I came in Aug 2021 on a sponsored work permit from the US. I drove up in my car and was able to temporarily import it (1 year).
I had to have my car inspected and modified (they made it so my headlights stay on all the time) and there is a list out there of cars that are actually ineligible for import due to the inability to modify them as required, so check on that too.
My inspection and modification were a few hundred dollars. I went to Canadian tire - they knew what to do and they worked with ICBC to put the temporary import sticker on my car.
Insurance in Canada is standardized (we all have to get the same base package) and then you can add on more if you want. Everyone will sell you the baseline package - I got it through a BCAA. This served as my registration and surrendered my plates there and received BC plates from that office as well as a form they said I would use with the DMV in the US for final export. They did require the receipt from the cashier at the border (it was $0 for me) for any duties owed (and somehow they had forgotten to give me this at the border and I had to go to a Borde Services office in town to get re-issued this doc - slight inconvenience, but at least I didnât have to go all the way back to the border).
As a temp import, I skipped the recall clearance, the export from US, and the official perm import into Canada - but I did finish the inspection.
I am now waiting for my PR card so that I can finish the permanent export/import process which I believe will just be the recall clearance, export and final import. I believe I have until 1 year from the start of my temp import to complete this (thatâs what the sticker says).
As I understand it, you CAN permanently import from the start. In the end, the cost is the same for starting with temp and eventually going to perm as it is to just go to perm- it is based on inspection, modification, and any duties owed. I think there is some exemption on duties as it is a personal vehicle as long as it is not very new.
It was part of the service I got at Canadian tire - inspection and the necessary modifications. I think it varies depending on how much you need done. Mine included some modifications on my headlights and was a couple hundred dollars.
Hello,
I currently live in Texas and will be moving to Vancouver, BC for about 18 months. After that I will be coming back to the states. I plan to take my car with me and bring it back when I return. The car is on loan currently and my credit union has refused to let me leave with the title unless I pay it off in full. I plan to do that shortly. My workplace has arranged for a transport company that will ship the car into Canada and they will do the same thing when I eventually return.
Do I need to go through the export process in the US?
In Canada would this be considered a temporary import?
Will I have to get Canadian plates for the duration of my stay and if yes what happens to my US plates?
When I come back to the US with the car do I have to go through an import/export process then as well?
I have been looking all over for information on moving temporarily but its been hard to come by. This community seems very helpful and the responses I saw on this post were encouraging. I would appreciate the advice very much.
@VRM I see that you temporarily imported your car not long ago. Could you help me with my questions please?
I qualified for a temporary import because I entered on a 2-year work permit. The temporary import was set to expire in one year, though I suspect I could renew that somehow if needed. In my case, I got PR and am staying, so I am working on permanent import (or selling it in the states).
For a temp import, you do NOT need to export it from the US, especially as you plan to go back there with it. I brought my bill of sale and all of my info, but ended up needing very little for the temp import. The RIV site has some stuff you want to check about some cars that CANNOT be imported (temp or not) into Cananda due to restrictions such as lacking a kilometers per hour spedometer option.
My car was paid off, so I did have my title, which I was required to surrender, as well as my US plates upon registering my temporary import. This gave me Canadian plates and registration.
I also had to take my car to be inspected and modified first and bring that with me to ICBC to finish the registration. Make sure you visit the cashier at the border to get the receipt with your form 1 - they forgot to give me mine (it was $0 as I didnât owe any duties or taxes for my personal vehicle) but you need that receipt for ICBC stuff.
They modified my headlights to always be on and that was like $200 and some inspection fee and then I took that form from Canadian tire to ICBC and got my temp import sticker for 1 year.
My car is not exported from the US, and the temp import provides an exemption from the RIV fee ($300ish) so I only had to pay modification and inspection and registration and insurance stuff.
I am not allowed to sell my car in Canada as a temp import. I do have a paper that says that I surrendered my title. I have read that people contacted their US DMV to get additional copies of the title as needed. You wonât be able to do that if it has a lien most likely.
So - yes yours would be temp import
You do not want to export from US
You will get Canadian plates - I had to surrender my US plates
I do not think you have to export/import when you go back to the states, but likely you will have to go surrender the Canadian plates at your DMV to get US ones again and get your US driverâs license back and all that
I am a customs broker who assists people in importing their cars on a daily basis. Feel free to reach out to me directly and I will be happy to make this a simple process for you. We will take care of all of the complicated stuff. You can contact me at blair@borderbuddy.com or 604 330 6760.
@VRM thatâs a detailed post - appreciate it!
I am moving next month from Boston to Toronto on an ICT Work Permit and have been debating about bringing my car over. Your post above answers most of my questions - thank you!
Could you elaborate a bit on the actual process at the border? Will they inspect the car documents? Will they ask for the Form 1 (can you submit it online to RIV)? And you mentioned the receipt - do we specifically ask for it?
Would appreciate a response!
Hey there - as a temporary import, they did inspect the documents that I had - title I believe. My experience may have been somewhat unique since I went inside to process my work permit. I believe they created the Form 1 there at the time - I didnât have it or bring it beforehand. I did not ask for the receipt, and I think they were supposed to tell me to go get it - I had to go back to get it later, so I would ask for it if I were you as I needed it to register my vehicle with ICBC.
I didnât do anything with RIV online myself - I think they sent stuff when I did my inspection at Canadian Tire - but I didnât actually submit anything. Potentially different for a permanent import (which I am preparing to do soon).
Sorry thatâs not a lot of extra info - hope that is at all helpful.
Truly appreciate your prompt response!
I know youâve mentioned it in your previous post, but just to be sure - there is no need to contact US CBP in advance for an âexportâ process, just drive up, correct?
Thanks again!
Happy to help! For a temp import - you can skip the US export entirely. For a permanent import, you definitely need to US export first. I decided to go with temp and deal with the perm export/import later. The car is still technically part of the US in that I canât sell it in Canada on a temp import. That doesnât change until the export from the US is completed. Hope that helps!
did anyone encounter issues with Odometer unit, for me the RIV inspection failed stating the odometer is in miles and they cannot switch to KM⌠Mine is a 2016 accord, donât think I can switch to Metric units that easily, any way around it ?
Failed- digital odometer that switch between kilometers and miles are permitted if the unit of measure is identified
I have a question which Iâm not sure was answered here:
I am planning to drive my car into BC. Can I temporarily import the car into Canada if I have a PR(PR card will expire soon after I enter Canada)?
Since Iâm not sure how long I will staying in Canada(a few months but could be more) I want to either avoid the import or do a temp. import. I am worried if the border agents will let me do that? or if I will run into any issues trying to do a temp import later(if I decide to stay)?
