Welcome to the Australia motorcycle shipping guide. If you’re planning on shipping a foreign or Oz plated motorcycle to Australia, have a read of this packed guide first.
This guide is based on our motorcycle ride through Australia during our round the world trip. The guides on this website are constantly updated by us and with info from contributors to keep them current, up-to-date and as helpful as possible.
Contents
How to Ship a Motorcycle to Australia
By Andy Davidson
Mad or Nomad - RTW motorcycle travellers
Australia is an incredible country to explore on a motorcycle. But it’s somewhere at the ends of the earth, and that puts a lot of people off taking their own bike there, which is a shame because it’s straight forward when you know how.
This guide’s aim is to help you get past the paperwork and quarantining and ship your own motorcycle to Australia by providing information on our personal experiences shipping with links to our recommended agent. Here’s what you need to know…
Paperwork
As with shipping a motorcycle to any country, you will need to sort your paperwork in advance. Firstly, you need a title/registration document to prove you own the motorcycle as well as a passport and valid visa for you to enter Australia to collect it.
READ MORE: Motorcycle Travel Paperwork Explained
Carnet de Passage
Australia is a Carnet de Passage country. This means that you must use a CDP to temporarily import your motorcycle into Australia. Your bike will be allowed to stay for the validity of your CDP.
A CDP typically lasts 12 months, so it depends how long you have left on your CDP when you ship it to Australia. Your bike will need to be stamped in and out of Australia. Your Carnet must be valid and in place before you ship to Australia.
You may be able to get an extension on your CDP. To do this visit: www.aaa.asn.au
READ MORE: Carnet de Passage Explained
Vehicle Import Approval
This one catches a lot of people out. You do not need a Vehicle Import Permit if you are temporarily importing your motorcycle to Australia using a Carnet de Passage.
Insurance
To legally ride a motorcycle in Australia you must have insurance. You can get this as a foreigner even before you arrive in the country. We recommend doing so as if your bike is ready to collect you will need to pick it up as soon as possible and won’t want to be hanging around on the phone.
To get insurance before you arrive, we recommend purchasing through the official channel in each state. For example, if you are shipping to Melbourne in Victoria, we recommend using www.vicroads.vic.gov.au
If you have a foreign plated motorcycle in Australia, you will need TAC Non registered Vehicle cover to legally use your motorcycle. This can be obtained from VicRoads.
Australia motorcycle shipping agents
We highly recommend using an agent to handle receiving your motorcycle in Australia and navigating the minefield of customs, duties, carnets, quarantining and storage.
In some countries, it’s easy enough to handle receiving your bike to save money, but in Australia it makes sense to use an agent – as not using one can cost you even more in the long run if things go wrong.
For example, once your bike arrives at the shipping port, it will need to clear customs immediately. If it is not then cleared and taken away to another storage centre, there will be a daily charge and these costs can be astronomical. Using a company will ensure that your agent arranges immediate transport of your bike to their own storage facility and for you to collect when you’re ready – thereby massively reducing the costs.
One of the reasons this is so important for Australia is because it’s an expensive country. For example, we shipped our bike to Melbourne and without an agent we would have had to arrive and wait for weeks just in case the bike arrived early spending a mini fortune on hotels. But instead, our agent took care of everything and told us when the bike would be ready so we could continue hanging out on a beach in Bali.
It is possible to do it yourself though, but it’s up to you to consider and weigh up whether it’s worth it or not.
Recommended motorcycle shipping agent for Australia
We used Brent from Bikes Abroad to send our motorcycle from Bali, Indonesia to Melbourne, Australia. And again to ship our motorcycle from Brisbane to the UK.
Brent has been absolutely brilliant in arranging our motorcycle shipping both times. His entire service was incredibly smooth, communication was excellent and he went above and beyond to help with getting our bike cleared fast and keeping our costs as low as possible. We highly recommend his services, get in touch with him if you’re planning on shipping to or from Australia
Here’s the contact info:
- Web: www.bikesabroad.com.au
- Email: enquiries@bikesabroad.com.au
Worldwide shipping agents
This article focuses on shipping motorcycles to Australia. So, the information provided is all about what happens when your bike arrives in Australia. But of course, you need to ship the bike from whichever country it is in first.
You can do this yourself or by using an agent. In some countries it’s easy enough to do on your own, but in others (like Australia) it is highly recommended to use an agent.
Have a look at our Shipping Companies Finder page. You’ll find a bunch of companies based around the world that can help with shipping your bike. They will get in touch with your nominated shipping company in Australia and will handled your shipment between them.
READ MORE: International Motorcycle Shipping Companies
Australia quarantine
Passing Australian quarantine is the big fear for any motorcycle traveller visiting Oz. There are horror stories out there of bikes failing inspection and owners being charged hundreds, even thousands, for mandatory re-cleaning as well as ridiculous storage fees for each day until the bike has been re-inspected at the quarantine centre’s leisure.
Who knows if these stories are true? But what we do know is your bike has to be clean. And not just running a hose over it clean – we’re talking mint, spotless, not a morsel of dirt – think showroom clean. That means you’ve got to strip the bike of its fairings, get a toothbrush and get to work. And the same goes for your luggage, gear and anything else you send with the bike.
Australia is isolated and susceptible to pests and disease. It’s for this very reason it has very strict biosecurity controls in place and all vehicles are considered a high-risk because they can bring in contaminated soil and insects etc.
Our experience shipping motorcycles to Australia
We spent Christmas Eve in a Bali car wash cleaning our bike over and over again with toothbrushes. A worker in the car wash insisted on helping but was very confused as to why we kept cleaning. But the three of us went over every part with a toothbrush after taking the bike apart and everything off it. Once we were completely satisfied we rode under one mile to the shipping depot (go to a car wash close to your shipping centre so as not to risk getting any dirt on the bike) and then cleaned the tyres again before loading into the crate. The bike was checked one more time before being wrapped in plastic and crated.
Thankfully, our motorcycle passed quarantine. Interestingly, none of our bags were checked (we sent full panniers, helmets, riding gear in the crate, but everything had been meticulously cleaned). However, the staff working at the depot said that it’s the luck of the draw and that a different inspector could have looked over our bike and asked to open all our bags up.
There was a fellow traveller at the depot whose car had failed quarantine. He had to wait three weeks for his car to be re-cleaned (you can’t do it yourself) and pay about £800 for the pleasure as well as the re-inspection costs. He also couldn’t retrieve any of his stuff or from the car and had to fork out for a hotel during that time.
Don’t be afraid of quarantining. Just do a good job of cleaning your bike and you’ll be fine. Our motorcycle hadn’t been cleaned in 13 years before shipping to Australia and was held together via mud and oil and if that can pass, so can yours.
Additional motorcycle preparation
Other than being spotless, your motorcycle’s fuel tank must be drained (you can keep just under a litre in there) and the battery needs to be disconnected and the connectors taped up and isolated.
Timings
How long it takes to ship to Australia completely depends on where you’re shipping from. The company in the country you send your bike from will have a more precise estimation. But to give a general idea, here are some rough timings for sea freight. Of course, airfreight is same day but eye wateringly expensive.
- Europe to Australia – 45 days
- USA/ Canada to Australia – 30 days
- Southeast Asia to Australia – 30 days
Australia ports
There are a number of ports in Australia that you can ship your motorcycle to. Here are the most popular.
- Darwin
- Adelaide
- Brisbane
- Perth
- Melbourne
- Sydney
Crating
Motorcycles need to be crated for shipment to Australia. The crate should be made from ISPM15 treated timber and be stamped as proof accordingly. If your bike hasn’t been crated in the appropriate material then it will need to be fumigated on arrival for an additional cost.
Read more on motorcycle travel in Australia
Thanks for checking out The How to Ship a Motorcycle to Australia guide. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycle travel in Australia and Australasia that we recommend you read next.
Try these next…
Are you planning on shipping your motorcycle to Australia? Do you have any questions, tips or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Hi, I am planning to ship my Yamaha 650 SECA to Australia and importing to Queensland. I’ve submitted the application for import approval and waiting for the assessment. I’ve also seen a few comments on Air freight vs Sea with some saying the added port fees, and other charges with Sea freight equal the air shipping cost with the added uncertainty of arrival times of ships. Any thoughts?
Hi Jerry, thanks for your comment.
Whichever company you are shipping your motorcycle with to Australia will have the most up-to-date information on whether sea vs air freight is the best.
That’s true regarding the differences, however, it very much depends on the country and port.
I highly suggest contacting Brent from Bikes Abroad in Australia. We’ve personally used his services shipping to and from Australia and he is excellent. He will be able to advise you and help with your shipping if needed.
His details are listed in this article but here they are again,
Web: http://www.bikesabroad.com.au
Email: enquiries@bikesabroad.com.au
Cheers and best of luck with the import,
Andy
hi Hope you are well need halp bring my bike trikes from germany to australia because the government dont give me permit
Hi Raeed, thanks for your comment. Please get in touch with the companies directly for information and quotes on shipping. Visit the Shipping Companies Finder page and get in touch with the company in Germany and the one in Australia (click the countries and then email them directly, all the info is on those pages).
Cheers and best of luck,
Andy
Hi there, as an Australian who has twice utilised the services of Brent at Bikes Abroad, once to import a classic from the USA to Australia and more recently to temporarily export a sports tourer from Australia to the UK, I can’t recommend his services highly enough. Great value, communication and extremely helpful.
Hi David, thanks for your comment. That’s great news to hear you’ve had such positive experiences with Brent. He has been brilliant every time we’ve used his services too.
Out of curiosity, who was your agent in the USA when shipping your classic bike out?
Cheers
Andy
Great guide, really appreciate the information. I’m returning home to New Zealand and bringing a bike back from the UK. Reading your guide has got me thinking about the possibility of a tour around OZ, though it maybe cheaper and easier just to purchase a bike in OZ, will have to do some research. Cheers, Tim 👍
Hi Tim,
Yeah, I think it might be cheaper to simply send your bike back to New Zealand and for you to buy a bike in Oz. It’s not cheap shipping into Aus and then shipping again to NZ.
But then again, you never know! I guess the only way to find out is to just get quotes.
Speak to Jason at Rocket Freight New Zealand for shipping your bike there and to help with arrivals. Tell him Andy from Mad or Nomad sent you and I’m sure he’ll look after you. He’ll be able to help whether you’re shipping from the UK or from Aus.
You can find their details here: Recommended Shipping Company New Zealand.
And of course, Brent from Bikes Abroad Australia listed on this page.
Best of luck and let us know what you decide to do!
Cheers,
Andy
Hi, lots of good information on here.
I’m considering shipping my bike to Oz for a six month plus trip to escape the Canadian winter. How easy was it to get an unregistered vehicle permit, did you manage to obtain one prior to arriving in Oz and how long did it take?
I’m considering shipping the bike to Sydney for the start of the trip, so I’m guessing I would have top apply through a NSW government agent.
Thanks in advance
Pete
Hi Peter, thanks for your comment.
We did not get an unregistered vehicle permit because we shipped using a Carnet de Passage. If you have a CPD you don’t need one. Brent will know the answer, and if you’re shipping to Oz, I would recommend using his services to help with your bike’s arrival and paperwork. His email and website is listed above.
Hope this helps, please do report back on here on how you get on.
Cheers and all the best
Andy
Hi. Myself and 9 others wish to attend a bike rally in Tasmania in March 2027, we’ve got a price for the shipping in a 20 foot container but I’m reading conflicting reports about the TIP. Carnet and CPD requirements. We will be staying for 3 weeks.
Any assistance would be appreciated.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Where are you planning on shipping from and to?
Cheers
Andy
From the UK to the container port Burnie in Taz.
Hi Paul,
Ah I see. So they’re UK registered motorcycles. So in that case, yes, paperwork wise you will need a Carnet de Passage and you will also need to source insurance to ride in Australia.
As for shipping, your bikes will need to be immaculate, but i’ve not heard of people shipping directly to Tasmania. Normally it’s to Melbourne and then they catch the ferry to Tasmania.
In this case, your best bet is to contact Brent from Bikes Abroad directly. His email is on this page. He will know for certain what you can and can’t do and will help you with the clearance.
If you’re shipping in for a rally, then you won’t be able to afford delays, so a clearing agent would be important.
Who are you shipping to Australia with? Which UK company, because they should help provide a contact in Tasmania as well?
On a side note, there are four guides on Tasmania in the Australia page on our favourite routes there and our travel guide etc. Hope this helps with your trip planning.
Please do let us know how you get on and report back here as I’m sure it’ll help the next travellers looking to ship that way.
Cheers and best of luck,
Andy