How much does it cost to import a car into Australia?

Beyond the purchase price: roughly 5% duty on the customs value, 10% GST on the VoTI, 33% Luxury Car Tax on value above the LCT threshold, shipping and port charges, and compliance workshop costs — frequently the biggest line after the car itself.

Can I import a left-hand-drive car into Australia?

Generally not for normal road registration. Limited pathways exist for special or heritage vehicles, but most left-hand-drive vehicles cannot be registered — check your state rules and the RAV pathway before buying.

What is the asbestos rule for imported vehicles?

Zero tolerance. You must sign an asbestos declaration, and high-risk parts (brake pads, clutches, gaskets) may be tested. Overseas "asbestos-free" certificates are not accepted at face value — replace friction materials and gaskets before shipping and keep test evidence.

Importing Cars & Motor Vehicles

Vehicle importing is the most regulated mainstream import category. A car that clears the wharf is nowhere near a car you can register — budget for compliance work and treat the paperwork as the project, not an afterthought.

The RAV gateway

Road vehicles must be entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) before they can be registered for road use:

Type approval pathway — for volume models approved as a type.
Concessional RAV entry — specialist and enthusiast vehicles, older vehicles (25+ year rule), personal imports, and other concessional categories.
Nearly all imported used vehicles need modification and inspection through a compliance workshop (the former RAW scheme's successors) or the single road vehicle pathway.

Left-hand-drive vehicles are generally barred from road registration outside limited special/heritage pathways.

Asbestos — the dealbreaker

Australia has zero tolerance for asbestos. Vehicles must carry a mandatory asbestos declaration, and high-risk parts (brake pads, clutch plates, gaskets) may be tested at the border. Overseas "asbestos-free" certificates are not accepted at face value. A positive test means seizure and destruction at your cost, with penalties beyond $180,000. For classic and older vehicles, replace friction materials and gaskets before shipping and keep the receipts and test reports.

Biosecurity & BMSB

Vehicles must be immaculately clean inside, outside and underneath — soil or organic matter means cleaning or re-export at your cost.
From target risk countries during BMSB season (roughly September–April), vehicles require pre-shipment treatment (heat or fumigation) by approved providers with treatment certificates.

The cost stack

Line	Typical treatment
Customs duty	~5% of customs value (FTA rates possible)
GST	10% of VoTI (customs value + duty + international freight & insurance)
LCT	33% of the value above the Luxury Car Tax threshold (updated annually; higher threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles)
Compliance work	Modification/inspection workshop costs — often the largest single line after the car
Shipping	RoRo or container; port and processing charges

Use the landed cost calculator for the duty/GST base, then add LCT and compliance costs for the true picture.

A realistic order of operations

Confirm the vehicle's RAV pathway before purchase.
Verify asbestos remediation and arrange evidence.
Check BMSB treatment requirements for the shipping window.
Book shipping and insurance; keep the purchase invoice and evidence of value.
Import Declaration, duty, GST, LCT as applicable.
Compliance workshop → RAV entry → state registration.

Classic car, JDM and motorcycle importers should read this together with Special Cases and the biosecurity guide.