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Factsheet 44 – April 2008
Importing a motor vehicle
If you want to import a motor vehicle privately or commercially into New Zealand, it's your responsibility to prove that:
- you are legally entitled to the vehicle
- the vehicle meets New Zealand safety and emissions requirements.
Please note that this factsheet should be read in conjunction with Factsheet 44a and Factsheet 44b, which outline the changed rules for importing certain vehicles that don't meet the frontal impact and emissions standards.
Where do I start?
First, read the information on this website on importing a motor vehicle. It gives you an overview and tells you to follow the steps in Infosheet 1.67.
How to use the importing infosheets
Work through the steps in Infosheet 1.67 and study the documents to which it is linked. It provides links to five separate infosheets (infosheets 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14) - this is because different countries have different systems for motor vehicle registration and deregistration.
Select the infosheet for the country from which you wish to import the vehicle. Follow the flowchart(s) in the infosheets for the relevant vehicle class. Make sure you read any notes that accompany the flowchart(s).
What the importing infosheets cover
The infosheets cover motorcycles, cars, off-road vehicles, vans, utes, minibuses and heavy vehicles. They do not cover Classes TA and TB (light trailers) or Classes LA and LB (mopeds), because these vehicles do not undergo entry certification. (Infosheet 1.10 gives more information about vehicle classes and the standards they must meet.)
You must have the correct documents to have a vehicle certified for use in New Zealand. We strongly advise that you have the correct paperwork before the vehicle is shipped to New Zealand.
You'll need to have the vehicle checked by an entry certifier when it is first inspected before approval for registration in New Zealand. The documents need to be presented for inspection with the vehicle.
Different requirements apply if your vehicle is a temporary import or a left-hand drive. (See Factsheet 35, Importing a vehicle temporarily, and Factsheet 12, Importing a left-hand drive vehicle, to find out more.)
Main points in the importing infosheets
Proof of ownership: You must provide evidence that you're legally entitled to the vehicle. You'll need original documents, establishing an ownership trail to the last registered owner (eg deregistration or change of ownership papers, invoices, bills of sale, receipts). You'll need certified translations of any documents that are not in English.
Standards requirements: You must provide proof that the vehicle you wish to import was manufactured to meet approved safety and emissions standards. The standards requirements depend on the class of vehicle, the date of manufacture, and the country from which the vehicle is being imported.
- The infosheets provide examples of documentation that can be used to prove standards compliance. In the absence of other proof, you might need a Statement of Compliance from an authorised representative of the vehicle's manufacturer, listing the standards to which the vehicle was certified when it was made. This is particularly important for compliance with a frontal impact standard.
- Please note that New Zealand's emissions requirements changed on 1 January 2008. See Infosheet 2.08.
- Motorcycles manufactured on or after 1 October 2002 must have been manufactured to meet an approved brake standard.
- The following vehicles cannot be registered for use on the road in New Zealand unless they have been designed, manufactured and certified to meet an approved frontal impact standard:
- Class MA vehicles (passenger cars) less than 20 years old
- Class MB (forward control) and Class MC (off-road vehicles) manufactured after 1 October 2003.
- Infosheet 1.67 sets out ways of proving your Class MA, MB or MC vehicle meets a frontal impact standard. Information is also provided under Frontal impact compliance status of vehicles by vehicle make. In the absence of other proof, you'll need to get a Statement of Compliance that shows the vehicle was made to an approved frontal impact standard.
Steps in the entry certification process
Once a vehicle has been imported into New Zealand, it must be border-checked, certified, registered and licensed for use on the road. The key process is entry certification, where:
- the owner's legal entitlement to the vehicle is established
- it's established that the vehicle met the required safety and emissions standards when it was manufactured
- the vehicle is inspected and tested to determine whether its structure, components and systems meet New Zealand safety requirements.
Note: make sure you check your paperwork, and that the VIN, chassis and frame numbers are correct, as vehicles without correct paperwork may not be able to be registered.
Next, we'll look at the most common situation – the import of a used light vehicle. Please note the following:
- The same process applies for the import of a new light vehicle by someone other than the manufacturer's representative. (There are different processes for new light vehicles imported by the representative of the vehicle manufacturer.)
- Processes for heavy vehicles are similar, but can be more complex if the vehicle is modified to meet New Zealand requirements, and must be certified by a heavy vehicle specialist certifier before it can enter the fleet.
- The Heavy-vehicle Brakes Rule 2006, which came into force on 1 March 2007, introduced standards requirements for the brakes on imported heavy vehicles that are first registered in New Zealand after 1 July 2008. Detail is provided in the infosheets.
Steps for importing a used light vehicle
All used light vehicles entering New Zealand for the first time must go through the following process before they can be used on the road. This procedure is the same whether the vehicle is imported for sale or for the personal use of the owner.
| Step 1 | Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry quarantine inspection and border check,
Customs clearance and vehicle chassis number recorded in the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) system. |
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| Step 2 | Vehicle identification number issued/decoded as soon as practicable by entry certifier |
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| Step 3 | Certification process Entry certifier:
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| Step 4 | Registration and licensing at an NZTA agent, then the vehicle can be driven legally on New Zealand roads. |
Step 1 – Vehicle arrives in New Zealand
The vehicle goes through a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) quarantine inspection on the wharf. A border inspector also checks the vehicle (called the 'border check') and records the following details:
- the vehicle's identity (ie vehicle identification number – VIN – or chassis number, make, model)
- the identity of the importer of the vehicle
- the odometer reading at the time of the check
- any obvious significant structural damage or deterioration (damage that is merely cosmetic will not be recorded)
- whether the vehicle is right-hand drive or left-hand drive.
MAF sends the information to the Transport Registry Centre (part of the NZTA) for recording on the LANDATA database. You should allow 72 hours for the information to be recorded. (This information is needed to register the vehicle.)
MAF invoices the importer for each vehicle, to cover the cost of the border check and quarantine inspection. Note: there may be an additional cost to you if the vehicle is imported in a condition that requires it to be steam cleaned.
Sometimes, MAF quarantine officers at facilities in Japan carry out the border check. If this has happened, a vehicle doesn't need to undergo the check again in New Zealand.
What happens if the vehicle is damaged or deteriorated?
If the vehicle is identified by MAF as being structurally damaged or deteriorated, this is recorded on LANDATA and a label is put on the vehicle to show it is structurally damaged. You might decide repairs are not justified and look for alternative uses for the vehicle, eg for parts. (Do not remove the damage flag sticker or repair the vehicle until it has been inspected by either an entry certification agent or a repair certifier.)
What happens after the border check?
After the border check, the vehicle must clear Customs. The New Zealand Customs Service holds the vehicle until all Customs requirements are met. Contact Customs for details and costs.
If you don't want to arrange the MAF and Customs processes yourself, you may wish to contact a Customs broker (listed in telephone directories and on the internet).
After clearing Customs, the vehicle is released to the importer.
- Dealers and repairers who have the right to use a trade plate may drive an uncertified vehicle on a conditional permit (an 'Annex B') before taking it to an entry certifier.
- If you're a private importer, however, you will need to have the vehicle transported to an entry certifier by other means (eg on a trailer, transported or towed). This is because you cannot drive it on the road until it has passed the entry certification, registration and licensing process and been issued with a warrant of fitness (WoF).
Entry certifiers are not available in every part of New Zealand. We recommend you contact an entry certifier before shipping the vehicle. Then you can:
- ship the vehicle to a port where an entry certifier is available, or
- arrange to have the vehicle transported from the port of entry to an entry certifier.
Some vehicles may be classed by Customs as prohibited imports (eg because of tampering with the odometer). As a condition of import approval, Customs may impose a requirement that the vehicle be sold for parts. If this happens, the vehicle cannot be registered for use on the road.
Step 2 – Vehicle reaches an entry certifier
If the vehicle already has a VIN when it enters New Zealand, the VIN is decoded by the entry certifier. It is the vehicle owner's responsibility to provide the information (available from the vehicle manufacturer) that enables the VIN to be decoded, when necessary.
If the vehicle doesn't have a VIN, it is verified through other vehicle identifiers (such as the chassis number) and the entry certifier issues it with a VIN.
The VIN is recorded on LANDATA so the vehicle can be tracked through the certification and registration process. The entry certifier then starts to certify the vehicle for registration.
Step 3 – The certification process
The entry certifier checks the documents that prove the vehicle meets the necessary legal requirements (see Infosheet 1.67) and also thoroughly inspects the vehicle. The vehicle may need some work done on it to ensure it complies with New Zealand law.
If the vehicle complies with all the legal requirements, the entry certifier issues form MR2A (Application to register a motor vehicle). The entry certifier invoices the importer for the cost of certification.
What is the certification process for structurally damaged or deteriorated vehicles?
Structural damage or deterioration to a vehicle may have been recorded at the border check or could be discovered later, by the entry certifier. The vehicle may need to be repaired before it can be certified for registration.
The entry certifier is responsible for deciding whether a specialist repair certifier needs to inspect any repairs that were carried out before the vehicle was imported, to ensure they have been done correctly. This could involve some disassembly and additional costs for you. You will need to pay the costs of repair and repair certification, as well as the cost of entry certification. The NZTA suggests you check the cost of repairs and certification before you proceed any further. The cost of this certification varies according to the level of certification required.
A vehicle that is so severely damaged that it is unsuitable for registration, or has been badly repaired, will not be given a repair certificate or form MR2A. It will be released to you and may not, by law, be registered or driven on the road in New Zealand until it meets all legal requirements. Do not have the vehicle repaired until it has been inspected by a TSDA inspector or a repair certifier. Failure to do so may result in the repair having to be redone.
Vintage and collectable vehicles
If the vehicle you have imported is to be restored, under no circumstances should you remove a vehicle identifier (chassis/VIN number), as removal and reattachment may prohibit the certification of the vehicle. Ensure that a repair certifier is consulted prior to undertaking any corrosion or accident damage repairers.
What is the process for modified vehicles?
If a light vehicle is significantly modified, the entry certifier must send it to a low volume vehicle (LVV) certifier for specialist certification. There will be a charge to you for this, in addition to the cost of entry certification. The LVV certifier will inspect the vehicle and issue it with a modification plate before it is returned to the entry certifier.
Is a separate WoF or CoF inspection necessary?
No. A light vehicle that is certified for registration is automatically entitled to a WoF or certificate of fitness (CoF). The WoF or CoF will run from the certification date.
Step 4 – After certification
When the vehicle has been certified (ie when the MR2A has been issued), you may register and license it at an NZTA agent, so it can be driven legally on New Zealand roads.
If the vehicle is not registered within two years, its entry certification will lapse and it will need to be re-inspected and re-certified before it can be registered and licensed.
Questions and answers
What should I do if I disagree with a decision made by the entry certifier?
Register your complaint with the head office of the entry certifier, which will investigate the complaint. If you're not satisfied with the result of the investigation, you can request a review by the NZTA.
How long does certification, registration and licensing take?
Once the information recorded at the border check is on LANDATA (which could take up to 72 hours), and provided everything is in order, the certification process and registration and licensing could take as little as one day. However, if the entry certifier encounters problems in certifying the vehicle (eg if specialist certification is required), the certification process will take longer. Entry certifiers are often very busy, so contact an entry certifier well in advance of the vehicle arriving in New Zealand.
What are the costs involved in the entire process?
The costs are set by the individual organisations that carry out the work. It is currently estimated that the total cost for a vehicle to undergo the quarantine inspection and border check, clear Customs, be issued with a VIN, be certified for registration and be registered and licensed is approximately NZ$800 to NZ$1000. This does not include the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 12.5 percent payable to New Zealand Customs on the value of the vehicle, or the cost of any repairs or repair certification.
Immigrants arriving for the first time in New Zealand may be able to import a vehicle without paying GST if they satisfy the New Zealand Customs Service that they're taking up permanent residence, have owned and used the vehicle for at least one year and agree that they will continue to use the vehicle for at least two years.
- Entry certifiers charge different rates, but an indicative cost to have a vehicle issued with a VIN and certified for registration purposes is NZ$350.
- Repairers, repair certifiers and LVV certifiers also charge different rates and their costs will depend on the work required for each vehicle.
- The costs for registration and licensing vary according to vehicle type, engine size, the period of the licence (ie six or 12 months) and what the vehicle will be used for. A full schedule of these costs is available from the NZTA. Call our motor vehicle registration contact centre on 0800 108 809.
Where you can find out more
Contact Land Transport New Zealand
- From within New Zealand, phone 0800 699 000
- From outside New Zealand, phone +64 4 931 8700 and select option 3
- You can write to us at NZ Transport Agency, Private Bag 6995, Wellington 6141, New Zealand
- Email us: info@nzta.govt.nz
The organisations listed below are appointed by the NZTA to advise on the suitability of vehicles for import, and carry out entry certification of imported used vehicles and new vehicles that are imported by persons other than the vehicle manufacturer's representative in New Zealand:
- Automobile Association (AA), phone +64 9 966 8800, fax +64 9 966 8893, email aatech@aa.co.nz
- Vehicle Inspection New Zealand (VINZ), phone +64 9 580 3170, fax +64 9 525 8910, email info@vinz.co.nz
- Vehicle Testing New Zealand (VTNZ), phone +64 4 495 2500, fax +64 4 495 2530, email technical@vtnz.co.nz
- Safer Vehicle Testing (SVT), phone +64 9 296 1169, fax +64 9 296 2813, email peter.walton@safervehicletesting.co.nz.
Contact a repair certifier
Contact the manufacturer's representative in New Zealand
You'll need to do this if the import status of the motor vehicle is difficult to determine. See the MIA list.
Other contacts