Importing a Car From US to Canada

Importing a car from U.S to Canada might seem like a straightforward process as both countries have very good relations. However, it is a bit complicated and time-taking, which is why you need to know the general procedure of importing vehicle from US to Canada beforehand.

This guide is specially put together to provide you with an overview of the process so you don’t get confused while actually exporting the car to Canada. So with that said, let’s get started:

Regulation Compliance:

Your car needs to meet the requirements of five different organizations involved from both the U.S and Canada. Here are their websites:

Canada Border Services

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Transport Canada

U.S Customs Border Protection

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Car Admissibility:

Your car needs to among the cars that are deemed importable by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles. Cars with over 15 years old age are exempt from this condition so if yours is under 15 years age, it needs to be checked here in the list of importable vehicles.

Car Title:

The proof of ownership is something that virtually all countries require when you export/import a car and U.S is no exception. Without it, you might not just be able to export the car but it may even get seized until proven as your property.

Therefore, the title needs to have a clear and clean title proving you as the owner of the car. This page has more information on title.

72-Hour Prior Document Submission:

All the documents related to the export of the car need to be provided at the port of Entry (the port you will use to take your car to Canada) 72 hours before the export. This is just another security layer to deter smugglers or people who try to cheat the system. Here are the two things you need to electronically provide to the CBP 72 hours prior:

• Digital scan of the original title certificate from front and back
• Internal Transit Number

The Internal Transit Number or ITN is basically the passport of your vehicle and you receive it after your Electronic Export information is accepted in the (AES) Automated Export System. To get an ITN, you can use any third party service; usually costs $150 to $250.

Exporting the Car:

The rest of the process is simple; as you need to arrive at the port with all the relevant documents like title, ITN, bill of sale etc. after 72 hours and then you should be on your way to Canada.

There are a few more things that you need to do after this process and one of them is to pay the tax. Once you arrive at the Canadian Customs Gate, you will have to inform them that you are exporting the car and ask them where to pay the tax.

They will point you in the direction of the tax-paying spot and you can pay the tax there. Remember, after getting the car into the country, you will have 45 days to visit the car registration office and get the plates.

Final Words:

If you don’t want to go through this tiresome process and need an easy way out then you can always work with car transport companies like Canadian Car Shipping.

We already know the legal requirements of exporting/importing cars, plus we are familiar with the paperwork so using us can save you a lot of time and effort.