The process of importing a car from the UK to the Australia depends on various factors that have to be considered during the exercise.
One of the most common questions people ask when considering this option is: “How long does it take?” Well, this depends on the means of transportation used, starting point, and the destination port, customs formalities that may take time as well as the time that would be used to deal with any delays that are unexpected.
In this article, we will continue to present various time lines and where necessary make explanations that will enable the reader have a clearer perception of what is likely to happen.
1. Initial Preparations (1-2 Weeks)
Before one can start a journey utilizing a car, there are a couple of things that have to be accomplished. These include:
- Selecting a Shipping Method: The two basic choices are Roll-on/Roll-off often called RoRo and shipping by use of containers. In general, the RoRo method is faster and cheaper than the latter one, however, the container shipping is more appropriate to preserve your vehicle.
- Choosing a Shipping Company: Choose a company out of the list and make a comparative analysis of each firm. One needs to choose an experienced company in this line of business and especially the shipment of vehicles across borders.
- Documentation and Paperwork: To do this you will be required to have the vehicle registration documents, proof of ownership and any other paperwork which may be deemed necessary. It may take up to two weeks, depending on the speed at which one can make the required legwork to secure the needed documents.
2. Booking and Vehicle Collection (1 Week)
After the preparations, the best thing is to schedule your shipment.
When you have booked, the shipping company will arrange for the time when they are going to pick up your vehicle.
It usually takes around one week to complete, however it can be done faster or slower based on the company’s availability and your proximity to them.
3. Shipping Time (6-10 Weeks)
The time taken for the shipment from UK to Australia varies from 6 to 10 weeks although this is dependent on other factors.
The exact duration depends on several factors:The exact duration depends on several factors:
- Port of Departure and Arrival: This is true owing to the difference that may exist in the delivery time depending on the ports that are used. For instance, when shipping from one of the world’s large ports such as Southampton in the UK to Sydney in Australia, it will take lesser time than when shipping to a relatively small port which is served less often.
- Shipping Method: RoRo is normally faster than container shipping because loading and unshipment are far less complex than those of the latter. Still, container shipping has more flexibility about the departure schedule, and that may help to minimize overall time.
- Weather and Sea Conditions: These transportation costs can be influenced by weather and the state of the sea; transportation costs depend with the weather and state of the sea. Adverse weather conditions such as storms or rough seas which are not in the control of the ship master can cause delay in the journey.
4. Customs Clearance (1-2 Weeks)
Before your car can be released into circulation within Australia you will need it to clear through the country’s customs.
It generally takes approximately one to two weeks depending on the possible hitch that might occur.
Factors that can affect this include:Factors that can affect this include:
- Completeness of Documentation: Notwithstanding, it will take longer if you have many papers to produce or if there is a problem with the car.
- Quarantine Inspection: Australia is well protected by biosecurity standards and legally your car will be checked for pests and other bad stuff. If your car does not pass this inspection, it is subjected to cleaning/treatment which of course takes time.
5. Delivery to Final Destination (1 Week)
Once certain formalities have been completed, such as, passing through customs, your car will be shipped to the end user.
The final part of the journey normally lasts for about a week, this will depend with the area of destination and the means of transport used to get there.
The time it will take for your car to be delivered depend with the destination where it will be delivered, if it is in a big city it will take shorter time as compared to if it is in a rural area.
Potential Delays
Even though the timeline offered above provides a rather general vision of the process, the client should be prepared to the existence of certain challenges. These can include:
- Port Congestion: In response to busy ports, there are likely to be delays in the port handling times, and the duration of customs processing.
- Shipping Company Schedules: Additional, some of the shipping companies may have limited schedules which will mean that they may take time to transport your car.
- Regulatory Issues: It can be inferred that any contradiction or challenge with paperwork might cause additional time to be taken in clearing the customs.
Conclusion
All in all, it takes between 9 and 14 weeks to ship a car from the UK to Australia in general.
These time frames may however be subjected to change by factors such a type of shipment, the ports taken and any possible modulations on them.
It is wise to engage a reputable and well established carrier agency, and to be very prepared with all the documents that shall be required.
In this way, you can avoid the extra time spent waiting on repairs and your car can be on the road in Australia in no time.
