Transporting Vintage Cars To New Zealand?

Apr 01. 2010

Burke Bros Answer:
The container will be delivered to your depot for MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – New Zealand’s quarantine department) inspection after which we will deliver the container for destuffing.

Customer Question:
Can the vehicles arriving by RO/RO (Roll-on/Roll-off) be transferred to your depot for inspection by MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) at the same time or does this have to be arranged at Port?

Burke Bros Answer:
We think this could be done but the normal procedure is for it to be done at the port, where Quarantine of course, have an office and where they expect to do these inspections as a matter of course. Transferring the vehicles to our warehouse would have to be done under quarantine conditions and would be expensive. And that’s provided you could overcome Quarantine’s objections.

Customers Question:
During our last visit we were advised by local MAF representative to arrange steam cleaning in New Zealand as this would be done to the standards and would be accepted. Is this correct?

Burke Bros Answer:
We would suggest presenting them for shipment in as clean a condition as possible. This includes ensuring there is no organic matter, leaves, dirt, etc. inside the engine or boot compartments, wheel wells etc. If they are generally clean in this way they may not need to be cleaned again here, but if one or more does need cleaning this can be done at the port as required. However there is no need, in our opinion, for you to try and pre-arrange for them all to be done here. Once Customs and Quarantine procedures are completed you would have the choice of transporting the vehicles to your property at Snells Beach and from there arranging compliance inspection and registration. (It might be easier to arrange and do this progressively rather than try and do it while the vehicles are at the port – they would have to go off port for this and with so many it could be a high pressure operation to do all at once and with some attendant frustrations.

Customer Question:
With your local knowledge could you advise the best way to handle the two consignments?

Subject to your sending us all the required paperwork for the vehicles (UK registration documents, proof of ownership – original documents if possible, purchase invoices, freight costs for each – preferably invoices with these costs detailed) we should be able to have the Customs and Quarantine clearance paperwork all done prior to arrival of the vessels and assuming you are in New Zealand before this time, you will be able, hopefully, to be available to sign the Customs release forms. It is really helpful to have all this done by the time the vessel arrives. The paperwork we will need completed are:

-Application for Customs Client Code: Just one of these required. We will submit it to Customs. The number, when issued, can be retained by you and used for any other import/export transactions you may subsequently pursue.

-Unaccompanied personal baggage declaration – we will need one for each shipment, i.e. one for container and one for Ro/Ro.

-Vehicle import form – we need one for each vehicle and trailer (actually we could get by without these but they are really helpful especially when dealing with a number of vehicles and they help to keep things together, avoid confusion and ensure we have all the information required.