We've partnered with Upmove to break down what's involved in bringing a JDM car all the way from the auctions in Japan to your driveway here in Australia.
With Japan’s proximity to Australia and shared use of a right-hand drive layout, imported Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles hold a lot of popularity with Aussie motorists.
Whether a luxurious Toyota Crown, special versions of the Nissan Skyline or Honda Civic Type R never originally sold here, tiny kei cars available in a variety of quirky body styles, or even sporty-looking people movers, it’s easier than you might think to bring these once-forbidden fruits Down Under.
We’ve partnered with Upmove to show you the options you have on where to find the JDM car you’re after, how to get it from Japan to Australia, and then how to get home to your driveway once it’s finally legal to drive on Aussie roads.
Buying the car in Japan and getting it to Australia
The majority of cars you’ll see imported from Japan are typically sold at wholesale auctions. While you can fly over yourself and do the bidding in person – along with driving some of Japan’s incredible roads while you’re there – easier options are available.
Brokers such as Iron Chef Imports or J-Spec Imports can source cars at auction for you, and will handle the logistics of getting the car on and off the cargo ship on its way here. Some companies, such as Import Monster, even specialise in sourcing parts from Japan in addition to the cars themselves. Expect a wait time of around 25-35 days for it to arrive in Australia after leaving Japan, and keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for shipping and import tax costs in addition to the vehicle.
When the car arrives, it will need to go through a compliance process to ensure it meets ADR regulations for vehicle safety and emissions standards, which can require some components to be changed or replaced which is another potential extra cost to keep in mind. This process also involves an inspection by the local transport department, the fitment of a compliance plate, and local registration. Reputable import companies such as those listed above can arrange this process for you, as the vehicles will first need to be taken from the port to a Registered Automotive Workshop (RAW) upon arrival in Australia.
Of course, you can skip the shipping and compliance process all together if you aren’t after a specific example of a car, as there are local dealerships specialising in JDM vehicles such as GoGarage in Sydney or Tokyo Prestige near Adelaide who’ll have vehicles in stock with these processes all taken care of.
Getting your car home from the compliance centre
Once your car has been through the compliance process, or if you’ve found a car at an interstate dealership, you have two main options for getting it home: picking it up from the compliance centre yourself and driving it home, or using a car transport service.
If you live close to where it has landed, picking the car up yourself and driving it home will likely make sense. If you’re further away or even interstate, using acar transportservice will be your best option.
Using a professional transport service has plenty of benefits. For one, it reduces wear on the car, keeping the odometer reading lower (as is typical for most JDM cars) and saving you some wear on the tyres and suspension. Plus, you’ll be saving on the cost of fuel and your own time, with the transport cost likely saving you some money there. It’s also quite simply more convenient to have the car delivered directly to your driveway.
If you’re looking forinterstate car transportproviders or need to arrange delivery from a port to your home, you can use theUpmoveplatform. This service enables you to get quotes from Australia’s best transport companies in one request, helping you get the best price and make an informed decision.
What JDM cars can I import from Japan to Australia?
While your options are seemingly endless when it comes to the array of cars you can choose from in Japan that were never originally sold here, it’s not as simple as picking out simply anything you like and popping it on the next boat over.
The Australian Government has clear guidelines on importing these sorts of cars through the specialist and enthusiast vehicles (SEVs) scheme to ensure they are compatible with Australia’s Road Vehicle Standards legislation.
The easiest way to find out whether you can import the car you want to buy into Australia is by checking the SEVs register to see what vehicles have already been approved. If a vehicle hasn’t yet been added to the register, you’ll have to submit an application yourself. For it to be eligible, it either needs to have never been sold new in Australia, or to meet certain eligibility criteria outlined in the SEVs guide.
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A car fanatic from a young age, Patrick has put his childhood spent obsessing over motoring magazines and TV shows to good use over the past seven years as a journalist, having produced content for a variety of websites, newspapers, and radio stations in that time. In addition to running the show here at Drive Section, he teaches undergraduate journalism students at the University of South Australia, from which he holds his Bachelors and Honours degrees. He has also contributed to titles including DriveTribe, Finder, WhichCar, Supercar Blondie, Vehicle History, ForceGT, and the Adelaide Hills Herald.
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Find a RAWS Compliance Workshop and Apply for import Approval while you wait. Once your car is here, pay your freight, GST and other import duties. Car will be transported to your nominated compliance workshop. Workshop will comply your car for Australian roads.
Find a RAWS Compliance Workshop and Apply for import Approval while you wait. Once your car is here, pay your freight, GST and other import duties. Car will be transported to your nominated compliance workshop. Workshop will comply your car for Australian roads.
Typically, import cars from Japan go through the RAWS Scheme here in Australia. This essentially means that the vehicle is taken to a registered workshop and modified to meet Australian road standards. This typically affects things like seatbelts, tyres, and re-gassing the air conditioning unit.
Tourists or temporary residents can import road vehicles into Australia on a temporary basis (for a period of up to 12 months), without paying duty and taxes, provided conditions are met. If you temporarily import your road vehicle using a CPD carnet an import approval is not required.
All vehicles arriving into Australia to be driven on Australian roads require a vehicle import approval. There are a number of options available when applying for a vehicle import approval: Vehicles more than 25 years old (i.e. manufactured before 1997) Personal Import Option.
The specific import laws for Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles vary depending on the type of vehicle and its age. However, in general, to import a JDM vehicle into Australia, it must meet the following requirements:Comply with the Australian Design Rules (ADRs) for vehicle safety, emissions, and other standards.
Importing cars to Australia can be a tricky process. This is due to the country's strict laws, which attempt to discourage car importing as much as possible. But... there are exceptions for Classic Cars older than 25 years, “Personal Effects", "Reimportations" and “Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme”.
Car shipping from the USA to Australia starts at a cost of $2,395 USD, and Australia levies customs duties, a Goods & Services Tax (GST), and a Luxury Car Tax (LCT) that can vary depending on the car you're importing and how long you intend to keep it in the country.
It's not so easy to get a proper service history of the car, for example, but generally the cars are of low mileage, in good condition and well-equipped. If you do go down that route, it's far easier to buy an already imported Japanese car (many companies are specialising in this).
When you apply to import a vehicle under the 25-year rule, you have to prove its month/year of manufacture is 25 years ago or more. As with the outgoing pre-1989 rule, you can import any vehicle, but it must comply with basic safety requirements (see 'What compliance requirements are there? ' below).
Shipping your own car will save money, as the Australian car market is expensive. If you do sell it and then try to replace it in Australia, the same vehicle will often be priced considerably higher in Australia, because of the restrictions on imported cars. Making the local market inflated compared to most counties.
Japanese cars are imported through Australian international sea ports. It's best to see which ports are closest to you and choose the one that makes the most sense financially. As a starting point, here are some of Australia's major seaports for general cargo.
There are two common ways to import a vehicle into Australia: Roll-on/Roll-off sea freight (RoRo) or in a shipping container. The former involves people literally driving and parking your car on a vessel; the latter packaging a car safely into a container and then having it loaded onto a boat.
Good news! You can enjoy driving on an international license in Australia or even just use your foreign driver's license. Just make sure it's valid, has a photo, and is in English. If it's in a different language, you'll have to carry an English translation with you or get an international permit.
If you wish to drive in Australia, you must hold a valid international driving permit accompanied by the driver's licence issued in the country you live in.
You could safely budget for $5000 to import a small car from Japan to Sydney and up to $10,000 for larger vehicles, with compliance costs on top as these vary car-to-car.
Car import from the USA to Australia starts at a cost of $2,395 USD, and Australia levies customs duties, a Goods & Services Tax (GST), and a Luxury Car Tax (LCT) that can vary depending on the car you're importing and how long you intend to keep it in the country.
Import Application: Once you've selected the appropriate import permit, you'll need to complete and submit an application form. Organise Shipping: You'll need to organise the method you wish to import your car from the USA to Australia. This can be done through a freight company or shipping agent such as VSA.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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