**Note: Calculation figures may vary, contact us for an official quote**
Importing a Car from Japan: A Simple Process with The Import Lab
At The Import Lab, we specialize in importing Japanese cars into Australia and around the world a seamless experience. Our step-by-step process begins with helping you find the perfect vehicle, ensuring compliance with Australian regulations.
We manage all the complex tasks, including Vehicle Import Approval, shipping logistics, and compliance checks, while guiding you through registration. Our team guarantees transparency and support at every step, ensuring you receive a high-quality, compliant vehicle ready for the road.
The Import Process
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Begin by reaching out to us with your desired car details or by filling in our import request form with your contact details. Our team will be in touch to confirm the import eligibility & make sure the car is upto your specification.
Once you're ready to move forward, our team will inform you of the initial deposit & import agreement to kick-start the import process.
Get Started
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Once the import agreement is finalized, our team will initiate the vehicle selection process. We will send you the most up-to-date listings from auctions and dealers based on your specific requests.
Throughout this stage, we will carefully evaluate each listing, offering you translated condition reports, comprehensive assessments, and detailed photos to help you make an informed decision. Ultimately, the choice is yours—decide which cars you'd like to bid on and which ones to pass.
Additionally, you'll receive the exact final cost of each vehicle, fully landed and compliant in Australia, before any bids are placed
Find Your Match
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Secure the Purchase
Once your bid is successful and the vehicle is secured, payment needs to be made in Japan. This payment, referred to as FOB Japan, covers the cost of the car at auction, our agent's fee, and all inland transportation and associated costs within Japan.
After the auction payment is completed, the vehicle is collected and transported to a holding yard, where it will wait to be shipped.
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When it’s time to ship the vehicle and all export documentation has been finalized, you'll need to arrange payment for the shipping.
This covers the freight costs for transporting the car from Japan to Australia, along with standard freight insurance.
Typically, cars are shipped within a month, though delays can occur depending on ship availability. The journey from Japan to Australia usually takes around two-three weeks and occasionally delayed in customs.
Shipping
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Once your vehicle arrives at an Australian port, it will be unloaded from the ship and proceed through customs clearance and biosecurity inspection.
During this process, the car is checked for any signs of contamination or presence of native organisms. The costs associated with customs clearance and releasing the vehicle from the port are already factored into your “Landed and Complied” price and will be payable at this stage.
Customs Clearance
How it Works
What’s the Cost and Timeline?
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You give us a brief and your budget.
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Pay the Find My Car fee — we start the hunt.
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We find, inspect, and price up your chosen car.
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You approve it — we buy it.
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You pay for the car — we ship it to Australia.
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It lands — we handle compliance and registration (if you want).
Simple. Efficient. Built for real results.
Pick and choose the services you need — full journey or just a hand at critical stages. No fluff, no upsell.
Why Import Lab?
We're your premium, full-service brokerage to source, inspect, purchase, import, and register your car from overseas — mainly from Japan's unbeatable auction network.
A few things you should know:
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75% of used cars in Japan are sold at auction — not through messy private sales.
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Japan loves European cars — meaning you’ll find pristine, one-owner imports at wholesale pricing.
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Massive stock — some auction sites move over 3,000 vehicles every week. More options. Better odds.
At Import Lab, we make sure you’re tapping into this huge market the smart way — not just rolling the dice.
We believe in clear, upfront pricing — no guesswork, no games.
Our Find My Car service is built for serious buyers who value both detail and transparency.
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Cost: $1,688 for vehicles sourced from Japan.
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Speed:
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Late-model (2008+) cars can usually be found within two weeks.
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Collector or cult models — like a Toyota Century or BMW M Car — may take 4–6 weeks to track down properly.
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During onboarding, we run a quick feasibility check against our private international sales database.
This tells you two critical things before we start:
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What your budget can realistically buy.
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How long it’ll likely take to land your dream car.
It saves everyone time — and steers you clear of chasing unicorns.
Bonus:
With Find My Car, your costs are staggered, not slammed on you all at once.
You can plan your payments, forecast your spending, and keep the household CFO (you know who) happy.
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After the vehicle is released from the port, it will be transported to a compliance or engineering workshop to undergo the necessary certification for Australian registration.
This compliance process typically takes around 10 business days, and all related costs are already included in your final "Landed and Complied" price.
Compliance & Inspection
What Does My Budget Cover?
How We’re Different
Real Data. Real Expectations.
We don’t guess — we know.
Alongside access to historic international auction results, we maintain our own in-house database of trading values.
That means we can have an honest, no-nonsense conversation about what kind of car your budget will actually buy — before we even start searching.
Plus, with our Import Vehicle Price Calculator (linked on this page), you can easily estimate your full costs — from purchase to compliance — right here in Australia.
No smoke, no mirrors. Just clear numbers, smart decisions.
More Than Just Finding Your Car
At Import Lab, we don’t just find and buy your car from Japan — we handle the whole journey, properly.
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Unlimited Inspections: Shop till you drop — we’ll inspect as many cars as you need overseas.
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Safe Storage: Every car we purchase is stored undercover at our own secure facility — never dumped in random holding yards or left sitting at the wharf.
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In-House Compliance: When your car lands in Australia, it stays with us. We run our own workshop — no outsourcing, no shortcuts.
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Discounted Shipping: Find My Car customers get direct access to our international freight rate card. Thanks to our high volume, you pay less — simple as that.
We believe in transparent pricing and genuine customer service — not inflated costs or third-party headaches.
Ready to get started?
Submit the form and our team will be in touch with you soon!
+61 420 757 468
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Once compliance is complete, your dream car is ready for you! We’ll arrange a handover and provide you with a folder containing all the necessary documents and certificates to make your registration process smooth.
From here, you’ll need to obtain a Roadworthy Certificate (or equivalent for your state), schedule a registration appointment, and officially register the car with Australian plates.
If needed, our team also offers additional services to assist with the registration process and help you secure the Roadworthy Certificate.