irwjager

Hi all,

Does anyone know how anal DOTARS is when it comes to the 12 months consecutive USE of a vehicle ?

I've owned it 12 months alright - receipts & stuff all in order - but i spent 3 months in Sweden away from it (no stamps in my passport, but 4 big stamps in my girlfriend's). We spent that time freelancing. What do you guys reckon our chances are of getting an import approval?

Cheers,

Ivo

sammyg

Sure you'll be ok as long as you can prove you've OWNED it for more than 12 months...

People buy cars and don't use them for months at a time - how are they going to know yours has been sat in the garage for three months?

they will be asking for a proof of purchase date- i.e copy of v5 and that's it!

good luck

DrWho

Are you sure you want to bring it...?

There's a few threads on this here pointing out some of the pitfalls...

irwjager

Thanks! That's the most positive thing i've heard on this so far! They DO ask for a statement of travel and if that doesn't match up with the stamps in your passport (of which they want a copy as well), just wondering how far they take it!

irwjager

Yeah, been scouring these boards for info; lots of hoops to jump through..
I'm one of those sad people who have become severely attached to their car I spent so much time fixing it up, first car, bought it with my dad, yadayada... I'd be more than happy to shell out the money/time/sweat/blood/tears, i'm just unsure if i'll get permission to import! As the time of my departure grows nearer (would more or less coincide with the 12 months of ownership), i'm starting to get a bit nervous - should i sell, or is there nothing to worry about?

stariston

The only pitfall if selling on in future is the cars will have to have an australian
complince plate afixed by a specialist inspector it looks just like your complince plate Most Australian petrol heads will say" the salt on the british
roads rot the pannels you only needed to have owned it for three months
up until a few years ago the only reason i can understand anyone shipping
a car over is that it is better the devil you know because you could buy a
lemmon over in australia as the consumer protection on used cars is not
the same as the uk But if you are shipping to Sydney there is a specialist
blue slip engineer at Mona vale MERC & BMW you can find in the Sydney
pages

The Bloke

The availability of correct spare parts maybe an issue, not to mention the resale value will be through the floor, compared with a comperable Australian vehicle.

kegsta

Sorry to dampen spirits. But we had planned to take our car with us, until DOTARS informed us that we had to own it 12 months and USE it - and they ask to see every page of your passport to prove you haven't been away from the car. They allow just six weeks out of the country for holidays. And they sound serious in every e-mail I've had from them (and there have been a few)... There may be some leeway if you can prove the three months away were for business - although given that you don't have any stamps in your passport saying you weren't in the UK, then I don't think you have a problem anyway. If anyone has an example of them being at all lenient on the 12 month IN USE rule, pleeeze tell us.

irwjager

Thanks for that info - i *really* appreciate it!

Would anyone know how they treat a co-owned car? D'you think we'll be okay as long as one of use used the car for the full 12 months?

Our case is complex; the car used to be in my name (EU passport), but is now in my girlfriend's name (Aussie passport) for insurance purposes (insurance is also in her name). Purchase receipts and maintenance receipts are in my name...

kegsta

According to the guy who we were going to use to export the car - a very knowledgable man at karman shipping - it would have been okay for my husband to import a car that was in my name. His suggestion was that we apply as a couple. So you should be okay - but that might mean they ask to see both passports?? I don't see how they can insist on you both being with the car though.. Good luck.