Shipping a Motorhome to Australia: Touring in Your Own Campervan, 4x4 or Expedition Truck

How does shipping a motorhome to Australia work?

1. Get instant pricing for your vehicle and dates in about 2 minutes, then book a RORO sailing 2–3 months ahead.
2. Apply for your carnet de passages. In the UK it is issued by CARS UK; the original must reach our local agent at least a week before the ship arrives.
3. Clean the vehicle inside and out, and check older vehicles for parts that may contain asbestos.
4. Take out gas bottles, run the fuel down and stow any permitted camping items out of sight.
5. Deliver the vehicle to the departure port, usually in the week before sailing, and fly out.
6. On arrival the vehicle is inspected by biosecurity officers and cleared by customs, then you collect it.
7. Ship it home or onward before the 12 months run out.

What does it cost to ship a motorhome to Australia?

Campervan or motorhome

US$4,920–7,240 sea freight

4x4 camper or overlander

US$3,540–6,190 sea freight

Expedition truck

US$7,570–11,450 sea freight

Australian import charges

About US$1,500–2,500, paid to the local agent

Biosecurity inspection

A$42 per 15 minutes per officer, or A$70 per 15 minutes away from the office (2026-27 fees)

Cleaning, if needed

At your cost, plus re-inspection

Marine insurance

Not included unless stated; motorhomes from €300 single trip, for values up to €50,000

The sea freight ranges are the lower and upper quartiles of our RORO quotes from the UK and Europe in the last 90 days, including BAF, LSL and the bill of lading. Length, height and weight decide where your vehicle falls.

How much does it cost to ship a vehicle? Prices on every route →

Do I need a carnet de passages for Australia?

Yes. The Australian Border Force says temporary residents can only import a road vehicle for personal use under a carnet de passages (CPD), and a vehicle on a carnet does not need a vehicle import approval from the Department of Infrastructure. So a touring visit needs none of the import approval and compliance work a permanent import does. The security is lodged with the carnet issuer at home before the vehicle arrives, and a carnet is valid for up to 12 months from issue.

Time limit

Up to 12 months. The vehicle must leave within the approved time

Use

Not to be sold, lent, hired, given away or altered without ABF permission, or duty and taxes become payable

Extensions

Through the Australian guarantee association (AAA), with a visa covering the extra time and continued third-party insurance

Without a carnet

A temporary import approval without a carnet is for vehicles not used on public roads, so it does not suit a road trip

Road registration and compulsory third-party cover are run by each state. Keep your home registration current; we confirm the rules for your vehicle and arrival state before you ship.

How clean does a motorhome need to be for Australian biosecurity?

Spotless, inside and out, before it arrives. Biosecurity officers inspect every vehicle before customs releases it, and the importer pays. A dirty vehicle may be steam-cleaned or washed and re-inspected, or exported or destroyed, at the owner's expense. Motorhomes and campers have far more places to check than a car:

• Engine bay, including under-bonnet soundproofing, radiator and grille
• Wheel arches, underbody, chassis rails and the spare wheel and its well
• Floors, seats, vents, cupboards, the glove box and every locker
• Window ledges, door seals, awnings, roof racks and roof tents
• Recovery tracks, camping chairs, tents, boots and any outdoor gear left inside

Brown marmorated stink bug measures apply to vehicles shipped from 1 September 2026 to 30 April 2027, by the shipped-on-board date. Vehicles from target risk countries, including the USA, Canada and most of Europe, must be treated. The UK is an emerging risk country, so UK vehicles can be inspected at random, and RORO ships that call at target risk countries in season get a pest inspection on arrival. We tell you whether treatment applies to your sailing.

Preparing your vehicle for shipping: the checklist →

Australia and New Zealand: import rules, biosecurity and asbestos →

Asbestos: check older motorhomes before you ship

Australia has banned asbestos since 31 December 2003. The ban covers every vehicle of any age or value, including vehicles on a carnet, and other countries' tolerance levels are not accepted. Older and non-Australian-market vehicles are the highest risk: brake pads and shoes, clutch linings, gaskets, seals, bonnet liners, heater housings and heat shields, including aftermarket parts. A supplier's letter is not enough. Test or replace suspect parts before shipping; testing at the border is at your cost and can hold up your trip.

What can stay inside the motorhome, and what about gas?

• Removable gas bottles must come out. Any bottle or fixed tank that stays must be empty, with a gas-free certificate
• Some carriers allow limited tourism items such as bedding, cutlery and camping gear, stowed out of sight so the vehicle looks empty
• Those items travel at your own risk, unless covered by contents cover on marine insurance taken through us (up to €15,000 for motorhomes)
• Fuel below a quarter of a tank
• Lithium leisure batteries only if installed, isolated and declared with the data sheet before booking
• No food, plants, firewood or anything with soil on it

Insurance and customs clearance

IVSS arranges marine cargo insurance for the sea crossing. Motor insurance for driving in Australia is separate: we give you contacts and introductions to insurers. For customs clearance support we clear through our broker, introduce a trusted local agent, or work with your own broker. Your vehicle travels inside the ship's enclosed hold. IVSS is a member of BIFA and FIATA.

Get a shipping quote

Shipping home or on to New Zealand

Plan the exit before you arrive: the carnet must be stamped out and the vehicle shipped before it expires. Many travellers continue to New Zealand, which takes about 4–9 days by sea from Australia, or ship home to the UK or Europe. Remember that a vehicle leaving Australia for New Zealand in stink bug season needs its own treatment plan.

Shipping a motorhome to New Zealand →