe import tax can move that a long way, which is why every quote is built around the actual vehicle.
Will I have to pay import duty and VAT?
If you are buying the car, usually yes: 10% duty and 20% VAT for a car coming from outside the EU. If you are moving to the UK and have owned the car for a while, Transfer of Residence relief can remove both. Cars over 30 years old in original condition pay 5% VAT and no duty.
What changes will my Australian car need?
Usually just two: the speedometer needs to show miles per hour, and the car needs a rear fog light. Australia drives on the left like we do, so the steering and headlights are already right for UK roads.
Can I put my belongings in the car?
If you are a transferring resident, yes. Everything inside has to be declared, so we ask for a valued inventory of what you pack, and it is cleared through customs with the car.
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.