Everything you need to know about moving to NZ

Most UK emigrants to New Zealand sell their cars when they leave the UK and buy new cars when they arrive.

A couple of decades ago, it used to be quite common for emigrants and returning New Zealanders to ship their cars. The vehicles that were available in New Zealand then tended to be older and expensive, so it was often quite economical to do so. But with the advent of widespread imports of second-hand Japanese cars to New Zealand, this changed. As we mention in our article on Buying a Car in New Zealand, the Japanese imports are quite reasonably priced - and you certainly won't see as many patched-up old cars on New Zealand roads now.

But if would like to bring your car (or motorbike) with you, there are a number of companies who can help with both the physical shipping of the vehicle, and the extensive paperwork required. You can choose to use a removal company, or a specialist car exporter. As with household shipping, we recommend that you get several quotes, and ensure when comparing the quotes that you are comparing like with like. For example, some companies allow you to fill your car up with luggage.

We would advise you to use a company who has specific knowledge and experience of shipping cars to New Zealand and agents in New Zealand, as there are some safety and emissions regulations that the vehicle must comply with. If the vehicle fails this inspection, it will be crushed on arrival.

There are also New Zealand biosecurity regulations relating to car imports, so make sure your vehicle is squeaky clean before it is shipped or you will be charged for cleaning when it arrives. MAF are mostly looking for plant and animal matter that should not be there, so most domestic vehicles should not require steam cleaning. 

You should not have to pay GST on your vehicle as long as you are coming in to New Zealand as a first-time permanent resident, but port and inspection charges can mount up. UK specialist car exporter Karman gives a guide price of $3,000-$3,500 for these costs, and estimates that a car (packed into its own 20 foot container) costs around £1,500 to export, plus £100 to £300 for insurance. You also need to factor in the cost of renting a car in New Zealand while you wait for your vehicle to arrive.

We did not actually seriously contemplate exporting our car to New Zealand (although we have since thought that a London taxi would make a fantastic company car!). But if your car is as much a member of your family as your pet, we assure you that it is possible to ship a car to New Zealand, and wish you the best of luck.