Moving from New Zealand to the UK, the car makes the longest trip of anything you own. It is on the water for 6 to 10 weeks, sometimes more, and the worry is that something about the timing or the paperwork goes wrong while it is out of reach. The distance is real, but the car itself is a simple one to bring in, and most of the risk sits in a few dates you control.
Ports, methods and the work at this end are in our guide to shipping a car from New Zealand. This page is about lining the car up with the move.
- RoRo
- 6 to 8 weeks at sea
- Container
- 8 to 10 weeks or more
- Guide shipping price
- From £3,200
- Tax if you are moving
- Often nil under ToR
The dates that matter
Transfer of Residence, the HMRC relief that lets your car in with no import VAT and no duty, sets most of the timetable. You need to have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months in a row, and owned and used the car for at least 6 months by the time you move.
The car then has to arrive within 12 months of your move. That sounds generous from New Zealand, and it is, but GOV.UK only stretches the limit in exceptional circumstances, and a lack of money or space is not one of them. Do not leave the car with family for a year and plan to send it later.
Miss the conditions and a car from New Zealand pays 20% VAT and 10% duty on its value plus the shipping. A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. Our guide to Transfer of Residence covers the rules in full.
RoRo or container for a move
Both run from New Zealand, and the choice is mostly about timing and what else is going. RoRo, where the car is driven onto the ship, takes around 6 to 8 weeks. A container takes around 8 to 10 weeks, sometimes more.
| Feature | RoRo | Container |
|---|---|---|
| Time at sea | 6 to 8 weeks | 8 to 10 weeks or more |
| Car must run | Yes | No |
| Sealed in transit | No | Yes |
| Own container option | No | Dedicated 20ft |
Most container cars share with other customers' cars, which keeps the cost down. If you would rather have one to yourself, we can quote a dedicated 20ft container. Our comparison of shared and sole containers sets out the difference.
The ToR application
You apply to HMRC online with form ToR1, before the car ships. HMRC gives you a reference, and we need it on the customs declaration to clear the car tax free. Our customers get guides to help with the form.
Your ToR evidence
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If the car leaves before you do, the form asks whether your goods will be shipped before you move. Answer yes. Keep one bill running in your name until you have applied, and use exactly the same name on every document.
Before you leave New Zealand
We collect from anywhere in New Zealand and take the car to the port, so you do not need to drive it to Auckland or Lyttelton yourself. Our agents book the shipping and handle the paperwork at that end.
The New Zealand side
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That last but one item matters more than people expect. If the car was UK registered before it went out to New Zealand, it may come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C, normally if it returns within 3 years of leaving. See bringing a UK car back home.
If you land first, or the car does
The two rarely arrive together. If the car gets here before you, it does not have to be rushed through. We can store it at our premises in Castle Donington until it is registered and you are ready for it.
If you get here first, plan for some weeks without it. From the day it sails, the car is at sea for 6 to 10 weeks, and then it clears customs, has its changes, is tested and registered. Our guide to how long shipping takes puts the stages side by side.
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Months before
Check ToR and get a quote
Confirm the 12-month and 6-month rules, choose RoRo or container and fix a collection date.
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Before it ships
Apply for ToR
Send form ToR1 to HMRC and pass us the reference.
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Collection
To the port
We collect from anywhere in New Zealand and take the car to the port.
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6 to 10 weeks
At sea
Around 6 to 8 weeks by RoRo, or 8 to 10 weeks or more by container.
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On arrival
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car ourselves with your ToR reference, so it is not left at the port running up storage.
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At our site
Changes, test, plates
Usually a rear fog light and an mph speedo, then an IVA or MOT, then DVLA registration within 10 working days of a pass.
Not much to change
New Zealand drives on the left, so the car is already right-hand drive and most are straightforward. The usual changes are a rear fog light, if the car does not have one, and a speedometer in mph on cars under 10 years old.
A car under 10 years old then takes an IVA test, and one between 10 and 40 years old an MOT. A car over 40 needs no MOT, and can be delivered to your UK address before it is registered. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, and we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain. Our IVA test guide explains the test.
The first months in the UK
Until it is registered, taxed and insured, the car cannot be used on a public road, apart from driving to a pre-booked test. GOV.UK says you can be prosecuted otherwise.
Use the weeks while it is at sea to sort insurance, so it is ready the day the plates go on. Our guide to insuring an imported car is a good place to start. Then remember the ToR rule that runs for 12 months after your move: the car cannot be sold, lent, hired out or used as security, or the VAT and duty can become payable.
What it costs
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from New Zealand starts from around £3,200. That is shipping only. It does not include registration, testing, import tax or any work the car needs. If ToR does not fit, the import tax calculator gives a rough figure.
Questions people ask
How far ahead should I plan shipping my car from New Zealand?
Start a few months before the move. The car is at sea for around 6 to 10 weeks, and you need to apply for Transfer of Residence before it ships.
Is RoRo or container better for a move from New Zealand?
RoRo is quicker, at around 6 to 8 weeks, but the car has to run. A container takes around 8 to 10 weeks or more and keeps the car sealed in. A dedicated 20ft container is available if you want one to yourself.
Can I leave the car behind and ship it later?
Only within 12 months of your move if you want Transfer of Residence. GOV.UK only extends that in exceptional circumstances, and lack of money or space does not count.
What if the car arrives before I do?
We can store it at our premises in Castle Donington until it is registered and you are ready for it.
Can I sell the car soon after arriving?
Not if it came in under Transfer of Residence. For 12 months it cannot be sold, lent, hired out or used as security, or the VAT and duty can become payable.
Got a moving date? Send us the car and the date on the quote form and we will fit the shipping around your move.
