Shipping a car to New Zealand from the USA can be an involved process, but starting the process early to consider costs, time frame, and travel arrangements and working with our experienced team will make it easy. There are many good reasons Americans and New Zealanders alike ship cars from the US all the way back to NZ. From long term relocation to resale of American cars, we’ve shipped thousands of different vehicles.
Read our guide below on how to ship a car to New Zealand from the USA and start your international shipment today.
For a free New Zealand car shipping estimate, fill out the form at the top of the page or use our Online Quote Form
How Much Does Shipping a Car from the USA to New Zealand Cost?
The cost to ship a car to New Zealand is based on three main factors.
- The current location of your car
- The make and model of your car
- The final destination of your car in New Zealand
This will determine your ocean freight costs, as well as whether you’ll need transport your car to one of the US departure locations.
Each car shipment to New Zealand is different based on the three main factors above and for that reason it’s best to get a real quote based on your specific needs. Use the quote form to find out how much it will cost to ship your car to New Zealand.
How to Ship a Car to New Zealand
Shipping a car to New Zealand from the United States is simple with Schumacher Cargo Logistics. Once you start the process of shipping a car to New Zealand with us, we take care of all the major steps to complete your international shipment. With over four decades of experience shipping vehicles to NZ including cars, motorcycles, and classic automobiles, you can rest assured that you are getting the best international shipping rates and service.
Departures and Arrivals: New Zealand Vehicle Shipping
Car Shipping Services to New Zealand
Although we offer roll on roll off car shipping to New Zealand, our recommendation is via container. Not only is contain shipping to New Zealand more flexible, it is also a more secure overseas car shipping method. Container shipping is especially better for those moving to New Zealand with furniture and personal effects as well as a car.
US Departures
There are 5 Schumacher warehouses that can export your car to New Zealand. Each warehouse covers a broader area of the United States, which allows us to ship your car no matter where it is in the country.
- Los Angeles/Long Beach
- Houston, TX
- New York/New Jersey
- Savannah, GA
- Miami, FL
New Zealand Arrivals
- Auckland
- Christchurch
- Wellington
If you don’t live in one of the major areas above, we coordinate inland transport to your destination. Alternatively, you can also pick up the vehicle from the port warehouse as well.
Does Shipping My Car to New Zealand Make Sense?
When deciding if it’s worth it to ship a car to New Zealand, here are some things to consider:
- Are you a returning citizen or immigrating to NZ?
- Does your car meet the New Zealand car compliance standards determined by the New Zealand Transport Agency?
- Is your car left hand drive, or over 20 years old?
These factors are important to consider because they will make a difference in the cost to import a car to New Zealand.
The ocean transport from the USA to New Zealand is only half of the process. For instance, if your car is over 20 years old, you should be able to ship and drive in NZ without much work.
Fortunately, we handle everything on the export side here in the USA, meaning we take care of preparing documentation, customs, loading, drayage, inspection reports, etc.
Once your vehicle arrives in New Zealand, our partners will handle the import process so you won’t have to worry about a thing.
Importing a Car to New Zealand from the USA
If your car is over 20 years old or the auto that you want to ship is for off road use, then shipping your car won’t be a problem. Because of this, we ship classic cars to New Zealand quite often.
If your vehicle is less than 20 years old, then the car shipment to NZ is more complex, as there are more safety standards and certifications you will need than for older vehicles.
Immigration status will determine what the goods and service tax (GST) will be for your vehicle upon import.
The standard in NZ is a GST of 15% which is based not only on the value of the car but the ocean freight and insurance as well. Check your current status with the New Zealand consulate as each individual may be in different situations.
There are exceptions for returning residents, and new immigrants which allow you to import a car to New Zealand as long as you have owned and used the car for more than 12 months, and meet a few other criteria.
Once you begin working with your Schumacher representative, they will guide you on everything that you will need for your car shipment to NZ.
Shipping Car from New Zealand to the USA
We also import cars to the US from New Zealand.
Although, this service is not as frequent, as cars in NZ are right hand drive and therefore face the same issue in terms of frontal impact standards and LHD conversion. Our dedicated import specialists guide you on the process, so we’ll make this process just as easy as the export.
Visit our auto imports resource for more info on the overall import process
More NZ Info
Start shipping a car to New Zealand with SCL and fill out our Online Quote Form
Have more questions? Contact one of our NZ car shipping professionals today for rates or more information!
Call in at US: 562-408-6677 or Toll-Free: 800-599-0190
SCL New Zealand Car Shipper Rating
