Shipping a Car to Canada

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Vehicle Admissibility

Before you can even begin the process of shipping a car to Canada you will need to first determine if your American vehicle is eligible for import into the country. Canada’s Registrar of Imported Vehicles maintains a list of vehicles that are admissible in the country. Find out if the vehicle you plan on importing is on the list and determine whether it needs any major modifications in order to meet Canadian requirements.

Preparing for Import

If you are driving the vehicle across to Canada, make sure to send a copy of your car’s title at least 72-hours in advance to the officials at the U.S border crossing through which you intend to enter the country. If you plan on shipping a car to Canada using car transporters, you will need to place the original title of the vehicle in the glove compartment. Vehicles will not be permitted into the country without the original title.

Clearing Canadian Customs

Make sure to have your title, registration, proof of insurance, and all sales bills and receipts when you enter Canada. Customs officials in the country will inspect these documents and give you a Vehicle Import Form that will need to be filled. Depending on the vehicle you are importing, you will be required to pay applicable sales and excise taxes, as well as import tariffs. If your vehicle is accepted, you will have 45-days to complete any required modifications. You will then need to bring the imported car for another inspection, and, if it passes that inspection, you will get a sticker saying that your car is ready for Canadian registration.

If you are shipping your car using professional car transportation services, your car will be taken to a bonded customs warehouse, where you will need to complete all of the same formalities.

Additional Information

There are a few additional factors you need to be aware of.

• Before you ship a car to Canada, find out if it meets Canadian emissions requirements. Be aware that Canada levies a fairly steep emissions tax on high emission vehicles.
• Sometimes, any required modifications to your vehicle, such as installing day-time running lights, will need to be done by a qualified dealer of the vehicle. That can be expensive.
• If your vehicle has ever had a safety recall, you will need to obtain a recall clearance letter from your dealer before you can import a car to Canada.

The task of importing a car to Canada can be accomplished quite quickly and painlessly so long as you pay attention to all the required formalities.