PLEASE READ THESE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FIRST *Special Circumstances* *Q*: I am already in Canada and driving my US car here with US plates and insurance. How do I go about getting my permanent vehicle export and import done? *A*: All the steps outlined in the video apply to you. This is how the process would work for you. You verify that the car is eligible to be imported to Canada, have the recalls completed, and that there are no loans left on the car. If any recalls need to be completed you have to complete it first with a US dealership and pay off the loans. You can file all your paperwork for the AES filing while you are still in Canada. On the day of ‘export’, you drive the car into US, turn around, ‘export’ the car out of US, cross the border and then ‘import’ the car to Canada. The 72 hour heads up rule still applies. For instance if today is Sunday, August 27 2023 and you decide to import your car ASAP, you send in the AES paperwork and they confirm that they did the filing on Tuesday, August 29 2023 at 2pm. Your crossing date should be atleast after 2pm on Friday, September 1 2023. So plan ahead and account for any delays from the broker to do the AES filing. To be on the safe side, you mention in the forms that the crossing date is September 2, 2023, Saturday. On Saturday you drive to US, cross the border, go into US, grab a coffee and then head back to Canada and on the way first get the car ‘exported’ from US, and then ‘imported’ to Canada *Q*: I am already in Canada and driving my US car here with US plates and insurance. Is this okay? What do I do? *A*: Not really. Your US insurance company won’t be too okay with knowing that you are driving the car in Canada for an extended period of time. ‘Visiting’ Canada for a few weeks is one thing, but ‘visiting’ for multiple months is not okay, you are basically ‘living’ in Canada according to your US insurance company. I suggest you get your vehicle exported from US and imported to Canada as soon as you can. *Q*: My US work visa has expired. What can I do? And what do I do in the mean time. *A*: You can get your visitor visa for US and then use that to go back to US to complete the vehicle export process. In the mean time, just get a “temporary vehicle import” done here in Canada. Check RIV website for details on the temporary vehicle import. Get Canadian insurance and Canadian plates and then whenever you get your US visitor Visa, you can go and complete the permanent export-import process. *Q*: I am going to Canada as Non-resident(Tourists or Work-Permit for 12 to 15 months).Should I into Canada? Does US Insurance cover the whole time? And In case after 12 months If I decide to become a resident, can I start the import process then while I would still be in Canada? *A*: You can do something called a 'soft import' or 'temporary import' to Canada. I haven't done it myself so I don't know all the details of it but I have heard that it is an option for someone wanting to just move to Canada as non-resident. In a soft import you don't have to do the RIV process in Canada, but everything else still applies. If you are considering to just drive the car in Canada without any importing or any process, you can can for a little while as if you are a visitor to Canada. But if your US insurance company finds out you are 'visiting' for 12 to 15 months and something happens in that time duration to the car while in Canada, I am doubtful they will be okay with it. You will very likely get a hard time from them processing any claims. You can start the process for importing even after the car is in Canada, but you will have to be able to take it to US atleast once to be able to go and complete the US ITN export process and then drive back to Canada. *Import taxes* *Q*: If vehicle is gifted, or sold for example for $1, by a relative, how are taxes determined? Any good way to minimize taxes? *A*: Taxes are paid on the Canadian Side. US side its just about clearly letting the US customs know that the vehicle is being exported from US. a) Canada customs uses their own database to lookup the value of the vehicle and to calculate the import taxes. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to work around that. If you say buy a barely used Honda Civic for $5000, then lets say Canada customs will just congratulate you on snagging an amazingly great deal but they will use their own car value database and charge tax the higher of the two numbers (higher of the price you paid and the vehicle value in their database) b) If you are a Canadian citizen moving back to Canada or immigrating to Canada (on your first landing), you are tax exempt to bring goods upto $10,000. So if your car is valued by Canada customs at $15000 and that is all that you are bringing in, then you will be charged import tax on only the $5000. *Q*: How does this $10000 exemption for new residents or returning residents work? *A*: People who are moving to Canada on PR or Canadian PR/ Citizens moving back to Canada after having lived out of Canada for more than 1 year (You should check this number with Canada customs if it’s still 1 year or its changed) *Q*: Did you declare the Car import information in the B4 form ? *A*: Yes you have to declare the car in the B4 Personal effects form. *Driving back from US to Canada* *Q*: How do I get temporary license plates to drive from USA to Canada? *A*: Ohio State gives you temporary tags to be able to drive you car from Ohio to Canada. If you are in the western US, Washington state DMV is very flexible. Speaking from an experience of a person I know, couple months ago, they bought a car in Connecticut from a private person, got the temporary tags from Washington and then used that to drive the car from Connecticut to British Columbia. Washington DMV didn't mind that the car wasn't originally registered with them or that the person requesting the temporary tags didn't reside in Washington (or even US). Regardless of where the temporary tags from, you can get insurance (Canadian insurance) activated on your car the moment you pay for it and get the title. You can call your Canadian insurance company and tell them you are buying a car from US that you will be driving back to Canada and registering in Canada, and they can activate insurance coverage on it from the moment you get the vehicle title. So you are insurance covered for the drive back from US to Canada. *Q*: What about insurance coverage for driving back from USA to Canada? *A*: Some insurance companies in Canada allow this, I know for a fact that Co-operators insurance allows this: Call your insurance agent and tell them that you are buying a car from the US and add it to your policy. The moment you buy the car (pay the car), the car is yours and thus covered by your insurance. So now you can drive the car from US to Canada (while being covered by your Canadian insurance company). Once you get to Canada, you may have to get a simple inspection done by a mechanic and submit the inspection form to your insurance company. It basically documents if the car has any pre-existing damage or not. *Q*: I purchased the car from a family, friend in US and now want to figure out how to drive the car back to Canada. What about registration and insurance? *1) The proper way of doing things.* For registration most US states will give you a temporary/transit permit that will allow you to drive the car legally from US to Canada. You can use your Canadian driver’s license for this. If in doubt, call the Department of Motor Vehicle for that particular state and confirm. As far as insurance goes, my local Co-operators insurance agent in Ontario advised me the following: You can get insurance on a car purchased in US that you intend to drive back to Canada. The way it works is you call them up and tell them about the car purchase, give them the VIN details and activate the insurance policy. Keep this active policy on at all times. Or print it off and keep it. Just be sure that you have proof of this insurance coverage on you. Once the US seller puts your name on the US vehicle title, technically the car is yours and your Canadian insurance will cover you from that point onwards. You will have Canadian insurance coverage for the drive back. Upon arrival to Canada you would have to get an inspection done by an approved mechanic who will note if the vehicle has any pre-existing damage. Then you send the completed inspection form to the insurance agent and that is that. *2) Grey zone work-around.* I haven't done this personally but I have heard multiple viewers tell me it worked for them. This is what I learnt: You drive the car to US-Canada border with the signed title and follow the steps in this video. US border officials don't check if you have insurance or not or whose license plate is on the car. Canadian officials don't check for it either. [Their jurisdiction doesn’t cover this. Only local law enforcement can pull you over and check for license, registration and insurance. Now for any reason IF you REALLY upset the Canadian border officers, then they may come outside, check things and call local law enforcement up ahead and then you may get pulled over]. You drive the car to the final destination in Canada, get the inspections done and get the car registered. Only after you have Canadian registration and insurance do you tell your family relative to cancel their insurance in US. This way there is no gap in insurance at any time point. There is always somebody's insurance coverage on the car at same point.
*Documentation* *Q*: Does the bill of sale have to be notarized? *A*: Bill of sale is used just for exporting the vehicle from US and for the AES filing. It doesn't have to be notarized. Could be just a simple receipt on a piece of paper signed by the seller and buyer and with the vehicle details on it. If you are bringing over a unique vehicle or very old vehicle for which Canada customs may not have a quick way to look up the value of, then the Bill of Sale does prove handy. They may just use the bill of sale, OR Ebay listing OR certified check copy, something that you can use to prove that you paid for the vehicle what you said you paid and thus charge you on that amount. For instance, if you are importing a 1990 JDM Honda/Toyota with 300kms on it, there is no quick way for Canada customs to look up the value of the vehicle and in that case they may ask for proof to show what you paid for and thus charge you taxes on that amount. *Q*: Is the bill of sale necessary? I bought it a few years ago and don’t remember where the bill of sale is or I bought it from a friend and never bothered to put the transaction down on a piece of paper. *A*: Bill of sale is necessary for the vehicle export. As long as there is something on a piece of paper with two signatures on it that states the vehicle purchase date, vehicle details and vehicle sale amount its okay. Its only necessary for vehicle export. The customs broker in US does not/cannot verify the authenticity of the bill of sale if it is new/old. *Q*: Is it possible to import into Canada as a Permanent Resident with a valid PR card but a Foreign passport? Any additional processes to follow? *A*: Yes definitely possible. It's the exact same process. In the US ITN filing forms you can enter your Foreign passport number. *Day of Export - Import* *Q*: When exporting the car out of US If I am using the Port Huron / Sarnia Bridge, where do I park? *A*: You will be driving north on US I-69 to approach the Port Huron / Sarnia Bridge. On the US Side, right before you get on the bride is the toll booth. Right before the tool booth, you can pull over on the left shoulder. You will see a barrier and a building to your left. That is the US Customs office. You have to enter from there. These are the exact co-ordinates. You can copy paste it in google maps and you can check out the google street view to get a better idea. 42.998170, -82.436758 *Q*: If I am carrying household goods with me during the vehicle export because I am from US to Canada, is there any other process for that? *A*: No other process. If you are immigrating at the same time when you are importing your car into Canada, they will ask you for a list of all the items you are bringing with you and the approximate value if it. If I remember it correctly the value limit is $10000 if you are immigrating. if you are just going back and forth to US and Canada to import/export the car then the value limitation is dependent on how many days you were out of Canada. Meaning say if you live in Canada and you go to US just to get the car, the value of goods is dependent on how many days you spent in US before you come back to Canada. *Q*: Can I do the vehicle export and import process, like the actual border crossing late at night or on weekends? *A*: Some borders like the Detroit Windsor, Ambassador bridge is open 24X7. For other borders the hours vary. I would suggest you call the border office directly and check with them on their hours. You can find their number right from Google maps. *Q*: I am already in Canada with the car. How do I figure out the US 72 hour rule? *A*: Yes. As long as the ITN documents have been with the US customs office for at least 72 hours, then you are good to go. You don't have to be in US for that 72 hours. You can be in Canada, send all the documents to the broker, who will file your documents and get you an ITN number. and then as long as 72 hours have been gone by since then, on the day of your crossing (as stated on the ITN document) you can drive over to US, turn around and export the car at the US customs. *Q*: Time budgeting. If I have a fairly standard car and have all my documentation organized, then how much time should I budget for the actual export-importing process at the border? *A*: If you have all your documentation well organized. At the US customs I would budget about 45 mins (10 mins driving in and out of their facility, 20 mins of waiting inside the CBP office and 5-10 mins of actual processing time. Waiting time here is generally low as only people with commercial/export business are waiting to be served. Not tourists or commuters). On the Canadian Border side, about 15-20 mins of actual processing time, but the waiting time is an unpredictable game. During COVID, the few times I have imported cars in Canada, the waiting time wasn't even 2 mins. I was in and out of Canada Customs office in 20 mins. But if you end up reaching at the same time as a big party bus (All occupants in this case have to alight and go in the Canada Customs for passport check) then you may spend 1 hr just waiting to be served. *Vehicle Eligibility and RIV* *Q*: Do we have to send email to RIV on the recall clearance? *A*: Yes, you would have to send an email to RIV on the recall clearance. You will need to create an account with RIV(You can create a guest account) that will keep track of all the paperwork that needs to be submitted, payment and status of your application. To the best of my memory, you can also just upload the recall clearance on the website through your guest account *Q*: My car is 15+ years old, how is the process different for me? *A*: Your vehicle is exempt from the RIV inspection in Canada. So you can skip the RIV inspection part, not worry about having the recalls completed and you also don’t have to pay the $370 RIV Inspection fee. *Q*: My car doesn't have DRL (Daytime Running Lights) on it. Should I have this figured out before I import the car into Canada. *A*: No you don't have to worry about it beforehand. It's nice to have it done, but not a necessity. You just need DRL for the RIV Inspection in Canada. So you can export the car from US, drive to Canada, complete the paperwork at the Canadian border and then deal with the DRL during RIV Inspection. Infact, Canadian Tire is one of the more popular spots to have RIV inspection done and because they do so many of these, they know many US Cars don't have DRL, they offer to fix that issue for you (for a price of course) and then also do the RIV inspection at the same time. So it costs money, but its convenient. You get your DRL issue fixed and RIV inspection both done at the same time. *Q*: My car currently has a open recall and my recall letter clearly says the parts/remedy isn't available yet. The dealership says the parts could be available in a few months but I am moving to Canada soon. What options do I have? *A*: This is a tricky one. Strictly speaking, RIV (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) won't let you complete the RIV inspection unless all recalls are completed before you import the vehicle. I would suggest you try calling them and see if they can give you an exception. Also in the future when the parts do become available you will likely have to go back to US to get the recall completed. The Canadian dealership will likely not do it citing that it is a US vehicle. *General* *Q*: After the entire process is completed, Should we return the US license plates to USA DMV or can we dispose them? *A*: You can dispose the plates or keep them as a souvenir. :) No need to return the plates back to USA DMV.
Just wanted to give you props - your video made the process of importing a passenger car to Canada so much easier. Probably the most cumbersome process I've ever been through. The hardest part was finding the customs office for exportation - at Port Huron/Sarnia, you have to park on the left shoulder before hitting the bridge to Canada and kind of wander into a random building to get your title stamped. I would estimate I was in and out of the US Customs office in about 20 mins.
I'm about to go through the same process. When you're crossing the border, do you enter customs on the U.S. side or when you're back over on the Canadian side? Any help on directions would be much appreciated.
You enter customs on the US side first to export the car and then on the Canadian side at the booth you tell them you are importing the car and then they send you to the customs office there
No other process. If you are immigrating at the same time when you are importing your car into Canada, they will ask you for a list of all the items you are bringing with you and the approximate value if it. If I remember it correctly the value limit is $10000 if you are immigrating. if you are just going back and forth to US and Canada to import/export the car then the value limitation is dependent on how many days you were out of canada. Meaning say if you live in Canada and you go to US just to get the car, the value of goods is dependent on how many days you spent in US before you come back to Canada.
An extremely well-put-together video, explaining all the details in a highly detailed manner. This video made the entire process so much easier for me to understand. The breakdown of the whole process step by step means you’ll face no issues whatsoever. Kudos to you for the painstaking effort you took into putting this video and its contents together! Thank you so much @Virar Automotive
Thank you so much for making this video. We followed it step by step along with your links. This made our export/import process so much easier. God Bless you!!!!
Wow, what a great video! I have been putting off importing a motorcycle collection for years now due to my vague understanding of the process. This video has taught me more than months of researching the topic myself has. Thanks so much ....... I will let you know how it goes!
Thank you very much for your kind words. Glad to hear that you found the video helpful. Please do let me know how your experience goes importing your motorcycle
I don't even know how to drive, but still watched all of this video for information purposes. Nicely presented! Moving to Toronto next year from Los Angeles. :)
Sounds like a lot more work than the other way around! Good to know about the standards that the Canadian government has in place for automobiles/ safety. I appreciate the video and detail you have gone into. Lastly, I like the Gus Fring supervising from your desk!
Thank you so very much for this video. It is the most complete and easy to follow that I saw around. My husband is military (and we are posted to USA for 2 more years ) and we are in the process to buy a car here in Georgia, but was not sure of the process when we will be back in Ontario in 2025. This video is really helpful and I can't thank you enough. Have a wonderful day 😊
Great video! I am pretty sure that 100% value of car is exempt from Tax for a PR. Tax exemption is not limited to only $10,000, this limit is only for returning residents. Apart from that this video is the best video on this topic :)
Thank you for your kind words. I am sure there is a limit to it. Might want to check with Canada customs. don't think you can just bring in a $100k Mercedes as a first time PR and it be completely tax exempt
@@VirarAutomotive yes you can import more than $10,000 car plus jewelry etc without paying tax as a PR. Limit is for returning residents as mentioned on govt website
Really appreciate this video , Clear and very specific information shared step by step , very professionally done , I am doing the export and this video is like a great reference guide
Do you have any info on, if someone wants to import a car frame only with wheels on it? So no engine, transmission or body. Just a bare metal frame with wheels rolling.
It's behond great with all the links you've provided below as well as the time stamps on the varioius sections.... really really well done... i can't imagine how much time you spent on this!!!@@VirarAutomotive
Hi there, great video thank you! Questions: 1. Can I put label stickers on speedometer to convert from mph to kmph, without actually replacing the console? 2. Can I continue the car insurance from US until I get a new one in Canada or is there some requirement to get a transit insurance? I'm importing the car to B.C.
Great video, do you have any advice on where I should be going if I am interested in purchasing a car in the USA? I spoke to a few Ford dealerships in Michigan and they told me that they would not sell to Canadians.
Thanks for the detailed video, really appreciate your efforts, I wanna know, if the process is same for brand new car ? Like, can I (canadian) buy the brand new car from the dealership and bring it to canada same day or time ? Thanks
Hello, Yes as a Canadian you can buy a new car in US and import it here. However couple things to consider 1) You may end up paying taxes twice. Once in US and then again GST to import the car to Canada. You have to check with the dealer in US about this. 2) You will likely have to buy the car in US in cash to be able to import it to Canada. Can't really import a car to Canada if you still owe money on it in US.
Amazing video. You have made the process easy so far. I purchased a vehicle in Michigan and want to import it at Windsor crossing. My question is this: What license plates do I use to bring the vehicle back to Canada? Do I put on my existing plates? I have access to Michigan dealer plates as well as Ontario dealer plates. Will those be a better option? This vehicle is for personal use. Thank you!
Glad you found the video helpful. As long the plates have insurance on them, either of them works. US customs or Canada border service doesn't really care which plates are on the car during import export. You just need to have plates with insurance on the car when the car is on public roads, meaning from your drive from Michigan to US border and from Canada border to home in Canada.
@@VirarAutomotiveThank you for the quick response. I have heard the following; American dealer plate won’t work because I don’t have an American License. Canadian dealer plate won’t work because it is not in my name. My own plate will work but I could lose up to 6 demerit points. I will have the vehicle insured a few days before the import export process and importing at DWT. Are these things true? It sounds like it could be hit or miss depending on the officer that I get. Thanks!
@@theboneseh Realistically neither on the American customs side or Canadian customs side will anyone come out and look at the license plate. Even if they do, and if its not the 'proper' plate, they can't really do much cause that is not their jurisdiction. Only the public roads in US driving up to the US border, the bridge/tunnel at the border and the Canadian roads up to the Canadian border is where law enforcement can pull you over and check for plates and insurance. If you really upset the border officers on the Canadian then they may call the local cops and ask to pull you over for something.lol. but that is about it. Multiple viewers of this video have commented and I also know of my friends who have crossed done this process while driving on a plate that was not expressly registered to them. It was in the name of the previous owner or their brother or cousin who they purchased the car from in US. Again, just need to make sure that the plate has active registration, the vehicle is covered by insurnace and if you get pulled over you know whose plate it is and you have it with their consent.
@@VirarAutomotive I think you should make an additional follow up video on temporary vs permanent residents. I am in a rare situation where I have an approved work permit (for H-1B holders) and also have a PR NOI from Ontario....so as a TR I can drive into Canada but as a PR I must file for export from US and import to Canada
Thanks for posting this. It is really helpful. There is one thing that wasn't covered that I'm hoping you can help with ..... I am a Canadian resident. I am going to buy a vehicle form a dealership in the US, drive it to the CAN Border and import it into Canada. How does vehicle registration and insurance for my commute from the US dealership back home to Canada? Will the dealer's registration/plates get me home? Can I get temporary insurance while transporting home?
Temporary registration from the dealership should get you home to Canada. As far as insurance goes, you can have your Canadian insurance company start coverage for your car as soon as you buy it. So that way your new car has insurance coverage for the drive home from US to Canada. Not every insurance company covers this. Some do. I know for a fact that co-operator insurance in Canada does. All they require is that once you get the car to Canada you get a quick vehicle inspection completed by a mechanic, that documents any existing damage the vehicle might have. So basically US temporary registration and Canadian insurance should cover you for the drive from the US to Canada.
Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to help us out so much. I have a couple of questions. I’m looking at importing a Volkswagen Beetle from Mexico to Canada. Is the process the same? Will I need to pay sales tax in Mexico? Instead of driving it over the border I may ship it by sea to Vancouver. Is the process much the same? And lastly, If I ship, I’m considering importing three cars. Is that going to be more hassle than it’s worth?
Hello. Thank you for your comment. Since I have never exported a car from Mexico and imported it to Canada, I couldn't say for sure what the process/costs would be for the exporting part from Mexico. Importing the car into Canada will be similar to what I described in the video above. If you ship it/drive to Canada the process is much the same once you reach the Canadian border. I don't believe you will have to go through additional taxes just because you ship the car as opposed to driving it over a land border. I know this doesn't answer your questions adequately but I couldn't comment on something I don't know much about.
Thanks for the thorough video! A few questions 1. If vehicle is gifted, or sold for example, $1, by a relative, how are taxes determined? Any good way to minimize taxes? 2. How do I get temporary license plates to drive from USA to Canada? 3. The bill of sale you showed - does that need to be notarized in some way or does that vary by state?
1) Taxes are paid on the Canadian Side. US side its just about clearly letting the US customs know that the vehicle is being exported from US. a) Canada customs uses their own database to lookup the value of the vehicle and to calculate the import taxes. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to work around that. b) If you are a Canadian citizen moving back to Canada or immigrating to Canada (on your first landing), you are tax exempt to bring goods upto $10,000. So if your car is valued by Canada customs at $15000 and that is all that you are bringing in, then you will be charged import tax on only the $5000. 2) Ohio State gives you temporary tags to be able to drive you car from Ohio to Canada. If you are in the western US, Washington state DMV is very flexible. Speaking from an experience of a person I know, couple months ago, they bought a car in Connecticut from a private person, got the temporary tags from Washington and then used that to drive the car from Connecticut to British Columbia. Washington DMV didn't mind that the car wasn't originally registered with them or that the person requesting the temporary tags didn't reside in Washington (or even US). Regardless of where the temporary tags from, you can get insurance (Canadian insurance) activated on your car the moment you pay for it and get the title. You can call your Canadian insurance company and tell them you are buying a car from US that you will be driving back to Canada and registering in Canada, and they can activate insurance coverage on it from the moment you get the vehicle title. So you are insurance covered for the drive back from US to Canada. 3)Bill of sale is used just for exporting the vehicle from US and for the AES filing. It doesn't have to be notarized. Could be just a simple receipt on a piece of paper signed by the seller and buyer and with the vehicle details on it. If you are bringing over a unique vehicle or very old vehicle for which Canada customs may not have a quick way to look up the value of, then the Bill of Sale does prove handy. They may just use the bill of sale, OR Ebay listing OR certified check copy, something that you can use to prove that you paid for the vehicle what you said you paid and thus charge you on that amount. For instance, if you are importing a 1990 JDM Honda/Toyota with 300kms on it, there is no quick way for Canada customs to look up the value of the vehicle and in that case they may ask for proof to show what you paid for and thus charge you taxes on that amount. Hopefully this helps.
@@ameliecou5375 Yup. You don't have to. Since your van is a passenger vehicle and its more than 15 years old. If it was a truck or a bus (including school bus) then it would be a different story.
From a convenience POV, yes I would suggest just repairing it in US before importing it. Easier for transportation and fewer questions raised at the border. But other than that, no real difference where you get it repaired. The restrictions/additional steps that come with salvage title will stay the same regardless of where it is repaired.
Hello Virar, Excellent video. I have never used the land border before; so a little lost. Can I do the border crossing over night or on weekends? Would I be able to do all the paperwork at the border during night/weekend?
Some borders like the Detroit Windsor, Ambassador bridge is open 24X7. For other borders the hours vary. I would suggest you call the border office directly and check with them on their hours. You can find their number right from Google maps. Hope this helps
Great video and very informative, thank you. I have a couple of questions: 1) I'm looking to purchase a vehicle in Texas. The owner bought the vehicle at auction and has the original title. However, the title is in the name of the previous owner as the current owner purchased it simply to flip and make a few bucks. I think chose not to transfer the title as he didn't want to pay the state sales tax. So, if I purchase this from the current owner will I have any issues at the border if its not his name on the title? Will the US border folks try to charge me for the tax that the current owner should have paid had he registered the vehicle himself in Texas? 2) The vehicle I'm considering buying is a large commercial truck which I will be converting into an RV. Given that it's a commercial vehicle (its an ex oilfield truck), will this add any complications to the process? Although its a commercial vehicle I will be importing and registering / insuring it for personal use. Thank you
Thank you for your kind words. 1) For the vehicle export and AES filing you need 2 main documents. a) Vehicle title that has been signed to your name. US vehicle titles have a section on the backside where the new owner's name and details can be filled out. As long as your name is on that title, it will be as if the original owner sold the vehicle to you. You need to submit the vehicle title when you do the AES filing and at the US border when you export the vehicle. b) Bill of sale. This bill of sale could be signed by anyone on a piece of paper as this would be a private sale. As long as there is a bill of sale with the name of the owner, your name and vehicle details (model year, make, model, mileage, VIN, date of sale) and that is 'signed' by both you and the owner, that is all you need. The only place where you need this bill of sale is when you do the AES filing. For vehicle import into Canada, you need the stamped US title (when you export the car out of US, the US border officials will stamp the title certifying that they have documented that the vehicle has been exported out of US) 2) Unfortunately I cannot confidently comment on this I am unaware of any potential complications. I don't have experience with this.
Love this video; Thanks again for taking the time and effort to give a detailed analysis of the process. I will be importing to Canada (Ontario) in about 3 weeks and wonder if you have a copy of the Ontario Safety Standards Certificate. I would like to take it to a mechanic here in Clearwater Florida who is familiar with my vehicle and have them complete the document.
Thank you. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the safety standards certificate with me. Instead, here is the link from the Ontario government website. It is a rather long document. www.ontario.ca/files/2022-03/mto-passenger-light-duty-vehicle-inspection-standard-en-2022-03-18.pdf
Hi, I have a pinned comment with a FAQS and this is one of them questions on it that I answered in it. Could you refer to that please? I am on my phone right now. Thanks
Q, can I buy a car in the US and transport it back to Canada on a trailer without us plates on it and go through the necessary procedure to export it and import it into Canada?
Very helpful video. I'll be importing (to Ontario) a 17 year old vehicle and I understand that cars over 15 years don't need to be processed with the RIV program. What happens at the border under this circumstance? Do you just get the Form 1 and then take that and a completed safety inspection to register the car? Thanks
That is correct. You don't have to worry about getting a RIV form, paying RIV fees or getting a RIV inspection. Just get the form 1 at the border, get the Ontario safety done, get insurance coverage on the vehicle, take the stamped US title with you and then get the vehicle registered at Service Ontario
Very informative, I have one question. I would like to purchase a 2004 Winnebago in NY state and drive it back to Ontario. If the owner removes the license plates can I get a temp permit from the NYMV or would I have to get it from the ONT MOT?
Thank you Sir. From what I learnt from Service Ontario, one cannot get temporary Ontario license plates for a US car without it being imported here. From what I know, NY state department of motor vehicles can issue you temporary plates that would be valid for a few days. I would suggest you call up a NY DMV office and confirm it with them and mention that you will not be registering the car in NY and driving it across to Canada. As far as insurance goes, you need to have insurance coverage on the vehicle at all times. Either a US insurance company can give you temporary coverage or your Canadian insurance company can start coverage on the vehicle. Please be sure to advise them that you will be buying the car from US and driving it across the border. Please do let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist. 😊
I am currently about to import my car. The car is still being financed (by me) from my credit union, aka I haven’t paid it off yet. Instead of paying off the loan before importing, we have opted to get the copy of the title from the lein holders, with a letter from them giving me the OK to import the car. Didn’t hear you speak of this, but it seems to be an option…. Am I wrong?
It is an option and it is possible Yes. Normally lien holders are not open to giving such a letter, since if one stops paying the loan, they have limited recourse to repossess the vehicle. But it is possible. "used, self-propelled vehicle is leased or a recorded lien exists in the U.S., in addition to complying with paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, the provisional owner must provide to Customs a separate writing from the third-party-in interest which expressly provides that the subject vehicle may be exported. This writing must be on the third-party's letterhead paper and contain a complete description of the vehicle including the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the name of the owner or lienholder of the leased vehicle, and the telephone numbers at which that owner or lienholder may be contacted and must bear an original signature of the third-party and state the date it was signed." www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/export-docs/motor-vehicle?language_content_entity=en
Seems like I’ll have to get the leinholders signature, in person, on their letter. They have already given me a copy of the title/ other documents, will that be good enough for import? Copy/print out of the title, plus a signed letter/statement from the lein holders with them giving me the “ok” along with the additional info? Also, should I have two copies in total, one for the export on the us side and one for the import on the Canadian side? Thank you so much, your video is making this a whole lot easier
I think copy/print the letters should be good enough. Also having a couple extra copies wouldn't hurt. I have never done it personally whereby I exported a car from US with still a Lein on so I can't say for sure unfortunately. Glad I could be of assistance.
Great video, have lot of nice info. Could you please let me know how to complete the Export formalities from USA for a Car that is already in Canada with Canadian Registration and License Plates. I had to brought me personal car from Michigan temporarily but during Cold, I had to register the car in Ontario temporarily (I was on work permit); I did not Export the car out of USA as travel was restricted. Now, I have received the PR and have to register the Car in Ontario permanently. So, is there a way to export the car from USA before registering it in Ontario?
How did you register the car car in Canada? Using the Michigan title? I am assuming that they took your Michigan title away when they gave you the Ontario Vehicle Registration?
@kanaks1259 Did you do the permeant import ? I went to service ontario and they said i dont have to and they dont see any restrictions indicating that I cannot sell.
You can get it shipped. There are plenty of vehicle shipping companies that will do it. Getting it across the border is still a question mark. Except that I can't think of anything. Sorry.
One of the best informative videos about this segment. Thanks for taking the time to put all these for us. I have a couple of questions. It would be a lot helpful if you could guide me 1) I am planning on moving permanently to Canada, so I am renting a Uhaul to take my stuff, and using that, I am towing my car, can I still export/import even if my car is on a dolly.? or do I need to get it down at the Poe.? 2) What if the value is over 10,000 CAD.?
Yes you can tow your car using the u haul and be fine, since technically you are with the car, doing the processing yourself. 2) if the value ks over $10,000 CAD you pay import tax on the value of the car over $10k, so if your car value ks $15k, you pay on $5k. Keep in mind though that $10k is the allowance for all the goods you bring with you, including your furniture, electronics and car. So if the rest of your good are worth $3k, and your car is worth $15k, so total goods are worth $18k and you will be paying taxes on $8k. Hopefully this helps.
This is such a great video. Very informative. Thank you so much for making this video. I do have few questions: 1. My car currently has a open recall and my recall letter clearly says the parts/remedy isn't available yet. The dealership says the parts could be available in summer (July /August) but not before that. I am planning to move to Canada (as a PR) by May end (entering through British Columbia by land border). What options do I have here to get this recall clearance document or any other document that could get my vehicle in Canada hassle free? 2. My car is manufactured in US, do I have to pay duty on this car while entering Canada? or just the taxes? 3. I am planning to take some personal goods in my car such as: Electronic drum kit, guitar, sound bar etc. Do I need to pay taxes on these goods? I would greatly appreciate your response on the above queries. Thanks a lot :)
1) This is a tricky one. Strictly speaking, RIV (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) won't let you complete the RIV inspection unless all recalls are completed before you import the vehicle. I would suggest you try calling them and see if they can give you an exception. Also in the future when the parts do become available you will likely have to go back to US to get the recall completed. The Canadian dealership will likely not do it citing that it is a US vehicle. 2) As far as my understanding goes you will have to pay the import duty at the Canadian border when you import the vehicle. If you want to confirm, I suggest you call up the Canadian border at which you will be crossing into Canada and confirm that the rules haven't have changed recently. 3) As you will be moving to Canada for the first time, you have $10,000 exemption to bring your personal goods with you. Everything is included in the calculation of this value. For instance your car is worth $8000, and your other goods are worth $3000, your total goods are worth $11000 and thus you will be paying import duties on $1000. I hope that conveys how the tax calculation works. 3)
Im getting ready to export a vehicle from US into Canada. Thank. Super video. One question. I know the border charges the 5% GST but does Service Ontario not charge for taxes? Also, to confirm, if a vehicle is older than 15 years then the RIV charge does not apply. Thanks again
If you already have the car registered under your name in US (which means you have already paid the sales tax at some point to the US DMV), then you don't have to pay sales tax again to Service Ontario. 2) if you are a Canadian just going to pickup a car from US and bringing it back and the first time they car will be registered to your name will be here in Ontario, then yeah Service Ontario will charge you the sales tax (13% HST) 3) yes if the vehicle is older than 15 years then it is exempt from.RIC inspection and RIV charges.
Some insurance companies in Canada allow this, I know for a fact that Co-operators insurance allows this: Call your insurance agent and tell them that you are buying a car from the US and add it to your policy. The moment you buy the car (pay the car), the car is yours and thus covered by your insurance. So now you can drive the car from US to Canada (while being covered by your Canadian insurance company). Once you get to Canada, you may have to get a simple inspection done by a mechanic and submit the inspection form to your insurance company. It basically documents if the car has any pre-existing damage or not. Hope this helps.
It is a very great video. But I have loan from Toyota and they gave me a letter that it is ok to import car to Canada. So can I not pay off the loan and still export car from USA without title.
Thank you for posting this. I noticed that 2023 models are not in the vehicle eligibility list. Was there a reason for that? Am I not able to import it then? How do I deal with it?
Question for my curiosity. If youre a canadian resident and go for the sole purpose of picking up a used car and driving it back. Im guessing you would have to get the insurance in advance and go to the local DMV in the US to pick up a temporary plate. At that time you would have to pay the sales tax no?
When you register the car in Canada. You get temporary registration from US DMV, but you pay the sales tax when you permanently register in Canada and get plates
You still have to go through the process of exporting the car out of US, but you are exempt from doing the RIV inspection in Canada. However if you decide to sell the car in Canada or decide to do a permanent import to Canada, then you will have to go through the RIV inspection process as well.
Yes. If the odometer only shows miles, it's okay. No problems. I have imported multiple cars where the odometer only showed miles and it's been okay. Good luck 🤞
Hi Virar, Thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to help us with this process. My situation is that I want to gift my 12-year-old car to my brother-in-law, who moved to Ontario, Canada a few months ago. He is on a work visa and has his driver's license. Is the process the same for someone on a work visa?
Yes same process for someone on work visa. For work visa your brother-in-law can do a temporary import, but a later stage if he ever wants to sell the car in Canada, he will have to do a permanent vehicle import which is what I described in the above video.
Thank for the detailed Video. This helped a lot. 2 quick question if you can help. 1. The border agency did a temporary import as i am on a work Visa and i didn't any taxes at border. Do I still need to follow RIV process & pay RIV fee , do the vehicle inspection and safety inspection? 2. Could you share insurnace agency contact?
You have done a temporary import. You don't need to pay RIV fees and do RIV inspection. Read my FAQ comment for more detail on it. It's the pinned comment. 2. I suggest you call around for different insurance quotes. My insurance agent is maps.app.goo.gl/DpNhDG9hHCxqrj7T8 But they will likely transfer you to a local co-operators agent wherever you are.
@VirarAutomotive Thanks a lot for the response. I read the FAQ. Think need to clarify a bit more. So for soft/temporary import RIV fees and RIV inspection is not applicable but rest safety certification, insurance and registration is applicable. Could you please confirm? This clarity will help. Thanks in advance.
Hi Chinmay That is correct. You will need to undergo provincial safety inspection (if your province needs one. Ontario, Quebec needs one), Canadian registration and Canadian insurance. You don't need to worry about paying RIV fees or RIV inspection. Keep in mind though in the future if you want to sell the car you will have to go through the permanent import, and then get RIV Inspection and fees and rest of the process as I describe in the video. Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot. Appreciate a lot. I will follow these steps. Whenever you have time if you can update the FAQ with this exact details it will help a lot others and will save your time also. Again you are doing a fantastic job for the community. God bless you.
Not sure. Never done it for a brand new car. I would definitely look into the sales tax part of it. You don't want to end up double paying taxes on a new Tesla. Could get expensive. haha. Good luck!
This is a very helpful video! Can I import the Car from the US as a temporary resident of Canada? Say I will be working on a PGWP for a year and have no PR yet? My car was purchased in the US and clean title, however, it was made in Canada. Not sure if that helps anyway. Thanks a lot!
Thank you for your kind words> Yes, you can import your car to Canada as a temporary resident to Canada. The good part is your vehicle will be exempt from the RIV rules, because you will be importing your car temporarily. Here is the information from the RIV website directly: "Temporary Importation The vehicles are entering temporarily with: visitors, for a period of 12 months or less; temporary residents such as students studying at an institution for their studies in Canada; or individuals with valid work permits for a period of 36 months or less" However if you decide to live in Canada for a longer time and then sell the car in Canada, you will likely have to ensure your car is 'permanently' imported which means passing the RIV inspection and paying the RIV fees at that point.
@@VirarAutomotive Thank you sooo much for such a helpful reply. Could you kindly tell me if, say, after a year, I become a permanent resident, will I still be able to import the car? By that time my US work visa will expire and I may not be able to enter USA. Hence, I was wondering if there is a way to import my car while I am living within Canada with a new status, Thank you in advance, Best wishes and happy holidays!
That's a tricky one. I am not exactly sure but this is how I understand it. When you import the car here, you have to export the car out of US first..so say after a year you need you become a PR in Canada and want to permanently import your car here, you would have to just get the RIV inspection done here..I don't see why you would need to go back to US. Happy holidays!
@@VirarAutomotive Thank you again! I was assuming that for temporary import, I don't have to do the AES Filing and was wondering if I leave the USA, whether I will be able to file it or not from Canada. However, it seems like AES Filing is necessary even for temporary import, is that correct? Thank you for your help,
Hello! Thanks for your time! That was great. I am trying to import a 1998 SL500 and I had a question about getting insurance in the states. I have a car here in Canada, does that cover me for the few day trip from Denver where the car is? Or shall I just contact an Americian insurer after I buy the car? Thanks in advance.
I can't speak for all insurance companies but with Co-operators insurance company, what my local broker advised is that when I buy a car from US with the intent to import it to Canada, I can let them know and they can start coverage on it the moment I get the signed title from the seller in US. Which means it be Co-operators insurance that would cover me for drive back to Canada..the condition being that once I import the car to Canada, I have to get a initial condition report filled out by a mechanic and submit it to them, basically verifying the condition of the vehicle (pre existing damage, cracks on glass, etc) I am guessing the process could be similar for other insurance companies too.
Hello, Thanks for the information you provided here. Could you please recommend few shops for the safety inspection and overall maintenance. I like having a kind of PCP for my car. A go to mechanic/store for all needs. Thanks for your help.
@@VirarAutomotive Hi, I am in Mississauga, ON. I have already imported my car and have bought insurance. i am at the safety inspection and registration step. Again, cannot thank you enough for the information you provided here. Thanks
You are very welcome. Glad you found the video helpful. I am based out of Toronto and Ottawa. There is an active green + ross at 844 Dundas St E, Mississauga, ON L4Y 2B8 that I have worked with in past and they do a good job. I can introduce you to the owner there. For safety inspection I know another shop near by that will do it for $100(including tax). Canadian Tire will do it for $135+tax =$150.
Thank you so much for very informative video. I have one question my brother lives in Detroit and I am in Windsor Ontario, he is planning to give his old car to me as a gift so in that note what is the process look like? Is that anything change or same process? Thank you.
Same process. Only difference is that it might some difference at Canada customs when they calculate the import tax. I suggest you call the Canada customs office directly in Windsor and ask them what the tax will be in your case. Thank you
@@VirarAutomotive I have another question. What are the timing for vehicle import at ambassador bridge? I mean it’s only weekdays or I can do the process on weekends? Thanks in advance.
Hi Virar Automotive, Thank you for the information. I have couple of questions. 1) Do we have to send email to RIV on the recall clearance? 2) Did you declare the Car import information in the B4 form ?
Hi, 1) Yes, you would have to send an email to RIV on the recall clearance. You will need to create an account with RIV(You can create a guest account) that will keep track of all the paperwork that needs to be submitted, payment and status of your application. To the best of my memory, you can also just upload the recall clearance on the website through your guest account 2)Yes you will have to declare the car on the B4 Personal effects form.
What is your charge to assist with the importing of a 2019 HRV Honda purchased by my daughter while in the U.S. on a student visa. Expect to import vehicle sometime in 2022.
Hi Allen, thank you for your message. Unfortunately since I am not a registered broker I cannot directly assist with importing the vehicle into Canada. However, from what you described, it should be a straightforward import process. The process seems cumbersome and time-consuming however if you watch the entire video I show in detail how to go about it doing it yourself. If I may suggest, after watching the video if you have any questions, please do comment here and I will try my best to answer them for you. Alternatively if you like you can also message me on my Facebook page (facebook.com/VirarAutomotive) or Instagram page (instagram.com/VirarAutomotive).
Thanks for this great video, how could a Canadian drive a car she/he just privately purchased in the US to the Canadian border? Can she/he use his own licence plate from Canada or the seller can let the owner use the licence plate to go to the border?
Hi Berk, As a Canadian resident to drive the car back from US, you can get a temporary tag from the state DMV. I know Ohio does it as I have brought cars from there recently. You have to do that in person thought. They will give you a temporary registration and tags for you to drive the car back to Canada. This is the cleanest solution. Alternatively the seller can let you leave the plate on till you get the car to Canada and register it in Canada. Not sure if a stranger would be comfortable with you doing it, however when the seller is a close relative or friend I know often they let the buyer leave the plate on till they get it to Canada. But again, the former solution is cleaner and more straightforward
I didn't mention about plates and insurance in the video as it was specifically meant for someone who already owns the vehicle in US and just moving it with them to Canada. However I was actually in the middle of compiling a Q&A for commonly asked questions. I'll just copy whatever I have so far. Hope it helps. Q: How do I get temporary license plates to drive from USA to Canada? A: Ohio State gives you temporary tags to be able to drive you car from Ohio to Canada. If you are in the western US, Washington state DMV is very flexible. Speaking from an experience of a person I know, couple months ago, they bought a car in Connecticut from a private person, got the temporary tags from Washington and then used that to drive the car from Connecticut to British Columbia. Washington DMV didn't mind that the car wasn't originally registered with them or that the person requesting the temporary tags didn't reside in Washington (or even US). Regardless of where the temporary tags from, you can get insurance (Canadian insurance) activated on your car the moment you pay for it and get the title. You can call your Canadian insurance company and tell them you are buying a car from US that you will be driving back to Canada and registering in Canada, and they can activate insurance coverage on it from the moment you get the vehicle title. So you are insurance covered for the drive back from US to Canada. Q: I am already in Canada and driving my US car here with US plates and insurance. How do I go about this? A: All the steps outlined in the video apply to you. This is how the process would work for you. You verify that the car is eligible to be imported to Canada, have the recalls completed, and that there are no loans left on the car. If any recalls need to be completed you have to complete it first with a US dealership and pay off the loans. You can file all your paperwork for the AES filing while you are still in Canada. On the day of ‘export’, you drive the car into US, turn around, ‘export’ the car out of US, cross the border and then ‘import’ the car to Canada. The 72 hour heads up rule still applies. For instance today is Sunday, August 27 2023 and you decide to import your car ASAP, you send in the AES paperwork and they confirm that they did the filing on Tuesday, August 29 2023 at 2pm. Your crossing date should be atleast after 2pm on Friday, September 1 2023. So plan ahead and account for any delays from the broker to do the AES filing. To be on the safe side, you mention in the forms that the crossing date is September 2, 2023, Saturday. On Saturday you drive to US, cross the border, go into US, grab a coffee and then head back to Canada and on the way first get the car ‘exported’ from US, and then ‘imported’ to Canada Q: I purchased the car from a family, friend in US and now want to figure out how to drive the car back to Canada. What about registration and insurance? A: 1) The proper way of doing things. For registration most US states will give you a temporary/transit permit that will allow you to drive the car legally from US to Canada. You can use your Canadian driver’s license for this. If in doubt, call the Department of Motor Vehicle for that particular state and confirm. As far as insurance goes, my local Co-operators insurance agent in Ontario advised me the following: You can get insurance on a car purchased in US that you intend to drive back to Canada. The way it works is you call them up and tell them about the car purchase, give them the VIN details and activate the insurance policy. Keep this active policy on at all times. Or print it off and keep it. Just be sure that you have proof of this insurance coverage on you. Once the US seller puts your name on the US vehicle title, technically the car is yours and your Canadian insurance will cover you from that point onwards. You will have Canadian insurance coverage for the drive back. Upon arrival to Canada you would have to get an inspection done by an approved mechanic who will note if the vehicle has any pre-existing damage. Then you send the completed inspection form to the insurance agent and that is that. 2) Grey zone work-around. I haven't done this personally but I have heard multiple viewers tell me it worked for them. This is what I learnt: You drive the car to US-Canada border with the signed title and follow the steps in this video. US border officials don't check if you have insurance or not or whose license plate is on the car. Canadian officials don't check for it either. [Their jurisdiction doesn’t cover this. Only local law enforcement can pull you over and check for license, registration and insurance. Now for any reason IF you REALLY upset the Canadian border officers, then they may come outside, check things and call local law enforcement up ahead and then you may get pulled over]. You drive the car to the final destination in Canada, get the inspections done and get the car registered. Only after you have Canadian registration and insurance do you tell your family relative to cancel their insurance in US. This way there is no gap in insurance at any time point. There is always somebody's insurance coverage on the car at same point.
Crossed the border recently, Here are some updates from my side. 1. You+vehicle must be in the USA for more than 72 hours (business days) before your border crossing date. 2. You have to send an email to RIV with stamped form 1 from the border, they will send you the inspection form after that. 3. Bluebook value- keep it with you (you don't need it, they have their own value system to check in). 4. RIV form can be filled online + payment of 350$ too, so do that. It will save you time on the border.
hi i like to bring a salvage title car to the US from canada do you have any idea what i need to brig it by the way i love the why you did the video thanks for your work
Hello, unfortunately I don't know exactly what the process would be like to bring a salvage title car from Canada to US. Check out this website I found that explains someone's experience in bringing a car from Canada to US. www.hagerty.com/media/archived/how-to-import-a-car-from-canada-to-the-us/
On the topic of the DRL, Canada not only requires the vehicle to be installed with DRL, it also requires the DRL to be on when the car is in N and D. The driver cannot be able to manually turn the DRL off.
That is correct. The moment the engine is ON and the parking brake is disengaged, the DRL's have to be on. The driver should not be able to manually turn them off.
Thanks for your wonderful detailed video! Really appreciate it. With the help of your video, I was able to import my car from US to Canada. I have a Toyota Rav4 2022, and am finding insurance quote before registering my vehicle at ServiceOntario. I am having trouble getting insurance in Ontario, Canada as no insurance company is able to find my VIN number. Did you face the same issue ? Could you please guide me? Thanks.
That's odd. VIN number is standard globally. I would suggest you check your VIN number again. If the website is unable to recognise your VIN try to talk to an insurance agent in Canada if you can. The VIN should be 17 digits long.
Very good step by step Info.. Once question so if you are on VISA in US & crossing the Border then we dont have to do any formalities ? Not from Car point of view.
If you are on Visa in US, and just at US customs processing your car for export, they will check your passport and visa and that's about it. No special formalities just because you are exporting the car. But if you have any visa issues, expired visa, overstay,etc then that may attract more attention and questions. Hope this helps.
@@VirarAutomotive One more question, The fee which we need to pay on the Canadian side , do we have to pay by Credit card or Canadian cash or US dollars ? where can we get the conversion ?
You can pay it using credit or debit card. You can use your US credit or debit card too. Visa /Mastercard are accepted. Don't know if discover/American express cards are. Some banks waive the currency conversion fee. I think capital one credit cards waives it. Check it with them to be sure. You can get US cash at any currency exchange place. Or even at the duty free store right before you cross into Canada.
Any plate really. As long you have insurance on the vehicle while it's being driven. If the car is already registered in US and you are moving to Canada then you can move here using your US plate and finally when you get your Canadian plates on, you can swap the plates If you are a Canadian just importing the car, many states in US give you temporary license plates for transit. I suggest you call and check with the state DMV from where you are buying the car
Hi Virar thx for the nice video . I am an Indian recently PR to Canada from India and I have 2007 Hyndai Accent car in my name in US . I bought this in 2018 from my cousin . Title is in my name but the plates are deposited to DMV since Jan 2020 . Do I still need to put plates on it and pat for insurance or I can still get this transported through ship or truck to nearest border(Seattle) then to Vancouver by road .
Hi, The car doesn't need to have plates or insurance during shipping. But you do need to have plates and insurance on the car anytime when you drive on a public road. Even a short drive from US to Canada will mean you will be on public road, so you would need to have plates and insurance. One solution to this is that if you put the car on a flat bed tow truck and tow it across the US Canada border. Get the export and import work done and as soon as the car is in Canada you can get the RIV inspection and the rest of the process done, get BC plates and insurance and then you are all set. This way the car is never technically driven on public roads during transit so no need for plates/insurance (as it's being towed). Hope this helps.
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PLEASE READ THESE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FIRST
*Special Circumstances*
*Q*: I am already in Canada and driving my US car here with US plates and insurance. How do I go about getting my permanent vehicle export and import done?
*A*: All the steps outlined in the video apply to you. This is how the process would work for you. You verify that the car is eligible to be imported to Canada, have the recalls completed, and that there are no loans left on the car. If any recalls need to be completed you have to complete it first with a US dealership and pay off the loans. You can file all your paperwork for the AES filing while you are still in Canada. On the day of ‘export’, you drive the car into US, turn around, ‘export’ the car out of US, cross the border and then ‘import’ the car to Canada. The 72 hour heads up rule still applies.
For instance if today is Sunday, August 27 2023 and you decide to import your car ASAP, you send in the AES paperwork and they confirm that they did the filing on Tuesday, August 29 2023 at 2pm. Your crossing date should be atleast after 2pm on Friday, September 1 2023. So plan ahead and account for any delays from the broker to do the AES filing. To be on the safe side, you mention in the forms that the crossing date is September 2, 2023, Saturday. On Saturday you drive to US, cross the border, go into US, grab a coffee and then head back to Canada and on the way first get the car ‘exported’ from US, and then ‘imported’ to Canada
*Q*: I am already in Canada and driving my US car here with US plates and insurance. Is this okay? What do I do?
*A*: Not really. Your US insurance company won’t be too okay with knowing that you are driving the car in Canada for an extended period of time. ‘Visiting’ Canada for a few weeks is one thing, but ‘visiting’ for multiple months is not okay, you are basically ‘living’ in Canada according to your US insurance company. I suggest you get your vehicle exported from US and imported to Canada as soon as you can.
*Q*: My US work visa has expired. What can I do? And what do I do in the mean time.
*A*: You can get your visitor visa for US and then use that to go back to US to complete the vehicle export process. In the mean time, just get a “temporary vehicle import” done here in Canada. Check RIV website for details on the temporary vehicle import. Get Canadian insurance and Canadian plates and then whenever you get your US visitor Visa, you can go and complete the permanent export-import process.
*Q*: I am going to Canada as Non-resident(Tourists or Work-Permit for 12 to 15 months).Should I into Canada? Does US Insurance cover the whole time?
And In case after 12 months If I decide to become a resident, can I start the import process then while I would still be in Canada?
*A*: You can do something called a 'soft import' or 'temporary import' to Canada. I haven't done it myself so I don't know all the details of it but I have heard that it is an option for someone wanting to just move to Canada as non-resident. In a soft import you don't have to do the RIV process in Canada, but everything else still applies. If you are considering to just drive the car in Canada without any importing or any process, you can can for a little while as if you are a visitor to Canada. But if your US insurance company finds out you are 'visiting' for 12 to 15 months and something happens in that time duration to the car while in Canada, I am doubtful they will be okay with it. You will very likely get a hard time from them processing any claims.
You can start the process for importing even after the car is in Canada, but you will have to be able to take it to US atleast once to be able to go and complete the US ITN export process and then drive back to Canada.
*Import taxes*
*Q*: If vehicle is gifted, or sold for example for $1, by a relative, how are taxes determined? Any good way to minimize taxes?
*A*: Taxes are paid on the Canadian Side. US side its just about clearly letting the US customs know that the vehicle is being exported from US.
a) Canada customs uses their own database to lookup the value of the vehicle and to calculate the import taxes. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to work around that. If you say buy a barely used Honda Civic for $5000, then lets say Canada customs will just congratulate you on snagging an amazingly great deal but they will use their own car value database and charge tax the higher of the two numbers (higher of the price you paid and the vehicle value in their database)
b) If you are a Canadian citizen moving back to Canada or immigrating to Canada (on your first landing), you are tax exempt to bring goods upto $10,000. So if your car is valued by Canada customs at $15000 and that is all that you are bringing in, then you will be charged import tax on only the $5000.
*Q*: How does this $10000 exemption for new residents or returning residents work?
*A*: People who are moving to Canada on PR or Canadian PR/ Citizens moving back to Canada after having lived out of Canada for more than 1 year (You should check this number with Canada customs if it’s still 1 year or its changed)
*Q*: Did you declare the Car import information in the B4 form ?
*A*: Yes you have to declare the car in the B4 Personal effects form.
*Driving back from US to Canada*
*Q*: How do I get temporary license plates to drive from USA to Canada?
*A*: Ohio State gives you temporary tags to be able to drive you car from Ohio to Canada. If you are in the western US, Washington state DMV is very flexible. Speaking from an experience of a person I know, couple months ago, they bought a car in Connecticut from a private person, got the temporary tags from Washington and then used that to drive the car from Connecticut to British Columbia. Washington DMV didn't mind that the car wasn't originally registered with them or that the person requesting the temporary tags didn't reside in Washington (or even US). Regardless of where the temporary tags from, you can get insurance (Canadian insurance) activated on your car the moment you pay for it and get the title. You can call your Canadian insurance company and tell them you are buying a car from US that you will be driving back to Canada and registering in Canada, and they can activate insurance coverage on it from the moment you get the vehicle title. So you are insurance covered for the drive back from US to Canada.
*Q*: What about insurance coverage for driving back from USA to Canada?
*A*: Some insurance companies in Canada allow this, I know for a fact that Co-operators insurance allows this: Call your insurance agent and tell them that you are buying a car from the US and add it to your policy. The moment you buy the car (pay the car), the car is yours and thus covered by your insurance. So now you can drive the car from US to Canada (while being covered by your Canadian insurance company). Once you get to Canada, you may have to get a simple inspection done by a mechanic and submit the inspection form to your insurance company. It basically documents if the car has any pre-existing damage or not.
*Q*: I purchased the car from a family, friend in US and now want to figure out how to drive the car back to Canada. What about registration and insurance?
*1) The proper way of doing things.* For registration most US states will give you a temporary/transit permit that will allow you to drive the car legally from US to Canada. You can use your Canadian driver’s license for this. If in doubt, call the Department of Motor Vehicle for that particular state and confirm. As far as insurance goes, my local Co-operators insurance agent in Ontario advised me the following: You can get insurance on a car purchased in US that you intend to drive back to Canada. The way it works is you call them up and tell them about the car purchase, give them the VIN details and activate the insurance policy. Keep this active policy on at all times. Or print it off and keep it. Just be sure that you have proof of this insurance coverage on you. Once the US seller puts your name on the US vehicle title, technically the car is yours and your Canadian insurance will cover you from that point onwards. You will have Canadian insurance coverage for the drive back. Upon arrival to Canada you would have to get an inspection done by an approved mechanic who will note if the vehicle has any pre-existing damage. Then you send the completed inspection form to the insurance agent and that is that.
*2) Grey zone work-around.* I haven't done this personally but I have heard multiple viewers tell me it worked for them. This is what I learnt: You drive the car to US-Canada border with the signed title and follow the steps in this video. US border officials don't check if you have insurance or not or whose license plate is on the car. Canadian officials don't check for it either. [Their jurisdiction doesn’t cover this. Only local law enforcement can pull you over and check for license, registration and insurance. Now for any reason IF you REALLY upset the Canadian border officers, then they may come outside, check things and call local law enforcement up ahead and then you may get pulled over]. You drive the car to the final destination in Canada, get the inspections done and get the car registered. Only after you have Canadian registration and insurance do you tell your family relative to cancel their insurance in US. This way there is no gap in insurance at any time point. There is always somebody's insurance coverage on the car at same point.
*Documentation*
*Q*: Does the bill of sale have to be notarized?
*A*: Bill of sale is used just for exporting the vehicle from US and for the AES filing. It doesn't have to be notarized. Could be just a simple receipt on a piece of paper signed by the seller and buyer and with the vehicle details on it. If you are bringing over a unique vehicle or very old vehicle for which Canada customs may not have a quick way to look up the value of, then the Bill of Sale does prove handy. They may just use the bill of sale, OR Ebay listing OR certified check copy, something that you can use to prove that you paid for the vehicle what you said you paid and thus charge you on that amount. For instance, if you are importing a 1990 JDM Honda/Toyota with 300kms on it, there is no quick way for Canada customs to look up the value of the vehicle and in that case they may ask for proof to show what you paid for and thus charge you taxes on that amount.
*Q*: Is the bill of sale necessary? I bought it a few years ago and don’t remember where the bill of sale is or I bought it from a friend and never bothered to put the transaction down on a piece of paper.
*A*: Bill of sale is necessary for the vehicle export. As long as there is something on a piece of paper with two signatures on it that states the vehicle purchase date, vehicle details and vehicle sale amount its okay. Its only necessary for vehicle export. The customs broker in US does not/cannot verify the authenticity of the bill of sale if it is new/old.
*Q*: Is it possible to import into Canada as a Permanent Resident with a valid PR card but a Foreign passport? Any additional processes to follow?
*A*: Yes definitely possible. It's the exact same process. In the US ITN filing forms you can enter your Foreign passport number.
*Day of Export - Import*
*Q*: When exporting the car out of US If I am using the Port Huron / Sarnia Bridge, where do I park?
*A*: You will be driving north on US I-69 to approach the Port Huron / Sarnia Bridge. On the US Side, right before you get on the bride is the toll booth. Right before the tool booth, you can pull over on the left shoulder. You will see a barrier and a building to your left. That is the US Customs office. You have to enter from there. These are the exact co-ordinates. You can copy paste it in google maps and you can check out the google street view to get a better idea.
42.998170, -82.436758
*Q*: If I am carrying household goods with me during the vehicle export because I am from US to Canada, is there any other process for that?
*A*: No other process. If you are immigrating at the same time when you are importing your car into Canada, they will ask you for a list of all the items you are bringing with you and the approximate value if it. If I remember it correctly the value limit is $10000 if you are immigrating. if you are just going back and forth to US and Canada to import/export the car then the value limitation is dependent on how many days you were out of Canada. Meaning say if you live in Canada and you go to US just to get the car, the value of goods is dependent on how many days you spent in US before you come back to Canada.
*Q*: Can I do the vehicle export and import process, like the actual border crossing late at night or on weekends?
*A*: Some borders like the Detroit Windsor, Ambassador bridge is open 24X7. For other borders the hours vary. I would suggest you call the border office directly and check with them on their hours. You can find their number right from Google maps.
*Q*: I am already in Canada with the car. How do I figure out the US 72 hour rule?
*A*: Yes. As long as the ITN documents have been with the US customs office for at least 72 hours, then you are good to go. You don't have to be in US for that 72 hours. You can be in Canada, send all the documents to the broker, who will file your documents and get you an ITN number. and then as long as 72 hours have been gone by since then, on the day of your crossing (as stated on the ITN document) you can drive over to US, turn around and export the car at the US customs.
*Q*: Time budgeting. If I have a fairly standard car and have all my documentation organized, then how much time should I budget for the actual export-importing process at the border?
*A*: If you have all your documentation well organized. At the US customs I would budget about 45 mins (10 mins driving in and out of their facility, 20 mins of waiting inside the CBP office and 5-10 mins of actual processing time. Waiting time here is generally low as only people with commercial/export business are waiting to be served. Not tourists or commuters). On the Canadian Border side, about 15-20 mins of actual processing time, but the waiting time is an unpredictable game. During COVID, the few times I have imported cars in Canada, the waiting time wasn't even 2 mins. I was in and out of Canada Customs office in 20 mins. But if you end up reaching at the same time as a big party bus (All occupants in this case have to alight and go in the Canada Customs for passport check) then you may spend 1 hr just waiting to be served.
*Vehicle Eligibility and RIV*
*Q*: Do we have to send email to RIV on the recall clearance?
*A*: Yes, you would have to send an email to RIV on the recall clearance. You will need to create an account with RIV(You can create a guest account) that will keep track of all the paperwork that needs to be submitted, payment and status of your application. To the best of my memory, you can also just upload the recall clearance on the website through your guest account
*Q*: My car is 15+ years old, how is the process different for me?
*A*: Your vehicle is exempt from the RIV inspection in Canada. So you can skip the RIV inspection part, not worry about having the recalls completed and you also don’t have to pay the $370 RIV Inspection fee.
*Q*: My car doesn't have DRL (Daytime Running Lights) on it. Should I have this figured out before I import the car into Canada.
*A*: No you don't have to worry about it beforehand. It's nice to have it done, but not a necessity. You just need DRL for the RIV Inspection in Canada. So you can export the car from US, drive to Canada, complete the paperwork at the Canadian border and then deal with the DRL during RIV Inspection. Infact, Canadian Tire is one of the more popular spots to have RIV inspection done and because they do so many of these, they know many US Cars don't have DRL, they offer to fix that issue for you (for a price of course) and then also do the RIV inspection at the same time. So it costs money, but its convenient. You get your DRL issue fixed and RIV inspection both done at the same time.
*Q*: My car currently has a open recall and my recall letter clearly says the parts/remedy isn't available yet. The dealership says the parts could be available in a few months but I am moving to Canada soon. What options do I have?
*A*: This is a tricky one. Strictly speaking, RIV (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) won't let you complete the RIV inspection unless all recalls are completed before you import the vehicle. I would suggest you try calling them and see if they can give you an exception. Also in the future when the parts do become available you will likely have to go back to US to get the recall completed. The Canadian dealership will likely not do it citing that it is a US vehicle.
*General*
*Q*: After the entire process is completed, Should we return the US license plates to USA DMV or can we dispose them?
*A*: You can dispose the plates or keep them as a souvenir. :) No need to return the plates back to USA DMV.
Just wanted to give you props - your video made the process of importing a passenger car to Canada so much easier. Probably the most cumbersome process I've ever been through. The hardest part was finding the customs office for exportation - at Port Huron/Sarnia, you have to park on the left shoulder before hitting the bridge to Canada and kind of wander into a random building to get your title stamped. I would estimate I was in and out of the US Customs office in about 20 mins.
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing with us all on how to find the customs office at Port Huron/Sarnia
I'm about to go through the same process. When you're crossing the border, do you enter customs on the U.S. side or when you're back over on the Canadian side? Any help on directions would be much appreciated.
You enter customs on the US side first to export the car and then on the Canadian side at the booth you tell them you are importing the car and then they send you to the customs office there
3 years later and this is the most detailed video i have found on here. Many thanks for all the effort . Also for the detailed Q&A , great work .
Thank you so much for sharing! Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
One of a kind video on you tube! Very well explained and I like how you have simplified the entire process into easy to follow steps.
Thank you very much for your kind words. Glad you found it useful! 👍😁
DUDE, this was so good. I am exporting and importing my car in 2 months and this is exactly what I needed. THANKS a bunch.
One quick question, If I am carrying some household luggage in the car, is there any other process that I need to be aware of?
No other process. If you are immigrating at the same time when you are importing your car into Canada, they will ask you for a list of all the items you are bringing with you and the approximate value if it. If I remember it correctly the value limit is $10000 if you are immigrating. if you are just going back and forth to US and Canada to import/export the car then the value limitation is dependent on how many days you were out of canada. Meaning say if you live in Canada and you go to US just to get the car, the value of goods is dependent on how many days you spent in US before you come back to Canada.
Glad to hear that you found the video helpful! Good luck with the move! 👍
I can't thank you enough. This was exactly what I was looking for. Very detailed and easy to follow. Thank you so very much for taking the time.
Thank you for sharing. Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
An extremely well-put-together video, explaining all the details in a highly detailed manner. This video made the entire process so much easier for me to understand. The breakdown of the whole process step by step means you’ll face no issues whatsoever. Kudos to you for the painstaking effort you took into putting this video and its contents together!
Thank you so much @Virar Automotive
Thank you for your kind words!
Thank you so much for making this video. We followed it step by step along with your links. This made our export/import process so much easier. God Bless you!!!!
Thank you for sharing. Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Wow, what a great video! I have been putting off importing a motorcycle collection for years now due to my vague understanding of the process. This video has taught me more than months of researching the topic myself has. Thanks so much ....... I will let you know how it goes!
Thank you very much for your kind words. Glad to hear that you found the video helpful. Please do let me know how your experience goes importing your motorcycle
This is the best explanation! Thank you so much for explaining the step by step instructions. So very helpful!
Thank you for sharing. Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Very informative video, very well spoken and the video is divided quite well. One stop shop for importing vehicle!
Thank you for your kind words. Glad you found the video useful! 👍🥰
I don't even know how to drive, but still watched all of this video for information purposes. Nicely presented! Moving to Toronto next year from Los Angeles. :)
Thank you for your kind words! If you do end up getting in the next 1 year and want to bring it with you to Canada, now you know the process :)
Very informative and detailed. Helped me greatly to import my car.
Glad you liked it!
Sounds like a lot more work than the other way around! Good to know about the standards that the Canadian government has in place for automobiles/ safety.
I appreciate the video and detail you have gone into.
Lastly, I like the Gus Fring supervising from your desk!
Glad you found the video useful!
Welcome to Los Pollos Hermanos! Where something delicious is always cooking.
It’s not safety standards…. Canada has everyone fooled.. it’s a money sucking scheme.
Thank you so very much for this video. It is the most complete and easy to follow that I saw around. My husband is military (and we are posted to USA for 2 more years ) and we are in the process to buy a car here in Georgia, but was not sure of the process when we will be back in Ontario in 2025. This video is really helpful and I can't thank you enough. Have a wonderful day 😊
Thank you for sharing. Very glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Great job Virar! You've successfully made a somewhat tedious process look as easy as can be. Nice one
Thank you! Cheers!
@@VirarAutomotive But can one designate a third party to drive one's car across the border?
Awesome step by step instructions. Extremely helpful and I used it for importing my vehicle. Thanks a lot.
Glad it helped!
this is the best explanation video out there. thank you
Thank you!
Appreciate detailed video on this subject. Watching this video has allowed me to confidently to go into this process. Thank you Virar.
Thank you! Glad you found it useful!
Thank you for the detailed and clearly explained info. Comprehensive and practical.
Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Great video. Please keep posting these amazing videos
Thank you for your kind words. Glad to hear that you found the video helpful! :)
Excellent video. Very Helpful. Thank you for taking the time to produce it.
Glad to hear that you found it useful! Good luck with the vehicle import!
Great video !! Very detailed and clear. Easy to follow!!
This is everything one needs to know about getting a car from the US.
Thank you for your kind words Sir. Glad you found it useful! 😁👍
This is a stellar video / tutorial. Great work
Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
great video ..I knew about all the info,but always good to see someone explain the process. thanks
Thank you. Glad you found it useful!
Need ur help can u pls help me
This video is very detailed and very helpful! Thank you!
Glad to hear that you found the video helpful! Thank you for your kind words! 😁
Great video! I am pretty sure that 100% value of car is exempt from Tax for a PR. Tax exemption is not limited to only $10,000, this limit is only for returning residents. Apart from that this video is the best video on this topic :)
Thank you for your kind words. I am sure there is a limit to it. Might want to check with Canada customs. don't think you can just bring in a $100k Mercedes as a first time PR and it be completely tax exempt
@@VirarAutomotive yes you can import more than $10,000 car plus jewelry etc without paying tax as a PR. Limit is for returning residents as mentioned on govt website
Thank you for clarifying 😊
Excellent video, covers all the many steps to import a vehicle, easy to follow.
Thank you! Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Thank you for creating this video, it is very informative helpful explanation of the process. Have a blessed day.
Thank you!
Big appreciated to you making great video!Very detailed and comprehensive !
Thank you for your kind words! Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Really appreciate this video , Clear and very specific information shared step by step , very professionally done , I am doing the export and this video is like a great reference guide
Thank you for your kind words! Glad to hear that you found the video helpful. Good luck with the vehicle export/import. 👍😃
Very detailed video and great info! Thanks for sharing! I’ll definitely refer to this for my next purchase!
Thank you for your kind words Sir. I am glad you find the video useful!
Very informative video which be useful for anyone wanting to import vehicle to Canada
Thank you! 😁👍
Do you have any info on, if someone wants to import a car frame only with wheels on it? So no engine, transmission or body. Just a bare metal frame with wheels rolling.
Sorry. No Idea about that. Not sure if it would even be categorized as a 'vehicle' or would it it be categorized as something else.
Thank you so much! So well presented and you have taken the fear I had about doing this only my own.
Thank you so much! Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Very helpful video! Thanks for the great details.
Thank you Sir. Glad you found it useful!
A very well detailed and informative video thanks for your hard work and keep the good work up, good luck 👍
Thank you for your kind words!
Thank you so much for all the details.
Glad you found it useful!
What an EXCELLENT video.... WELL DONE!!!!
Thank you much for your comment. Glad you found it useful!
It's behond great with all the links you've provided below as well as the time stamps on the varioius sections.... really really well done... i can't imagine how much time you spent on this!!!@@VirarAutomotive
Thank you. It took a few hours. I am glad to see that you find it useful. Cheers!
this was very informative and helpful thank you
Glad to hear that you found it useful!
Hi there, great video thank you!
Questions: 1. Can I put label stickers on speedometer to convert from mph to kmph, without actually replacing the console? 2. Can I continue the car insurance from US until I get a new one in Canada or is there some requirement to get a transit insurance? I'm importing the car to B.C.
Great video, do you have any advice on where I should be going if I am interested in purchasing a car in the USA? I spoke to a few Ford dealerships in Michigan and they told me that they would not sell to Canadians.
Sometimes they do have rules against international sales to prevent cars from being flipped for profits.
Very well organized. Thanks
Thank you!
Very helpful. Great thanks
Glad to hear that you found it useful!
Great information! I was just looking for this. Could you also make an video of importing car from Canada to US?
Thank you Mihir Patel. I will look into making a video like this very soon. Thanks for the video topic suggestion
Very informative! Thanks
Thank you Sir!
What a well presented video! great job. wondering what additional steps will be needed to import a salvage/rebuild titled vehicle. thanks!
I am not sure about that.
Excellent Video!!!!. Thank you
Glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for the detailed video, really appreciate your efforts, I wanna know, if the process is same for brand new car ? Like, can I (canadian) buy the brand new car from the dealership and bring it to canada same day or time ?
Thanks
Hello, Yes as a Canadian you can buy a new car in US and import it here. However couple things to consider
1) You may end up paying taxes twice. Once in US and then again GST to import the car to Canada. You have to check with the dealer in US about this.
2) You will likely have to buy the car in US in cash to be able to import it to Canada. Can't really import a car to Canada if you still owe money on it in US.
Amazing video. You have made the process easy so far. I purchased a vehicle in Michigan and want to import it at Windsor crossing. My question is this:
What license plates do I use to bring the vehicle back to Canada? Do I put on my existing plates? I have access to Michigan dealer plates as well as Ontario dealer plates. Will those be a better option? This vehicle is for personal use.
Thank you!
Glad you found the video helpful. As long the plates have insurance on them, either of them works. US customs or Canada border service doesn't really care which plates are on the car during import export. You just need to have plates with insurance on the car when the car is on public roads, meaning from your drive from Michigan to US border and from Canada border to home in Canada.
@@VirarAutomotiveThank you for the quick response. I have heard the following;
American dealer plate won’t work because I don’t have an American License.
Canadian dealer plate won’t work because it is not in my name.
My own plate will work but I could lose up to 6 demerit points.
I will have the vehicle insured a few days before the import export process and importing at DWT.
Are these things true? It sounds like it could be hit or miss depending on the officer that I get.
Thanks!
@@theboneseh Realistically neither on the American customs side or Canadian customs side will anyone come out and look at the license plate. Even if they do, and if its not the 'proper' plate, they can't really do much cause that is not their jurisdiction. Only the public roads in US driving up to the US border, the bridge/tunnel at the border and the Canadian roads up to the Canadian border is where law enforcement can pull you over and check for plates and insurance. If you really upset the border officers on the Canadian then they may call the local cops and ask to pull you over for something.lol. but that is about it.
Multiple viewers of this video have commented and I also know of my friends who have crossed done this process while driving on a plate that was not expressly registered to them. It was in the name of the previous owner or their brother or cousin who they purchased the car from in US. Again, just need to make sure that the plate has active registration, the vehicle is covered by insurnace and if you get pulled over you know whose plate it is and you have it with their consent.
wow.... this was eye opening and too helpful
Glad it was helpful!
@@VirarAutomotive I think you should make an additional follow up video on temporary vs permanent residents. I am in a rare situation where I have an approved work permit (for H-1B holders) and also have a PR NOI from Ontario....so as a TR I can drive into Canada but as a PR I must file for export from US and import to Canada
Thanks to share with us all the steps.
My pleasure!
Thanks for posting this. It is really helpful. There is one thing that wasn't covered that I'm hoping you can help with .....
I am a Canadian resident. I am going to buy a vehicle form a dealership in the US, drive it to the CAN Border and import it into Canada. How does vehicle registration and insurance for my commute from the US dealership back home to Canada? Will the dealer's registration/plates get me home? Can I get temporary insurance while transporting home?
Temporary registration from the dealership should get you home to Canada.
As far as insurance goes, you can have your Canadian insurance company start coverage for your car as soon as you buy it. So that way your new car has insurance coverage for the drive home from US to Canada. Not every insurance company covers this. Some do. I know for a fact that co-operator insurance in Canada does. All they require is that once you get the car to Canada you get a quick vehicle inspection completed by a mechanic, that documents any existing damage the vehicle might have.
So basically US temporary registration and Canadian insurance should cover you for the drive from the US to Canada.
@@VirarAutomotive Thanks very much. I really appreciate your help.
Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to help us out so much. I have a couple of questions. I’m looking at importing a Volkswagen Beetle from Mexico to Canada. Is the process the same? Will I need to pay sales tax in Mexico? Instead of driving it over the border I may ship it by sea to Vancouver. Is the process much the same? And lastly, If I ship, I’m considering importing three cars. Is that going to be more hassle than it’s worth?
Hello. Thank you for your comment. Since I have never exported a car from Mexico and imported it to Canada, I couldn't say for sure what the process/costs would be for the exporting part from Mexico. Importing the car into Canada will be similar to what I described in the video above.
If you ship it/drive to Canada the process is much the same once you reach the Canadian border. I don't believe you will have to go through additional taxes just because you ship the car as opposed to driving it over a land border.
I know this doesn't answer your questions adequately but I couldn't comment on something I don't know much about.
Thanks for the thorough video!
A few questions
1. If vehicle is gifted, or sold for example, $1, by a relative, how are taxes determined? Any good way to minimize taxes?
2. How do I get temporary license plates to drive from USA to Canada?
3. The bill of sale you showed - does that need to be notarized in some way or does that vary by state?
1) Taxes are paid on the Canadian Side. US side its just about clearly letting the US customs know that the vehicle is being exported from US.
a) Canada customs uses their own database to lookup the value of the vehicle and to calculate the import taxes. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to work around that.
b) If you are a Canadian citizen moving back to Canada or immigrating to Canada (on your first landing), you are tax exempt to bring goods upto $10,000. So if your car is valued by Canada customs at $15000 and that is all that you are bringing in, then you will be charged import tax on only the $5000.
2) Ohio State gives you temporary tags to be able to drive you car from Ohio to Canada. If you are in the western US, Washington state DMV is very flexible. Speaking from an experience of a person I know, couple months ago, they bought a car in Connecticut from a private person, got the temporary tags from Washington and then used that to drive the car from Connecticut to British Columbia. Washington DMV didn't mind that the car wasn't originally registered with them or that the person requesting the temporary tags didn't reside in Washington (or even US). Regardless of where the temporary tags from, you can get insurance (Canadian insurance) activated on your car the moment you pay for it and get the title. You can call your Canadian insurance company and tell them you are buying a car from US that you will be driving back to Canada and registering in Canada, and they can activate insurance coverage on it from the moment you get the vehicle title. So you are insurance covered for the drive back from US to Canada.
3)Bill of sale is used just for exporting the vehicle from US and for the AES filing. It doesn't have to be notarized. Could be just a simple receipt on a piece of paper signed by the seller and buyer and with the vehicle details on it. If you are bringing over a unique vehicle or very old vehicle for which Canada customs may not have a quick way to look up the value of, then the Bill of Sale does prove handy. They may just use the bill of sale, OR Ebay listing OR certified check copy, something that you can use to prove that you paid for the vehicle what you said you paid and thus charge you on that amount. For instance, if you are importing a 1990 JDM Honda/Toyota with 300kms on it, there is no quick way for Canada customs to look up the value of the vehicle and in that case they may ask for proof to show what you paid for and thus charge you taxes on that amount.
Hopefully this helps.
I can't find my vehicule in the elibility list. Its a 1987 toyota van
Your vehicle is older than 15 years. Its exempt from RIV Inspection and registration. www.riv.ca/RIVExemptions.aspx
Thabk you for the answer! So i don't have to find it in the eligibility list ?
@@ameliecou5375 Yup. You don't have to. Since your van is a passenger vehicle and its more than 15 years old. If it was a truck or a bus (including school bus) then it would be a different story.
Thanks a lot !
Quick question; the vehicule has a cracked windshield. Does this need to be replaced before crossing the border ?
If it's a salvage car that requires repair do you suggest repairing in the States before importing?
From a convenience POV, yes I would suggest just repairing it in US before importing it. Easier for transportation and fewer questions raised at the border. But other than that, no real difference where you get it repaired. The restrictions/additional steps that come with salvage title will stay the same regardless of where it is repaired.
@@VirarAutomotive Thanks for the response. Really appreciate it. Your video was very informative. Do you happen to offer import services?
No Sir. Unfortunately I don't. I am not a registered broker or importer. Just trying to share whatever knowledge I have.
Hello Virar,
Excellent video. I have never used the land border before; so a little lost. Can I do the border crossing over night or on weekends? Would I be able to do all the paperwork at the border during night/weekend?
Some borders like the Detroit Windsor, Ambassador bridge is open 24X7. For other borders the hours vary. I would suggest you call the border office directly and check with them on their hours. You can find their number right from Google maps. Hope this helps
Great video and very informative, thank you. I have a couple of questions: 1) I'm looking to purchase a vehicle in Texas. The owner bought the vehicle at auction and has the original title. However, the title is in the name of the previous owner as the current owner purchased it simply to flip and make a few bucks. I think chose not to transfer the title as he didn't want to pay the state sales tax. So, if I purchase this from the current owner will I have any issues at the border if its not his name on the title? Will the US border folks try to charge me for the tax that the current owner should have paid had he registered the vehicle himself in Texas? 2) The vehicle I'm considering buying is a large commercial truck which I will be converting into an RV. Given that it's a commercial vehicle (its an ex oilfield truck), will this add any complications to the process? Although its a commercial vehicle I will be importing and registering / insuring it for personal use. Thank you
Thank you for your kind words.
1) For the vehicle export and AES filing you need 2 main documents.
a) Vehicle title that has been signed to your name. US vehicle titles have a section on the backside where the new owner's name and details can be filled out. As long as your name is on that title, it will be as if the original owner sold the vehicle to you. You need to submit the vehicle title when you do the AES filing and at the US border when you export the vehicle.
b) Bill of sale. This bill of sale could be signed by anyone on a piece of paper as this would be a private sale. As long as there is a bill of sale with the name of the owner, your name and vehicle details (model year, make, model, mileage, VIN, date of sale) and that is 'signed' by both you and the owner, that is all you need. The only place where you need this bill of sale is when you do the AES filing.
For vehicle import into Canada, you need the stamped US title (when you export the car out of US, the US border officials will stamp the title certifying that they have documented that the vehicle has been exported out of US)
2) Unfortunately I cannot confidently comment on this I am unaware of any potential complications. I don't have experience with this.
Love this video; Thanks again for taking the time and effort to give a detailed analysis of the process. I will be importing to Canada (Ontario) in about 3 weeks and wonder if you have a copy of the Ontario Safety Standards Certificate. I would like to take it to a mechanic here in Clearwater Florida who is familiar with my vehicle and have them complete the document.
Thank you. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the safety standards certificate with me. Instead, here is the link from the Ontario government website. It is a rather long document. www.ontario.ca/files/2022-03/mto-passenger-light-duty-vehicle-inspection-standard-en-2022-03-18.pdf
Great video...but what or how do I drive the vehicle from a private buyer if he owns the plates ? How can i drive it over the border?
Cheers Andy
Hi, I have a pinned comment with a FAQS and this is one of them questions on it that I answered in it. Could you refer to that please? I am on my phone right now. Thanks
I need process for temporary import. Any ideas?
Temporary import ? Could you maybe expand on that ? You can send me a DM at Instagram @virarautomotive
Q, can I buy a car in the US and transport it back to Canada on a trailer without us plates on it and go through the necessary procedure to export it and import it into Canada?
Yup. Definitely. That is by far the best way. Just be sure to check if the trailer needs to be plated/insured to be on the road.
Very helpful video. I'll be importing (to Ontario) a 17 year old vehicle and I understand that cars over 15 years don't need to be processed with the RIV program. What happens at the border under this circumstance? Do you just get the Form 1 and then take that and a completed safety inspection to register the car? Thanks
That is correct. You don't have to worry about getting a RIV form, paying RIV fees or getting a RIV inspection. Just get the form 1 at the border, get the Ontario safety done, get insurance coverage on the vehicle, take the stamped US title with you and then get the vehicle registered at Service Ontario
@@VirarAutomotive Thanks !
Very informative, I have one question. I would like to purchase a 2004 Winnebago in NY state and drive it back to Ontario. If the owner removes the license plates can I get a temp permit from the NYMV or would I have to get it from the ONT MOT?
Thank you Sir. From what I learnt from Service Ontario, one cannot get temporary Ontario license plates for a US car without it being imported here. From what I know, NY state department of motor vehicles can issue you temporary plates that would be valid for a few days. I would suggest you call up a NY DMV office and confirm it with them and mention that you will not be registering the car in NY and driving it across to Canada. As far as insurance goes, you need to have insurance coverage on the vehicle at all times. Either a US insurance company can give you temporary coverage or your Canadian insurance company can start coverage on the vehicle. Please be sure to advise them that you will be buying the car from US and driving it across the border. Please do let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist. 😊
@@VirarAutomotive Thankyou, very impressed that you respond to every query.
Thank you for your kind words Sir. Please do let me know once you complete the vehicle import to Canada. Good luck 😃
I am currently about to import my car. The car is still being financed (by me) from my credit union, aka I haven’t paid it off yet. Instead of paying off the loan before importing, we have opted to get the copy of the title from the lein holders, with a letter from them giving me the OK to import the car. Didn’t hear you speak of this, but it seems to be an option…. Am I wrong?
It is an option and it is possible Yes. Normally lien holders are not open to giving such a letter, since if one stops paying the loan, they have limited recourse to repossess the vehicle. But it is possible.
"used, self-propelled vehicle is leased or a recorded lien exists in the U.S., in addition to complying with paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, the provisional owner must provide to Customs a separate writing from the third-party-in interest which expressly provides that the subject vehicle may be exported. This writing must be on the third-party's letterhead paper and contain a complete description of the vehicle including the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the name of the owner or lienholder of the leased vehicle, and the telephone numbers at which that owner or lienholder may be contacted and must bear an original signature of the third-party and state the date it was signed."
www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/export-docs/motor-vehicle?language_content_entity=en
Seems like I’ll have to get the leinholders signature, in person, on their letter. They have already given me a copy of the title/ other documents, will that be good enough for import? Copy/print out of the title, plus a signed letter/statement from the lein holders with them giving me the “ok” along with the additional info?
Also, should I have two copies in total, one for the export on the us side and one for the import on the Canadian side?
Thank you so much, your video is making this a whole lot easier
I think copy/print the letters should be good enough. Also having a couple extra copies wouldn't hurt. I have never done it personally whereby I exported a car from US with still a Lein on so I can't say for sure unfortunately.
Glad I could be of assistance.
Great video, have lot of nice info.
Could you please let me know how to complete the Export formalities from USA for a Car that is already in Canada with Canadian Registration and License Plates.
I had to brought me personal car from Michigan temporarily but during Cold, I had to register the car in Ontario temporarily (I was on work permit); I did not Export the car out of USA as travel was restricted. Now, I have received the PR and have to register the Car in Ontario permanently.
So, is there a way to export the car from USA before registering it in Ontario?
How did you register the car car in Canada? Using the Michigan title? I am assuming that they took your Michigan title away when they gave you the Ontario Vehicle Registration?
Also since you did a temporary vehicle import here, did you have to do the RIV inspection and pay RIV fees or not?
@kanaks1259 Did you do the permeant import ? I went to service ontario and they said i dont have to and they dont see any restrictions indicating that I cannot sell.
I bought a van in an auction at Iowa, I am living in Ontario. I have no US plate no US Insurence how do I get them to drive up to the border!!
You can get it shipped. There are plenty of vehicle shipping companies that will do it. Getting it across the border is still a question mark. Except that I can't think of anything. Sorry.
What you could try is that if you have a dealer friend, you can get their dealer plate and put that on the van and drive it across to Ontario.
One of the best informative videos about this segment. Thanks for taking the time to put all these for us. I have a couple of questions. It would be a lot helpful if you could guide me
1) I am planning on moving permanently to Canada, so I am renting a Uhaul to take my stuff, and using that, I am towing my car, can I still export/import even if my car is on a dolly.? or do I need to get it down at the Poe.?
2) What if the value is over 10,000 CAD.?
Yes you can tow your car using the u haul and be fine, since technically you are with the car, doing the processing yourself.
2) if the value ks over $10,000 CAD you pay import tax on the value of the car over $10k, so if your car value ks $15k, you pay on $5k. Keep in mind though that $10k is the allowance for all the goods you bring with you, including your furniture, electronics and car. So if the rest of your good are worth $3k, and your car is worth $15k, so total goods are worth $18k and you will be paying taxes on $8k. Hopefully this helps.
@@VirarAutomotive Very Helpful, thank you.
This is such a great video. Very informative. Thank you so much for making this video. I do have few questions:
1. My car currently has a open recall and my recall letter clearly says the parts/remedy isn't available yet. The dealership says the parts could be available in summer (July /August) but not before that. I am planning to move to Canada (as a PR) by May end (entering through British Columbia by land border). What options do I have here to get this recall clearance document or any other document that could get my vehicle in Canada hassle free?
2. My car is manufactured in US, do I have to pay duty on this car while entering Canada? or just the taxes?
3. I am planning to take some personal goods in my car such as: Electronic drum kit, guitar, sound bar etc. Do I need to pay taxes on these goods?
I would greatly appreciate your response on the above queries.
Thanks a lot :)
1) This is a tricky one. Strictly speaking, RIV (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) won't let you complete the RIV inspection unless all recalls are completed before you import the vehicle. I would suggest you try calling them and see if they can give you an exception. Also in the future when the parts do become available you will likely have to go back to US to get the recall completed. The Canadian dealership will likely not do it citing that it is a US vehicle.
2) As far as my understanding goes you will have to pay the import duty at the Canadian border when you import the vehicle. If you want to confirm, I suggest you call up the Canadian border at which you will be crossing into Canada and confirm that the rules haven't have changed recently.
3) As you will be moving to Canada for the first time, you have $10,000 exemption to bring your personal goods with you. Everything is included in the calculation of this value. For instance your car is worth $8000, and your other goods are worth $3000, your total goods are worth $11000 and thus you will be paying import duties on $1000. I hope that conveys how the tax calculation works.
3)
@@VirarAutomotive Thank you so much for the response!
Im getting ready to export a vehicle from US into Canada. Thank. Super video. One question. I know the border charges the 5% GST but does Service Ontario not charge for taxes?
Also, to confirm, if a vehicle is older than 15 years then the RIV charge does not apply. Thanks again
If you already have the car registered under your name in US (which means you have already paid the sales tax at some point to the US DMV), then you don't have to pay sales tax again to Service Ontario.
2) if you are a Canadian just going to pickup a car from US and bringing it back and the first time they car will be registered to your name will be here in Ontario, then yeah Service Ontario will charge you the sales tax (13% HST)
3) yes if the vehicle is older than 15 years then it is exempt from.RIC inspection and RIV charges.
Great Video! Any advice on insurance while driving from USA to Canada?
Some insurance companies in Canada allow this, I know for a fact that Co-operators insurance allows this: Call your insurance agent and tell them that you are buying a car from the US and add it to your policy. The moment you buy the car (pay the car), the car is yours and thus covered by your insurance. So now you can drive the car from US to Canada (while being covered by your Canadian insurance company). Once you get to Canada, you may have to get a simple inspection done by a mechanic and submit the inspection form to your insurance company. It basically documents if the car has any pre-existing damage or not.
Hope this helps.
It is a very great video. But I have loan from Toyota and they gave me a letter that it is ok to import car to Canada. So can I not pay off the loan and still export car from USA without title.
Not sure about that. Not paying off the loan is one thing but you need the title definitely for the Export in US and import in Canada.
Great information
Thank you!
Thank you for posting this. I noticed that 2023 models are not in the vehicle eligibility list. Was there a reason for that?
Am I not able to import it then? How do I deal with it?
It's very likely that the website is not updated yet. I would just call RIV once and confirm it with them.
Question for my curiosity. If youre a canadian resident and go for the sole purpose of picking up a used car and driving it back. Im guessing you would have to get the insurance in advance and go to the local DMV in the US to pick up a temporary plate. At that time you would have to pay the sales tax no?
When you register the car in Canada. You get temporary registration from US DMV, but you pay the sales tax when you permanently register in Canada and get plates
What if it's a temporary import
You still have to go through the process of exporting the car out of US, but you are exempt from doing the RIV inspection in Canada. However if you decide to sell the car in Canada or decide to do a permanent import to Canada, then you will have to go through the RIV inspection process as well.
I'm looking to import a 3rd gen camaro and this is very helpful
Glad to hear that you found the video helpful!
Very helpful video. You mention speedometer must show KM's, what about the odometer? Is it ok if the car from USA only shows odometer in miles?
Yes. If the odometer only shows miles, it's okay. No problems. I have imported multiple cars where the odometer only showed miles and it's been okay. Good luck 🤞
Hi Virar,
Thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to help us with this process. My situation is that I want to gift my 12-year-old car to my brother-in-law, who moved to Ontario, Canada a few months ago. He is on a work visa and has his driver's license. Is the process the same for someone on a work visa?
Yes same process for someone on work visa. For work visa your brother-in-law can do a temporary import, but a later stage if he ever wants to sell the car in Canada, he will have to do a permanent vehicle import which is what I described in the above video.
Thank for the detailed Video. This helped a lot. 2 quick question if you can help.
1. The border agency did a temporary import as i am on a work Visa and i didn't any taxes at border. Do I still need to follow RIV process & pay RIV fee , do the vehicle inspection and safety inspection?
2. Could you share insurnace agency contact?
You have done a temporary import. You don't need to pay RIV fees and do RIV inspection. Read my FAQ comment for more detail on it. It's the pinned comment.
2. I suggest you call around for different insurance quotes. My insurance agent is maps.app.goo.gl/DpNhDG9hHCxqrj7T8
But they will likely transfer you to a local co-operators agent wherever you are.
@VirarAutomotive Thanks a lot for the response. I read the FAQ. Think need to clarify a bit more. So for soft/temporary import RIV fees and RIV inspection is not applicable but rest safety certification, insurance and registration is applicable. Could you please confirm? This clarity will help. Thanks in advance.
Hi Chinmay
That is correct. You will need to undergo provincial safety inspection (if your province needs one. Ontario, Quebec needs one), Canadian registration and Canadian insurance.
You don't need to worry about paying RIV fees or RIV inspection.
Keep in mind though in the future if you want to sell the car you will have to go through the permanent import, and then get RIV Inspection and fees and rest of the process as I describe in the video.
Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot. Appreciate a lot. I will follow these steps. Whenever you have time if you can update the FAQ with this exact details it will help a lot others and will save your time also. Again you are doing a fantastic job for the community. God bless you.
Amazing! great help, Thank so much! wondering, if its the same process for the brand new purchased car? any exceptional step to import TESLA?
Not sure. Never done it for a brand new car. I would definitely look into the sales tax part of it. You don't want to end up double paying taxes on a new Tesla. Could get expensive. haha. Good luck!
This is a very helpful video! Can I import the Car from the US as a temporary resident of Canada? Say I will be working on a PGWP for a year and have no PR yet? My car was purchased in the US and clean title, however, it was made in Canada. Not sure if that helps anyway. Thanks a lot!
Thank you for your kind words>
Yes, you can import your car to Canada as a temporary resident to Canada. The good part is your vehicle will be exempt from the RIV rules, because you will be importing your car temporarily. Here is the information from the RIV website directly:
"Temporary Importation
The vehicles are entering temporarily with:
visitors, for a period of 12 months or less; temporary residents such as students studying at an institution for their studies in Canada; or individuals with valid work permits for a period of 36 months or less"
However if you decide to live in Canada for a longer time and then sell the car in Canada, you will likely have to ensure your car is 'permanently' imported which means passing the RIV inspection and paying the RIV fees at that point.
@@VirarAutomotive Thank you sooo much for such a helpful reply. Could you kindly tell me if, say, after a year, I become a permanent resident, will I still be able to import the car? By that time my US work visa will expire and I may not be able to enter USA. Hence, I was wondering if there is a way to import my car while I am living within Canada with a new status, Thank you in advance, Best wishes and happy holidays!
That's a tricky one. I am not exactly sure but this is how I understand it.
When you import the car here, you have to export the car out of US first..so say after a year you need you become a PR in Canada and want to permanently import your car here, you would have to just get the RIV inspection done here..I don't see why you would need to go back to US.
Happy holidays!
@@VirarAutomotive Thank you again! I was assuming that for temporary import, I don't have to do the AES Filing and was wondering if I leave the USA, whether I will be able to file it or not from Canada. However, it seems like AES Filing is necessary even for temporary import, is that correct? Thank you for your help,
To my understanding yes. To import a car in Canada you have to export it out of US.
Hello! Thanks for your time! That was great. I am trying to import a 1998 SL500 and I had a question about getting insurance in the states. I have a car here in Canada, does that cover me for the few day trip from Denver where the car is? Or shall I just contact an Americian insurer after I buy the car? Thanks in advance.
I can't speak for all insurance companies but with Co-operators insurance company, what my local broker advised is that when I buy a car from US with the intent to import it to Canada, I can let them know and they can start coverage on it the moment I get the signed title from the seller in US. Which means it be Co-operators insurance that would cover me for drive back to Canada..the condition being that once I import the car to Canada, I have to get a initial condition report filled out by a mechanic and submit it to them, basically verifying the condition of the vehicle (pre existing damage, cracks on glass, etc)
I am guessing the process could be similar for other insurance companies too.
@@VirarAutomotive Awesome. Thank you Sir!
do you have a video explaining how to import from canada to us?
Unfortunately I do not
Hello, Thanks for the information you provided here. Could you please recommend few shops for the safety inspection and overall maintenance. I like having a kind of PCP for my car. A go to mechanic/store for all needs. Thanks for your help.
I saurabh where you are planning on moving to ?
@@VirarAutomotive Hi, I am in Mississauga, ON. I have already imported my car and have bought insurance. i am at the safety inspection and registration step. Again, cannot thank you enough for the information you provided here. Thanks
You are very welcome. Glad you found the video helpful. I am based out of Toronto and Ottawa. There is an active green + ross at 844 Dundas St E, Mississauga, ON L4Y 2B8 that I have worked with in past and they do a good job. I can introduce you to the owner there. For safety inspection I know another shop near by that will do it for $100(including tax). Canadian Tire will do it for $135+tax =$150.
Thank you so much for very informative video. I have one question my brother lives in Detroit and I am in Windsor Ontario, he is planning to give his old car to me as a gift so in that note what is the process look like? Is that anything change or same process? Thank you.
Same process. Only difference is that it might some difference at Canada customs when they calculate the import tax. I suggest you call the Canada customs office directly in Windsor and ask them what the tax will be in your case. Thank you
@@VirarAutomotive I have another question. What are the timing for vehicle import at ambassador bridge? I mean it’s only weekdays or I can do the process on weekends? Thanks in advance.
It's best you call and check them. As far as I know it's 24X7. But again, call and check with them when you ask them about the import tax
Hi Virar Automotive, Thank you for the information. I have couple of questions. 1) Do we have to send email to RIV on the recall clearance? 2) Did you declare the Car import information in the B4 form ?
Hi,
1) Yes, you would have to send an email to RIV on the recall clearance. You will need to create an account with RIV(You can create a guest account) that will keep track of all the paperwork that needs to be submitted, payment and status of your application. To the best of my memory, you can also just upload the recall clearance on the website through your guest account
2)Yes you will have to declare the car on the B4 Personal effects form.
What is your charge to assist with the importing of a 2019 HRV Honda purchased by my daughter while in the U.S. on a student visa. Expect to import vehicle sometime in 2022.
Hi Allen, thank you for your message.
Unfortunately since I am not a registered broker I cannot directly assist with importing the vehicle into Canada.
However, from what you described, it should be a straightforward import process. The process seems cumbersome and time-consuming however if you watch the entire video I show in detail how to go about it doing it yourself.
If I may suggest, after watching the video if you have any questions, please do comment here and I will try my best to answer them for you. Alternatively if you like you can also message me on my Facebook page (facebook.com/VirarAutomotive) or Instagram page (instagram.com/VirarAutomotive).
Thanks for this great video, how could a Canadian drive a car she/he just privately purchased in the US to the Canadian border? Can she/he use his own licence plate from Canada or the seller can let the owner use the licence plate to go to the border?
Hi Berk,
As a Canadian resident to drive the car back from US, you can get a temporary tag from the state DMV. I know Ohio does it as I have brought cars from there recently. You have to do that in person thought. They will give you a temporary registration and tags for you to drive the car back to Canada. This is the cleanest solution.
Alternatively the seller can let you leave the plate on till you get the car to Canada and register it in Canada. Not sure if a stranger would be comfortable with you doing it, however when the seller is a close relative or friend I know often they let the buyer leave the plate on till they get it to Canada. But again, the former solution is cleaner and more straightforward
Very informative video. Did you mention anything about insurance/plates to drive across? I missed it if you did. Did you get a temp plate?
I didn't mention about plates and insurance in the video as it was specifically meant for someone who already owns the vehicle in US and just moving it with them to Canada. However I was actually in the middle of compiling a Q&A for commonly asked questions. I'll just copy whatever I have so far. Hope it helps.
Q: How do I get temporary license plates to drive from USA to Canada?
A: Ohio State gives you temporary tags to be able to drive you car from Ohio to Canada. If you are in the western US, Washington state DMV is very flexible. Speaking from an experience of a person I know, couple months ago, they bought a car in Connecticut from a private person, got the temporary tags from Washington and then used that to drive the car from Connecticut to British Columbia. Washington DMV didn't mind that the car wasn't originally registered with them or that the person requesting the temporary tags didn't reside in Washington (or even US). Regardless of where the temporary tags from, you can get insurance (Canadian insurance) activated on your car the moment you pay for it and get the title. You can call your Canadian insurance company and tell them you are buying a car from US that you will be driving back to Canada and registering in Canada, and they can activate insurance coverage on it from the moment you get the vehicle title. So you are insurance covered for the drive back from US to Canada.
Q: I am already in Canada and driving my US car here with US plates and insurance. How do I go about this?
A: All the steps outlined in the video apply to you. This is how the process would work for you. You verify that the car is eligible to be imported to Canada, have the recalls completed, and that there are no loans left on the car. If any recalls need to be completed you have to complete it first with a US dealership and pay off the loans. You can file all your paperwork for the AES filing while you are still in Canada. On the day of ‘export’, you drive the car into US, turn around, ‘export’ the car out of US, cross the border and then ‘import’ the car to Canada. The 72 hour heads up rule still applies.
For instance today is Sunday, August 27 2023 and you decide to import your car ASAP, you send in the AES paperwork and they confirm that they did the filing on Tuesday, August 29 2023 at 2pm. Your crossing date should be atleast after 2pm on Friday, September 1 2023. So plan ahead and account for any delays from the broker to do the AES filing. To be on the safe side, you mention in the forms that the crossing date is September 2, 2023, Saturday. On Saturday you drive to US, cross the border, go into US, grab a coffee and then head back to Canada and on the way first get the car ‘exported’ from US, and then ‘imported’ to Canada
Q: I purchased the car from a family, friend in US and now want to figure out how to drive the car back to Canada. What about registration and insurance?
A: 1) The proper way of doing things. For registration most US states will give you a temporary/transit permit that will allow you to drive the car legally from US to Canada. You can use your Canadian driver’s license for this. If in doubt, call the Department of Motor Vehicle for that particular state and confirm. As far as insurance goes, my local Co-operators insurance agent in Ontario advised me the following: You can get insurance on a car purchased in US that you intend to drive back to Canada. The way it works is you call them up and tell them about the car purchase, give them the VIN details and activate the insurance policy. Keep this active policy on at all times. Or print it off and keep it. Just be sure that you have proof of this insurance coverage on you. Once the US seller puts your name on the US vehicle title, technically the car is yours and your Canadian insurance will cover you from that point onwards. You will have Canadian insurance coverage for the drive back. Upon arrival to Canada you would have to get an inspection done by an approved mechanic who will note if the vehicle has any pre-existing damage. Then you send the completed inspection form to the insurance agent and that is that.
2) Grey zone work-around. I haven't done this personally but I have heard multiple viewers tell me it worked for them. This is what I learnt: You drive the car to US-Canada border with the signed title and follow the steps in this video. US border officials don't check if you have insurance or not or whose license plate is on the car. Canadian officials don't check for it either. [Their jurisdiction doesn’t cover this. Only local law enforcement can pull you over and check for license, registration and insurance. Now for any reason IF you REALLY upset the Canadian border officers, then they may come outside, check things and call local law enforcement up ahead and then you may get pulled over]. You drive the car to the final destination in Canada, get the inspections done and get the car registered. Only after you have Canadian registration and insurance do you tell your family relative to cancel their insurance in US. This way there is no gap in insurance at any time point. There is always somebody's insurance coverage on the car at same point.
@@VirarAutomotive wow! Very informative. Thanks for the help. I'd love to drive down south and bring a nice SUV back
Crossed the border recently, Here are some updates from my side.
1. You+vehicle must be in the USA for more than 72 hours (business days) before your border crossing date.
2. You have to send an email to RIV with stamped form 1 from the border, they will send you the inspection form after that.
3. Bluebook value- keep it with you (you don't need it, they have their own value system to check in).
4. RIV form can be filled online + payment of 350$ too, so do that. It will save you time on the border.
Hi , did you send itn to the border you were crossing ? Or you just had the paperwork with you and showed it there ?
Excellent video Thankyou
Glad you enjoyed it
hi i like to bring a salvage title car to the US from canada do you have any idea what i need to brig it by the way i love the why you did the video thanks for your work
Hello, unfortunately I don't know exactly what the process would be like to bring a salvage title car from Canada to US. Check out this website I found that explains someone's experience in bringing a car from Canada to US.
www.hagerty.com/media/archived/how-to-import-a-car-from-canada-to-the-us/
On the topic of the DRL, Canada not only requires the vehicle to be installed with DRL, it also requires the DRL to be on when the car is in N and D. The driver cannot be able to manually turn the DRL off.
That is correct. The moment the engine is ON and the parking brake is disengaged, the DRL's have to be on. The driver should not be able to manually turn them off.
Thanks for your wonderful detailed video! Really appreciate it.
With the help of your video, I was able to import my car from US to Canada.
I have a Toyota Rav4 2022, and am finding insurance quote before registering my vehicle at ServiceOntario. I am having trouble getting insurance in Ontario, Canada as no insurance company is able to find my VIN number.
Did you face the same issue ? Could you please guide me?
Thanks.
That's odd. VIN number is standard globally. I would suggest you check your VIN number again. If the website is unable to recognise your VIN try to talk to an insurance agent in Canada if you can.
The VIN should be 17 digits long.
Still relevant in Jan 2024. Used this to import my vehicle last month
Thank you so much for sharing. Glad to hear that you found the video helpful in importing your car from US to Canada! Drive safe!
Very good step by step Info.. Once question so if you are on VISA in US & crossing the Border then we dont have to do any formalities ? Not from Car point of view.
If you are on Visa in US, and just at US customs processing your car for export, they will check your passport and visa and that's about it. No special formalities just because you are exporting the car. But if you have any visa issues, expired visa, overstay,etc then that may attract more attention and questions. Hope this helps.
@@VirarAutomotive One more question, The fee which we need to pay on the Canadian side , do we have to pay by Credit card or Canadian cash or US dollars ? where can we get the conversion ?
You can pay it using credit or debit card. You can use your US credit or debit card too. Visa /Mastercard are accepted. Don't know if discover/American express cards are. Some banks waive the currency conversion fee. I think capital one credit cards waives it. Check it with them to be sure. You can get US cash at any currency exchange place. Or even at the duty free store right before you cross into Canada.
What kind of plate you need to drive it from usa to canada border and from canada boader to get riv
Any plate really. As long you have insurance on the vehicle while it's being driven.
If the car is already registered in US and you are moving to Canada then you can move here using your US plate and finally when you get your Canadian plates on, you can swap the plates
If you are a Canadian just importing the car, many states in US give you temporary license plates for transit. I suggest you call and check with the state DMV from where you are buying the car
@@VirarAutomotive thank you soo muchhh
Hi Virar thx for the nice video . I am an Indian recently PR to Canada from India and I have 2007 Hyndai Accent car in my name in US . I bought this in 2018 from my cousin . Title is in my name but the plates are deposited to DMV since Jan 2020 . Do I still need to put plates on it and pat for insurance or I can still get this transported through ship or truck to nearest border(Seattle) then to Vancouver by road .
Hi,
The car doesn't need to have plates or insurance during shipping.
But you do need to have plates and insurance on the car anytime when you drive on a public road. Even a short drive from US to Canada will mean you will be on public road, so you would need to have plates and insurance.
One solution to this is that if you put the car on a flat bed tow truck and tow it across the US Canada border. Get the export and import work done and as soon as the car is in Canada you can get the RIV inspection and the rest of the process done, get BC plates and insurance and then you are all set. This way the car is never technically driven on public roads during transit so no need for plates/insurance (as it's being towed). Hope this helps.