How to import a car into Canada (w/ BC specifics)

Today I *finally* finished the arduous process of getting my car imported into Canada. Turned out to be more complicated and *way* more expensive than I expected. Since each step of the way incurred more steps and details than I was told in the previous one, I figured I should list out all of the required steps here.

First, you must export your car from the States. This involves notifying US Customs and either faxing in your car's Title or dropping off in person. You must do it three business days before you cross the border into Canada. And those three days do not necessarily include the day you drop it off. And remember, being a government organization, they take all the major holidays.

Next, you cross the border (you should use Pacific Highway if you are coming across using I-5). There the border patrol will redirect you to the customs office to import your car. Inside you will have to fill out a Form 1 (you will need your Title) and pay duty on your car (I didn't because they classified me as a settler and my car was my only declared property, but it will vary from person to person). You will have to pay the import fee ($261 if I remember correctly) regardless of duty. Also realize that when you import your car you are not allowed to sell it for a year. So if you don't plan to keep your car, dump it in the States and not Canada!

While you wait for your Form 2 (discussed later), get a Recall Clearance Letter. You need to contact your car's manufacturer and get a letter from them stating that there is not a recall for your car. That will cost a little (about $30 for GM Canada) and they need your VIN (actually, they need that every step of the way). You can also have it faxed to Canadian Tire when you go in for your inspection (also discussed later), but since you are going to wait quite a while anyway for your Form 2, you might as well just do this step ASAP.

You then wait for your Form 2. Now they say 10 days, but that is a lie. Even if you thought it was 10 business days it will come later. My Form 2 was not mailed to me until 23 days after I started the import process.

Once you have your Form 2, Form 1, you car's Title, and Recall Clearance Letter (if you don't have it yet you can have it faxed in to the auto shop directly), go to your nearest Canadian Tire for a governmental inspection (for Canadian newbies, Canadian Tire is like a high-end Sears specific to Canada). If you are moving to BC there is also a provincial inspection. Now be warned, this could be very expensive. The safety checklist is crazy; I had to have the water bottle for my windshield wiper fluid replaced because it replaced. You also must have daytime running lamps on your car, so if you don't have that they will be added to your car. The governmental inspection cost is covered by your import cost, but provincial isn't and that is over $100 in BC.

At this point your Form 2 will be stamped and faxed to the federal government and you will get a copy with a sticker on it saying how long until you can sell it. You must keep that in the car. That is the end of the federal government stuff. But there is still provincial steps.

You then take all of your paperwork (Form 1, Form 2, Title), driving history from your previous insurer (do this ASAP since it takes forever to get and it is just another hassle to have it added to your record if you get it after the fact) and your license plates to an ICBC location (AutoPlan is the auto insurance name of ICBC) if you live in BC. I went to BCAA and they were very nice (if you are in Vancouver, the 41st St. location is especially nice). There you will get a Canadian Title of Ownership, Canadian registration, BC plates, and car insurance. You can either pay monthly or yearly. If you live in Vancouver or select other areas in BC, you might care which payment plan you go with. Monthly requires a voided cheque and you get a AirCare inspection (just like smog checks in California) within a month. If you go yearly you can put it on a credit card and don't need a check for a year until you renew again. You also surrender your old Title and plates and they destroy them along with notifying the States that you no longer have that car registered there.

An interesting thing about at least BC is that your sticker on your car specifies how long your insurance is good for. So unlike the US where your registration sticker signifies just registration but not insurance, in BC it means registration *and* insurance coverage. It even has the day your tags expire on top of month and day. Your plate number is also your policy ID. Perks when you live under a socialist government. Unfortunately it also means a ton of paperwork and money.

In the end this whole process, with a year's worth of insurance sans driving history (didn't know about it soon enough and so I am going to have to go through the hassle of adding it to my record later), the repairs, and the fees I spent CA$3,500. That total has led to my savings having $2 and change left in it and is more than the Kelly Blue Book in the States for it by about US$2,000 (luckily it is still less than the Canadian Blue Book value which is $5,000).

Lesson here? Don't import if you don't have to. Students do not have to. Turns out that the border patrol was hassling me for no good reason. Customs inside said I didn't have to go through this since I was a student. Had I known how much it was going to cost I would have listened to them, but Canadians being who they are, they didn't yell at me to get the point across that this was going to be costly and a huge hassle.