A temporary vehicle import is a vehicle that is brought into New Zealand by a resident of another country, usually for a maximum of 12 months, while remaining registered in its country of origin. The vehicle must be exported from New Zealand within the allowed temporary entry period.

Before a vehicle is released to its owner, it must be inspected by the quarantine service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).

The vehicle must be licensed in New Zealand as an overseas visitor’s vehicle. In addition, the vehicle’s registration in its country of origin must remain current for the duration of its stay in New Zealand, and must remain in the name of the person who imported the vehicle into New Zealand. The overseas registration plates must remain on the vehicle; it does not need New Zealand plates.

The owner of a temporarily imported vehicle must provide:

• a completed ‘Application for registration of an overseas visitor’s vehicle’ form (MR2C)
• proof that the vehicle is currently registered in his/her name in its country of origin (eg by providing original vehicle registration documents)
• a Carnet de Passage or temporary import entry
• identification that shows the vehicle owner’s name, date of birth and signature
• payment of an Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) levy (but none of the other registration and licensing fees).

See the LANDATA agent’s manual chapter 4-B for further information.

The vehicle does not need to meet New Zealand’s requirements for entry certification. However, an entry certifier must carry out a basic safety inspection before issuing a warrant of fitness (WoF) or certificate of fitness (CoF) label for the vehicle. The vehicle does not need to comply with New Zealand-approved standards, or requirements for specialist certification (eg low volume vehicle modifications). A vehicle imported for temporary use must at least meet the provisions set by the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic 1949, which are outlined in Technical bulletin 5 – Inspection requirements for temporary vehicle imports.

If an owner decides to keep a vehicle permanently in New Zealand that was originally a temporary import, they will need to go through the same certification process that is used for a permanent import. Refer to Pre-registration and VIN, section 1-2.4.