International Car Shipping & Import

Roll-on/roll-off (RORO)

RORO is considered the cheapest and simplest option for shipping your car overseas. The cargo is “rolled on” the vessel at the port of loading, and “rolled off” again at the point of destination.

You cannot ship personal items when using RORO. Any inner cargo will not be allowed on board. For more information on preparing your car for RORO transport, consult our RORO preparation page.

Taurus Logistics generally recommends RORO over container shipping. For more details about why we recommend this option, refer to our RORO recommendation page.

Container Shipping

In this method, container ships are used to carry your cargo overseas in large intermodal containers. This option tends to be more expensive but can be ideal if you have extra items to ship along with your vehicle.

When choosing container shipping, it’s important to remember that all extra items must be accounted for and any boxes marked clearly. Providing us with a list of contents will ensure no items are missed when emptied for Quarantine/during an inspection at Customs. For more details about this method, consult our Container Shipping page.

We cannot list the shipping times for every route at Taurus Logistics. However, here are some of our most popular routes. These are indicative transit times and do not include all shipping lines, containers, or part container options. Please contact us to discuss container sailing dates, or for roll on roll off please refer to our RORO Sailing Schedule.

Shipping to Oceania

• Europe to Australia / New Zealand – 50 days Approx.
• USA to Australia / New Zealand – 45 days Approx.

Shipping from Oceania

• Australia / New Zealand to Europe – 80 days Approx.
• Australia / New Zealand to USA – 50 days Approx.

Trans-Tasman

• Australia to New Zealand – 10 days Approx.
• New Zealand to Australia – From 5 - 30 days Approx. dependent on the shipping line.

This depends on where you want to ship your car. Rules for importing and exporting cars vary by country. However, there are certainly some common procedures in vehicle shipping.

• Make sure your vehicle is cleaned well inside and out. Use a steam cleaner if possible. This will help remove dirt and contaminants from the underside and engine bay.
• When you ship on a RORO vessel, do not leave personal items in the vehicle. If you do, the vessel will not accept your vehicle. If you want to ship personal items, we can load the car into a container. However, this option usually costs more.
• If you are getting Marine Insurance, which we strongly suggest, make sure to have a pre-inspection report. An independent insurance assessor should complete this report.

Once your car shipment arrives, our office or agent will contact you. They will discuss any extra details needed for Customs Clearance.

When arranging international car shipping, there are several costs you need to factor in to determine if it’s worth the time and money. In some countries, import permits and vehicle standards are very important for entry. These standards include impact and emissions requirements.

Items you need to consider for car shipping include:

• How much will it cost to ship my car to the destination?
• What taxes, duties, GST, or VAT will be applicable to pay at the destination country?
• What are the on road compliance charges?

Generally we advise that if your car is worth around NZ$7,000 / AUD$ 5,600 / US$4,600, it’s worth looking into vehicle shipping.

If you haven’t bought your car yet then we advise you to talk to us first. We can give you a ballpark figure for car shipping costs and look into any compliance issues you may face.

Different countries have different rules for importing and exporting vehicles. We can help you find the right information. Talk to us today!