Importing a Vehicle into New Zealand: The Documents You Need

Most import problems are paperwork problems. The vehicle itself is usually fine — what holds it at the port, or stops it being registered weeks later, is a missing ownership document, a certificate without the right code on it, or an English translation nobody arranged. This guide sets out what you need in hand, and where each document comes from.

Three agencies are involved and they each want different things: NZTA (vehicle standards, entry certification, registration), MPI (biosecurity — the vehicle must arrive clean), and New Zealand Customs (the import entry, duty and GST). Your shipping agent handles most of the Customs and MPI side. The NZTA side is where we come in.

The two things you have to prove

Everything on the NZTA side comes down to two claims you need to back up with documents:

• That the vehicle is yours — an unbroken ownership trail back to the last registered owner in the country it came from.
• That the vehicle meets New Zealand standards — emissions, frontal impact, brakes and overall construction, evidenced by a plate, a certificate, or a statement of compliance.

Miss either one and the vehicle cannot be entry certified, whatever condition it is in.

Proof of ownership, by country

What counts as proof depends on where the vehicle was last registered. Any document not in English needs a certified English translation.

Japan

For a passenger car other than a mini-vehicle: the original export certificate issued by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), showing a type designation number (TDN) and model code — or a completion inspection certificate for a vehicle never registered. Mini-vehicles (660cc or under) take an export certificate from the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organisation. Heavy vehicles need the detailed registration history certificate from MLIT plus bills of sale establishing the trail.

Motorcycles differ by size: over 250cc needs the MLIT return vehicle inspection certificate; 125–250cc needs the mini-vehicle notification certificate from the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association; under 125cc needs the notification of dismantlement issued by a city office.

Australia

Deregistration or change-of-ownership papers showing the history back to the last registered owner, plus an invoice, bill of sale or receipt. Where the ownership trail cannot be produced, a PPSR certificate showing clear title is generally accepted. New vehicles need only the purchase documentation.

Great Britain and the UK

A certificate of permanent export, or documents establishing the ownership trail back to the previous registered owner.

United States

For a vehicle previously registered, the title document and the ownership trail. For one never registered, the certificate of origin or the purchase documentation.

Anywhere else

Original documents proving previous registration and the ownership trail, plus certified English translations. Hong Kong and Singapore are a special case: a registration card stamped “CANCELLED” or “DEREGISTERED” by the transport department is what you want.

Evidence the vehicle meets NZ standards

Separate from ownership, you need evidence for each standard that applies to the vehicle’s class and date of manufacture:

• Emissions — from Japan, an export or completion inspection certificate carrying an approved emissions code at the start of the industry model code. From Australia, the ADR compliance plate. From Europe or the USA, the EC or FMVSS plate. Otherwise a statement of compliance.
• Frontal impact — an export certificate with a TDN, an ADR plate, a listing on NZTA’s frontal impact lists, or a statement of compliance. Vehicles over 20 years old, special interest vehicles, and vehicles brought in by people emigrating to New Zealand may be exempt.
• Electronic stability control — required on light vehicles from the relevant dates. ADR compliance from 1 November 2013 onwards includes it.
• Fuel consumption — generated through NZTA’s online tool, which issues a fuel consumption certificate you hand to the entry certifier.
• Overall standards — the ADR plate, EC plate, export certificate or completion inspection certificate, depending on origin.

An ADR plate on an Australian vehicle, or a TDN on a Japanese export certificate, does most of the work on its own. Without one you are into statement-of-compliance territory, which costs money and takes time — worth checking before you buy.

Border inspection, entry certification, registration

Once Customs and biosecurity clearance are given, the vehicle goes through a border inspection (carried out in Japan or on arrival here), then entry certification, where the entry certifier checks the documents and the vehicle against the standards and identifies any repairs needed. Vehicles with significant damage go to a repair certifier first. After entry certification the vehicle can be registered and licensed — see our guide to vehicle registration and rego renewal.

Vehicles that need extra care

• Damaged, repaired or written-off vehicles. Anything recorded as a write-off, statutory write-off, salvage or junked must be referred to a repair certifier. Buying one sight-unseen is where imports most often go wrong financially.
• Modified vehicles. A kai mark on a Japanese certificate means the vehicle has been modified and may no longer meet the standard it was built to. Modifications generally need LVV certification.
• Left-hand drive. Only specific categories of LHD vehicle can be registered and driven here. Check before committing.
• Immigrants’ vehicles. Some standards exemptions apply to vehicles brought in by people emigrating or returning to New Zealand, with different documentation to match.

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need to import my vehicle?

At minimum: proof of ownership for the country of origin, evidence of compliance with emissions and frontal impact standards, a fuel consumption certificate, and certified English translations of anything not in English. The specifics by country are set out above.

Where do I find the VIN on my vehicle?

Usually on a plate or sticker at the base of the windscreen, in the driver’s door jamb, or stamped on the chassis or firewall. Japanese vehicles often carry a chassis number rather than a 17-character VIN. The entry certifier checks it for tampering — chemical paint removal is permitted with the owner’s consent.

What if my vehicle does not comply with the import standards?

It depends which standard. A missing plate or certificate can often be resolved with a statement of compliance. A frontal impact failure on the NZTA list cannot be resolved — that vehicle cannot be brought in. Ask before you buy, not after it lands.

Can you collect my vehicle from the shipping agent?

Yes. We work with most of the major shipping companies and can arrange collection once clearance is given — see shipping referrals.

Planning to restore the vehicle you have imported?

Tell us before entry certification. Restoration and modification work interacts with both repair certification and LVV certification, and the order the work is done in changes what you pay for.

Talk to us before you buy

The cheapest advice in importing is the conversation you have before the money leaves your account. We entry certify imported vehicles every day and can tell you whether a specific vehicle’s paperwork will hold up. Get a free compliance quote or contact Car Compliance NZ.