Importing a car from Australia to the UK costs the shipping plus UK import tax: most vehicles pay 10% import duty and 20% VAT, calculated on the vehicle value plus shipping. Classics over 30 years old in original condition pay 0% duty and just 5% VAT, and if you are relocating to the UK with Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, meaning you have lived abroad for 12+ months and owned the car for 6+ months, you pay no tax at all. A big bonus: Australia drives on the left, so Australian cars are right-hand drive like the UK and no steering conversion is needed.
We handle customs clearance and NOVA for a fixed £150 fee, and our instant online calculator prices the whole job, shipping, marine insurance, UK import tax, testing, and road-readiness paperwork, in under a minute:
International Shipping / UK / EU Transport
Get an INSTANT breakdown of all costs involved for UK / EU Transport, or International shipment by air / sea freight.
Shipping from the UK to Australia instead?
Our UK to Australia guide covers export paperwork, RoRo and container options, VIA guidance, asbestos checks, and quarantine preparation.
Read the UK to Australia guidePrivate vehicle import support
ShipMyCar is a private vehicle shipping and import specialist, not a government agency. We provide logistics, compliance preparation and guidance; official decisions, fees and records remain with the relevant authorities.
The Shipping Process from Australia
You will need to ensure you have the vehicle's ownership / insurance documentation; this will need to be shown to the depot on handover and the original will ultimately be needed for the UK road-use paperwork.
You will need to ensure the vehicle is cleaned ready for loading. The car will need to be de-registered at the transport authority in Australia and plates removed prior to shipping.
Our specialist handling teams will securely load your vehicle into either a 20ft dedicated container or a shared 40ft container. We only ship cars in our containers for the safety of the vehicles inside.
Your vehicle will be fully insured during the entire process; we take a full condition report on collection and a full condition report on UK arrival. Any damage is covered up to total vehicle loss.
Import Duty and Tax from Australia
All imports from Australia are subject to UK import duty and VAT unless a relief applies. To summarise the tax position when importing a car from Australia to the UK:
- If you have lived in Australia at least 12 months and owned the car at least 6 months of that period, Transfer of Residence relief means zero tax and zero duty to pay.
- If you do not qualify for Transfer of Residence relief, expect 10% duty plus 20% VAT, calculated on the vehicle value plus the shipping cost.
- If the car is over thirty years of age and in original condition, there is no duty and just 5% VAT on a current valuation of the car.
We handle the UK arrival and import formalities for you, including customs clearance and the NOVA submission for a fixed £150 fee, ensuring you pay HMRC no more than what is due. For a full breakdown of every scenario, see our UK import duty and tax guide.
Testing: IVA for Newer Cars, MOT for Older Ones
As Australian vehicles are right-hand drive, the UK applies strict rules to protect its right-hand-drive market from cheaper imports. For any vehicle under ten years old, you will normally need to have owned it at least 6 months in Australia, lived in Australia at least 12 months, and be returning to the UK permanently to live. If you do not fit these criteria, it is unlikely a newer Australian car can get the necessary testing here.
If you do qualify and are bringing a newer (under ten years of age) car back with you, it will need an IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) test before UK registration. We carry out the appropriate modifications, usually conversion of the speedometer to MPH and addition of a rear fog light, and ShipMyCar has an in-house IVA test lane at our Milton Keynes facility, so preparation, modifications, and the DVSA-conducted test all happen at one site.
If the car is over ten years of age, it is much easier: it just needs an MOT test, so as long as it is roadworthy, it should not be a problem.
Once you have all the necessary testing completed, the car can then be prepared for UK road use and the relevant final paperwork.
Still deciding which car to bring over? Read our guide to why Australian car imports make sense for UK buyers in 2026, from Holden utes to outback LandCruisers.