An aircraft sits on the runway

Shipping your Privately Owned Vehicle (POV)

Members who are assigned to Australia are advised that they may incur costs associated with required modifications and road worthiness prior to registering the POV. Modification requirements may cost more than $1,000USD and are not reimbursable by the DoD. Customers should ensure their POV has good tires as inadequate tire tread is a common trend among imports. Purchasing tires within Australia can be a costly expense. Some POVs require a replacement/realignment of headlights and installation of amber turn signals.

Due to lengthy transit times and registration requirements, personnel assigned to Australia for one-year tours should contact their origin transportation office for more information on possible storage options.

Right hand drive POVs from countries other than Australia are NOT recommended. These POVs do NOT meet Australia design requirements, are NOT fitted with an Australia Compliance Plate, and are NOT authorized to convert to Australia specifications. It is not recommended to import this type of POV into Australia as it must either be exported to an acceptable location, sold to another SOFA customer, or destroyed at the completion of your tour. A right hand drive POV cannot be imported to CONUS unless it is converted to meet U.S. safety and emission standards, which may cause major expenses to the owner.

 

Import approval and Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)

Personnel that fall under the SOFA are permitted to import a POV without obtaining further approval from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. Please see Australian Government Road Vehicle Standards  for more information.

 

Asbestos Declaration

Members will need to ensure their POV is free of asbestos prior to shipping it to Australia.  This requirement will be met by utilizing an approved testing facility found at one of the links below to obtain asbestos inspection and documentation.

  • ILAC – International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation www.ilac.org