Importing a car from China to New Zealand: full landed-cost guide 2026

Importing a car from China to New Zealand: entry certification, GST and right-hand drive

New Zealand charges no customs duty on cars and 15% GST at the border. The real hurdle is entry certification: the car must meet a standard New Zealand recognises, such as UN/ECE, Australian ADR, Japanese or US standards, and be certified by an NZTA-appointed inspector. New Zealand drives on the left; a modern left-hand-drive car needs a special permit, so plan on a factory right-hand-drive export version.

Policy checked: 26 October 2026. Each rule links to the New Zealand Customs, NZTA or MPI page it comes from. Valuation, certification and registration are decided by those agencies on the actual vehicle; nothing here guarantees the outcome.

Read NZTA's entry-certification requirements for new light vehicles.

Who can import, and what the car must be

Individuals and companies can both import; a customs broker is optional. What decides whether a car can be registered:

• Recognised standards. For frontal impact and the other requirements, NZTA lists UN/ECE regulations, EC directives, US FMVSS, Australian ADR and Japanese standards, with a manufacturer's statement of compliance accepted as proof. Chinese national standards are not on the list, so a car documented only to Chinese standards will not pass.
• Appointed certifier. Entry certification is done only by inspectors appointed by NZTA, normally the manufacturer's New Zealand representative.
• Steering. A left-hand-drive passenger car under 20 years old needs a Category A permit, granted only to New Zealand citizens or residents for collector's items or models never made in right-hand drive, and capped at 500 a year. A Chinese domestic-market car does not fit; buy the right-hand-drive export version.

Taxes and the landed cost

1. Customs duty 0% on cars (New Zealand Customs).
2. GST 15%, calculated on the customs value plus any duty, plus shipping and insurance.

Two right-hand-drive petrol SUVs, calculated live by the same rules engine as this site's calculator. The table includes an estimate of the Clean Car Standard charge on higher-emission new cars, taken from the calculator's settings; NZTA's own pages could not be checked today, so confirm the figure for the actual model with NZTA. The remaining rows are estimates, not official fees.

Landed charges come to about 22% of CIF, or 72–79% on top of the ex-works price. These are estimates, not a binding DDP offer; New Zealand Customs' assessment prevails.

Entry certification and registration

After the car clears the border, an NZTA-appointed inspector checks it against the recognised standards and the documents supplied with it; without the required documents the vehicle must not be certified. Ask the seller before ordering for the manufacturer's compliance documents to UN/ECE or ADR standards for the exact variant. Certification and registration are NZTA's decision; LandedCar does not guarantee them.

Shipping, biosecurity and customs clearance

Cars ship from southern China to Auckland or Tauranga by roll-on/roll-off or container; the calculator uses the current reference freight and insurance. Under MPI's import health standard, a new vehicle from a country outside the stink-bug schedule, which does not list China, must arrive clean and free of contaminants and pests. The import declaration is due within 20 days of arrival. LandedCar delivers to the port (FOB or CIF) and handles the Chinese export declaration; clearance, GST, certification and registration are in the importer's name. The responsibility for each step must be written into the quotation and pro forma invoice.

Frequently asked questions

I am moving to New Zealand. Can I bring my car without GST? Concession 80(c) on New Zealand Customs' page requires that you lived outside New Zealand for more than the 21 months before arrival, personally owned and used the car overseas for at least a year and hold residence. Selling within two years means paying the duty and GST, and the car still needs NZTA certification.

Can I import a Chinese left-hand-drive car and convert it? Plan on a factory right-hand-drive car instead; the left-hand-drive permit is limited to collector's items and models never made in right-hand drive.

Do electric cars pay GST? Yes, GST applies to imported goods generally. Run the calculator with the actual model.

Sources, checked 26 October 2026: Customs: import allowances and charges · Customs: duty and GST · Customs: importing goods for business · Customs: moving to New Zealand with a vehicle · NZTA VIRM: new light vehicles · NZTA: Category A left-hand-drive vehicles · NZTA: document requirements · MPI: vehicles import health standard. Clean Car, clearance, certification and registration amounts are estimates, not official fees. Rules change; the decisions of Customs, NZTA and MPI on the actual vehicle prevail.