Importing a bike to Oz with a carnet
 

Hi, I'm moving to Austalia later this year and would like to bring with me my '84 Tenere. The plan is to drive to India (or maybe Nepal) and ship it from there.
I would have a carnet and was wondering could I just bring it in on that?
Would I eventually have to go down the permanent import route?
I'd be happy to permanently import the bike but it seems like a bureaucratic nightmare and a financial cost I'd like to defer til I was settled and working.
Also, what's the difference between importing a vehicle that's pre- and post-1989? I've seen mention here of it but no details.
At the moment my head is melted trying to figure it all out, sort my visa, basically arrange moving to the other side of the world and fit in a road trip so although I've searched the forums and the black holes of Oz government websites I need a nudge in the right direction of what route I should be taking.
Thanks!

Lookup VSB10 and all will be revealed.


Don't enter Aus with a carnet for your bike, its almost impossible to get the change over.


The pre 1989 rule is basically "any vehicle built before the end of 1989 can be imported as a right", post 1989 vehicles can only be imported via a specialist/enthusiast vehicle or you are permanently migrating to Aus or are a Aus citizen who has owned the vehicle overseas for more than a year.

The carnet says you are temporarily importing the vehicle. In other words you will be taking it out.

If your not looking at taking the vehicle out .. then don't use the carnet. You have to go through the importation process without that and then look at getting it road legal. Unless the bike has sentimental value to you or it is very rare then generally it is not worth the hassle .. price ~$2k up wards depending on the bike and how much work you do yourself.

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Route ...
The southern route through Iran/Pakistan looks to have increasing problems. HTe northern route through Russia? Problems there are shipping to OZ .. probably through South Korea ... there will be ships taking new cars that way..

Thanks for the answers, that's a no-go go on driving around Oz on the carnet so (I knew it'd never be that easy!). There are a few reasons for bringing the bike in: sentimental value, wouldn't get much for it selling it at home, main reason tho is doing the trip through Iran/Pak/India, and what to do with the bike after that? Thanks for the advice, I'll continue researching...

Ok Your choices;

Cheapest? Ride to India and sell the bike there (again don't enter India with the carnet - pay the import duties), fly to OZ. You might get more money in OZ for the bike .. but that would equal the shipping, importation and rego costs to/in OZ.

Keep the bike. Pay the import fees to OZ and any registration requirements.

That's interesting, I had considered selling the bike in India but thought it wasn't feasible with the carnet. Any idea roughly how much import duties would be? If I were to sell (or swap) to another traveller who wanted to leave India I presume the carnet would be invalid?

You need to find out the conditions from the carnet issuer - most require that the vehicle is returned to its country of origin to "complete" the carnet. The risk is that you will pay duty/tax when you sell the vehicle and then the carnet issuer makes a call on your deposit or bond as you don't have the vehicle back into your country.

The carnet is issued to the vehicle owner/operator. Not to the vehicle. So a sale of the vehicle does not transfer the carnet to the 'new owner'. Tricky if you 'sell' it to another traveler! :(
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Completing the carnet ...

for each entry (using the carnet) to a country
there is a corresponding exit (on the carnet) from that country

In exceptional circumstance (e.g. theft of vehicle, loss of vehicle, vehicle damage) you may get the carnet 'exit' completed within the country without the vehicle actually leaving the country. Think that will be quite some time in offices filling out paper work. :funmeterno:

Normally a vehicle returns to the country 'of origin'. However if each time the carnet is used, each entry has a valid exit then the carnet is completed.

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The carnet issuer will only return your guarantee if
the carnet is complete OR
you can prove the vehicle is back in the country of origin OR
some time (years) has elapsed since the carnet has expired. (and no country has sought duty)

The return may take time, especially if any thing raises questions (like strange stamps, the vehicle has not returned ... explain anything questionable when you return it).

If a country seeks duties due to the use of a carnet to get a vehicle in without evidence of a vehicle leaving then the carnet issuer may well seek additional monies from the person to whom the carnet was issued.

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Do NOT use a carnet to get a vehicle into a country where you are going to sell it :nono: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! India, Australia or anywhere else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Import the vehicle. Pay the duty. Sell it. If you want to know the duty for a vehicle for a country .. ask at their embassy. They may also be able to tell you any rules ... like getting it road legal for it can be sold and used.

Thanks Warin, really good info there. I've been on to Eagle Export in Nepal and they will store the bike for a couple of months before shipping if needed. It's looking like a good option for me and will give me time to get to Oz and get myself set up (financially and otherwise) before sending the bike over.
And maybe a good excuse to go back to Nepal for a holiday :thumbup1:

I know I'm late adding to this thread. But this is the page you want to start from when importing a car/bike into Australia.

Importing Vehicles into Australia

Cheers,