A Japanese car under 25 years old that's on the SEV Register needs an import approval, called a concessional RAV entry approval, before it is shipped. You apply online through ROVER. The Department must decide within 30 business days, and most are approved in 2 to 3 weeks.
Check the car before you buy
Not every car sold in Japan can be imported into Australia. If the model isn't on the SEV Register, the build date is outside the approved range, or no model report covers it, the car can't be complied, and you may be left with a car you've paid for but can't bring in. Get advice from a RAW on the exact car, using its chassis number and auction sheet, before you bid. Our checklist before you buy covers what to look at.
01What import approval is
Every road vehicle brought into Australia needs an import approval before it is shipped. For specialist and enthusiast vehicles, the usual pathway for Japanese cars under 25 years old, the approval is a concessional RAV entry approval. It counts as the import approval and also allows the car to be entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) once it has been complied.
Most people in the trade still call it the VIA, short for vehicle import approval, the name used under the old rules.
The approval comes with a condition: the car must be modified by a Registered Automotive Workshop (RAW) under an approved model report, then examined by an authorised vehicle verifier (AVV), before it can go on the RAV.
Car more than 25 years old? It uses a simpler pathway with no model report or workshop compliance.Importing a car over 25 years old02When you need it
Apply before the car leaves Japan. Border Force's advice is not to arrange transport until the approval has been issued. A car that arrives without one won't be cleared from customs control. You may face storage costs, and you can be required to export or destroy the vehicle at your own expense.
03Who can apply
Any person or company can apply, so you can lodge it yourself in ROVER. An agent or workshop can also apply for you, as long as they hold your documents and your written authority to act.
04What you need for the application
- A current SEV Register entry for the car. The entry must still be in force when you apply and when the decision is made, so watch entries close to their expiry date.
- A build date inside the entry's range. If the build date is near either end of the range, or can't be decoded from the chassis number, the Department may ask for evidence such as a manufacturer record.
- The model report you'll comply it under, and the name of the company that holds it. The model report has to cover the car's make, model and variant.
- Proof of ownership, or that you intend to own it: an auction invoice, purchase document or signed contract.
- The country you're importing it from.
- A declaration that the car will be modified by a RAW and examined by an AVV before it goes on the RAV.
- No disqualifying damage or corrosion. If the car has been damaged, corroded or repaired, ask a RAW before you apply.
05What it costs
With J-Import, import approval and compliance start from $1,990 including GST for a standard vehicle.
Included
- checking the car's SEV entry, model report and build date before you bid
- preparing and lodging the import approval in ROVER, and answering any questions the Department asks
- the government application and RAV entry fees
- inspection and the compliance work set out in the model report
- the AVV inspection and the RAV entry
Not included
- shipping from Japan
- customs duty, GST and luxury car tax on the import, worked out by Border Force
- port and biosecurity charges
- parts the model report requires, such as tyres or child restraint anchorages, quoted after inspection
- registration with your state
Campervan conversions, welcabs and cars with damage or modifications are quoted individually.
06How long it takes
By law, the Department must decide within 30 business days of receiving the application. The clock stops while it waits for anything it has asked you for, such as build date evidence.
In our experience most applications are approved in 2 to 3 weeks when the paperwork is complete and the build date is clear.
Common causes of delay:
- A build date close to the edge of the SEV entry or model report range
- A model report that doesn't cover the exact variant, for example a welcab or camper report chosen for a standard car
- A missing or unclear ownership document
- An SEV entry that is under review or about to expire
07What happens after approval
- Shipping. Usually 3 to 6 weeks at sea from Japan to Sydney.
- Customs and biosecurity. The car is cleared once duty and taxes are paid and it passes a biosecurity inspection. It must arrive clean.
- Compliance at a RAW. The workshop carries out the work the model report requires, such as child restraint anchorages.
- AVV inspection. An authorised vehicle verifier checks the completed work.
- RAV entry. The car is entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles.
- Registration. With the RAV entry done, the car can be registered with your state, such as Service NSW.
08How J-Import can help
J-Import Auto Compliance is a Registered Automotive Workshop (RAW-000151) in Greenacre, Sydney. We take on a limited number of private customers so that every car gets a full inspection and is complied properly, not rushed through.
Before you bid, we check the car's SEV entry, match it to a model report in force, and confirm the build date and any open recalls. We prepare and lodge the import approval, then comply the car at our Greenacre premises when it lands.
Not sure your car is eligible? Check the model code or send us the auction sheet.
09Questions
Do I need import approval before I buy the car?
No, but get advice before you buy. Many cars sold at Japanese auctions can't be imported into Australia: the model code may not be on the SEV Register, the build date may fall outside the approved range, or no model report may cover it. Once you've paid, you can't undo the purchase, so have a RAW check the exact car first. The approval itself is applied for after you buy and before the car is shipped.
Can I ship the car while the application is being assessed?
No. Don't arrange transport until the approval is granted. A car that arrives without one won't be released by Border Force, and you may have to pay storage, export it or destroy it.
How long does the approval take?
The Department must decide within 30 business days. In our experience most applications are approved in 2 to 3 weeks when the paperwork is complete.
What does it cost?
Import approval and compliance with J-Import starts from $1,990 including GST for a standard vehicle. That covers the checks, lodging the approval, the government fees, the compliance work, the AVV inspection and the RAV entry. Shipping, duty, GST on the import and parts the model report requires are extra.
Is import approval the same as compliance?
No. Approval lets the car into Australia. Compliance is the workshop stage after it lands: a RAW does the work in the model report, an authorised vehicle verifier checks it, and the car is entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles before it can be registered.
Found a car at auction?
Send us the chassis number and auction sheet. We'll tell you if it can be complied before you bid.