How to Ship My Car from Australia to New Zealand
Shipping a Car to New Zealand
So you want to take your car to New Zealand? Here is some of the basic information you will need to know.
There are two main methods for shipping a car to New Zealand: 
RORO – Short for “Roll On Roll Off”
The RORO service is basically a car ferry; your car is driven on at one end and driven off at its destination.
A plus with using this type of service is that it is far more cost-effective than packing your car into a container.
Shipping Containers
This alternative is fairly self-explanatory; your car is packed into a shipping container to be shipped. This is more expensive, however, you will also have the option of packing personal effects into the container as well.
Which New Zealand Ports Can I Ship To?
New Zealand offers a number of ports to which we can arrange shipping. These are;
- Auckland
- Wellington
- Nelson
- Christchurch (Lyttleton)
- Dunedin (Port Chalmers)
We are a no-frills service. We offer shipment of your car from Port to Port only which is why our rates are so competitive.
Does my car have to be compliant with New Zealand standards?
If you want to be able to drive your car in New Zealand, then the answer is YES.
You can export any type of car into New Zealand, however, this does not mean you can drive your car there. For instance, if you are a restorer or collector of cars than it isn’t so important that the car is roadworthy when you export it.
If you do want to drive your car, ensure that it complies with New Zealand regulatory standards. It will also need to be checked for roadworthiness by the proper authority and issued with a warrant of fitness.
Be sure to also read our blog post on how to prepare your car for shipping overseas.
Some Additional Resources for Shipping Your Car to New Zealand
To learn more about NZ bio-security, visit the Ministry For Primary Industries.
You will probably be required to pay for customs clearance. For more about customs visit New Zealand Customs.
The New Zealand Automobile Association is full of great information about driving your car once you get it over there.
Finally, the New Zealand Transport Agency has further information about importing cars to New Zealand.
