Australia is as far as a car can come to reach the UK, so it is natural to expect the bill to match. The shipping is the bigger of our guide prices, but it is a known figure, and for a lot of people moving home the tax line is nil. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from Australia to the UK starts from around £3,200.
That figure is shipping only. It does not include import tax, registration, testing, other services or any work the car needs to be road legal here. Below is what moves the price, what the tax looks like, and what else to budget for.
- Guide shipping price
- From £3,200
- Time at sea
- 6 to 10 weeks
- Import tax
- 10% duty + 20% VAT
- Over 30 years old
- 5% VAT, no duty
What changes the shipping price
Every quote is written by a person, because the price depends on your car, where it is and when it sails. These are the things that move it most.
Shared or dedicated container
This is the biggest choice you make. Most cars from Australia travel in a shared container alongside other customers' cars, and the cost of the box is split between them. That is how the guide price stays where it is. If you would rather have a container to yourself, we can book a dedicated 20ft container, and you pay for the whole box.
How far the car is from the port
Our partner hauliers collect from anywhere in Australia and take the car to the nearest major port. A car a short drive from the docks costs less to get there than one from a remote town, so give us the full collection address on the quote form and we will price that leg with it.
The size of the car
A large four-wheel drive takes up more room in a container than a hatchback, and it is priced that way. Give us the exact model when you ask for a quote, and mention anything fitted that changes its size, such as a roof rack or a tow bar.
The time of year
Shipping lines put prices up when they are busy, and fuel costs move through the year. That is why we quote this month's price rather than a fixed rate card. The same guide figure covers New Zealand, which shares the same long route.
The tax on top
A car bought in Australia pays 10% import duty and 20% import VAT. Both are worked out on the price of the car plus the cost of getting it here, and the VAT is charged on top of the duty, so it adds up to more than people expect.
Here is a worked example for a hypothetical £15,000 car shipped at our guide price of £3,200:
| Line | How it is worked out | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Car | Purchase price | £15,000.00 |
| Shipping | Australia guide price | £3,200.00 |
| Import duty | 10% of £18,200 | £1,820.00 |
| Import VAT | 20% of £20,020 (price, shipping and duty) | £4,004.00 |
| Shipping plus tax | Before UK testing and registration | £9,024.00 |
So on a £15,000 car, the tax comes to £5,824. That is the number that makes people look hard at the reliefs below.
Old invoices. Tax is based on what you paid. If the purchase invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
Ways it can cost less
Moving to the UK
Many of the Australian cars we ship belong to people moving here. If you have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months and owned the car for at least 6, Transfer of Residence can bring it in with no VAT and no duty. On the example above, that is £5,824 you keep. You apply to HMRC before the car ships. See Transfer of Residence for the rules, and our checklist for moving from Australia for the order to do things in.
Cars over 30 years old
A car over 30 years old pays 5% import VAT and no duty. Run the same £15,000 car and £3,200 shipping through that, and the tax drops from £5,824 to £910. Our guide to importing a classic car has more on how that works.
A car that was UK registered
If the car went out to Australia from the UK, it may come back tax free with the original UK purchase invoice and the old V5C. See bringing a UK car back home.
Using the space
If you are moving house, you can ship belongings inside the car, as long as you give us a valued inventory of what is in there. Tell us on the quote form, so it is priced in from the start, and it can mean less to send with the rest of your removal.
Try your own numbers here:
What the guide price does not include
These come after the car lands. They vary with the car, so we price them in your quote:
Costs to budget for
0 of 6 done
The good news for Australian cars is that the changes list is short. They are right-hand drive, so the work is usually a rear fog light and, on cars under 10 years old, a speedometer that reads in mph. A car between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT, and one over 40 does not need an MOT at all.
Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so testing and registration happen on our own site in Castle Donington. We are one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. There is no extra transport between firms to pay for.
Insurance in transit
Your normal car insurance will not cover the car at sea, and from Australia it is at sea for a long time. Our marine insurance covers it up to its full value and usually costs a few percent of that value. An excess applies to minor damage, and your quote will say what it is.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to ship a car from Australia to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping starts from around £3,200. That is shipping only, and excludes registration, other services, import tax and any work the car needs.
Is a dedicated container much more expensive?
It costs more than a shared container because you pay for the whole box rather than a share of it. The guide price is based on the shared option most people choose. Ask for both on the quote form and we will price them.
How is import tax worked out on a car from Australia?
Duty is 10% of the car price plus shipping. VAT is then 20% of the price plus shipping plus duty. On a £15,000 car with £3,200 shipping, that is £1,820 duty and £4,004 VAT.
Do I pay tax if I am moving from Australia to the UK?
Not if you qualify for Transfer of Residence: 12 months living outside the UK and 6 months owning the car. Apply to HMRC before the car ships.
Does the guide price include registration?
No. Registration, testing and any changes are quoted separately, because they depend on the car. For Australian cars the changes are usually small.
Want the real number for your car? Send us the details on the quote form and a person on our team will price the whole job, from Australia to your plates.
