Before a road vehicle can be registered for the first time in Australia it must comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.  This applies to new and used imported vehicles and locally manufactured vehicles. The Motor Vehicle Standards Act requires vehicles to meet the national standards covering safety and emission requirements.

GT AUTO Compliance Process

Compliance is the process every import vehicle must undergo to ensure it meets Australian Design Rules. It may only be performed by Registered Automotive Workshops.

Compliance begins right after purchase of the vehicle in Japan when the car is de-registered (in Japan) and the compliance workshop applies for an import approval from DOTARS (in Australia).

The import approval allows the car to be unloaded off the ship upon reaching Australia. Once the ship arrives in Australia, the car clears customs, is cleaned, and is transported to the compliance workshop.

The exact process of compliance varies depending on vehicle make and model, but usually entails writing a comprehensive report to the Department of Transport and regional services, installing child restraints, changing/adjusting headlights, changing wheels/tyres, and more.