How to bring your car to the Cook Islands

Bhavna Team

Member since 01 June 2015

BhavnaTeam09 May 2017 09:54:07

41357

Hello everybody,

If you exported your car to the Cook Islands, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they?

What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the age of the vehicle? Are there limits on emissions or emission controls in the Cook Islands?

What are the expected costs of exporting a car? In your opinion, is it worth it?

Once you arrived in the Cook Islands, what were the applicable taxes? What was the customs process like?

How do you go about registering an imported car in the Cook Islands?

Is it best to buy a car once you have arrived or to bring your car with you, in your opinion?

We look forward to hearing from you!

Bhavna

Magnus B40 New member

Member since 08 July 2021

Magnus B40New member08 July 2021 15:09:58

There are just a few formalities that you have to consider.
The first one is that the car need to be right hand side steering. You can, on exception get granted deviation approval from the minister of police to import a left side steered car but I would not count on it.

I seen no restriction on emissions and have not heard about such.

If you import a car to Cook Islands first year after moving there and you have evidence that you have owned the vehicle 1 year before the export in your previous country then you can import it as moving goods, meaning no customs levy nor VAT.
You can move 1 car, airplane, boat etc per person.
Now, if you just want to go somewhere in another country, buy a car and put it on a ship to Cook Islands it is also possible but you will have to pay a customs fee and then 15% VAT/Sales tax.