Importing into Canada?

Anyone has experience bringin a wagon into Canada?

Looking to maybe fly down to Washington/Oregon and drive back.

Does customs really need 72 hours notice?
I would like to do this on a friday, drive back the next day but if they need 72 hours it would mean fly down, buy car,sign paperwork fax it to border crossing and wait 72 hours before you can cross the border?

Ay advice??

Thanks guys!!!!

 

It can be done of course but you really need to have ALL your paperwork and the car in order.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5048-eng.html#s3

What are you buying?

 

There are a couple of pretty nice Ford wagons in Washington area, just looking there as there's nothing here:banghead3:

 

Yes, Customs needs 72 hours at least. AND it has to be faxed to the correct border crossing. I know a coupe people who have brought cars over the border, and none have had any problems as long as they followed the correct procedures.

 

And when you get to the border, act like you know what your ,tell them the process don't ask.

 

It really is an easy process, on the US side they want the info before so that they can run the VIN and ensure there are no liens etc. on the vehicle. When you approach the border crossing you check in with US border guys and they will verify the vehicle against the paperwork. You will then proceed to cross, present your papers and pay your taxes and you are good to go. I had no issues when I brought my Ranch Wagon here 3 1/2 years ago. Good luck.

 

Hey, BD, if you're in the Eugene, OR area, let me know if I can be of some assistance. Or, I can buy you lunch!.....

 

age is important as well as some don't meet canadian "safety" standards do your homework first to avoid rejection.

 

http://www.riv.ca/

 

The 72 hours is an absolute. And, we dropped our papers off on Wednesday mid afternoon at the Douglas Crossing (truck crossing) and did not get the email to proceed with the car to the border until Monday.

There are places in Blaine and I'm sure other towns along the border where you can store the vehicle until you get the approval to proceed to the border. Show up early and they make it miserable and do not allow you to bring the vehicle across, make you take it back until they do their paperwork and you have to find a place to store it so may as well plan on that. A buddy paid $20 per night for two nights to store it at a local gas station in Blaine. We were fortunate to have a friend in Bellingham who let us store it there.

Then walk across the border and explain to Canada Customs why, have someone pick you up, and come back when the tell you to.

We had a real toad on the US side. Arrogant, treated us like we were stupid for buying an old vehicle. On the other hand the Canadian border people were all over the car and giving me a bit of a tease because I was using it for parts for my Safari.

 

When I brought my wagon across in 2010, I completed all the required paperwork, including a bill of sale and sent it to the owner so he could fill in some of the blanks. At my request, the owner then faxed the info to the Border on my behalf. Because I had not paid any money, the owner kept all the paperwork in his possession until I brought the cash. The car was just in Seattle, so I only needed a day to get down there pick up the car and return... keep in mind I had already seen and test driven the car.

You will need to bring the originals of the worksheet, the Bill of Sale and the Title with you to the border. Also make sure you arrive during the designated hours of the vehicle exporting wing of US Customs... I think they are only open till 3pm. It's quite easy if you've done things by the book.

Someone posted a linked to the RIV website (registrar of imported vehicles). I believe you only have to go through this process of the car is newer than 15 years old, otherwise you can deal with it yourself.

Good luck!

 

RIV is only for cars younger than 15 years old. I had my '97 town car shipped here, from the states last year. Did not have to go through RIV. If it is 15 years or younger, the car has to go to a Canadian tire for inspection and such,so the car will meet Canadian safety standards.

 

You should check the RIV website (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) to determine which border crossing you need to use for the importation process (in southern Ontario they will advise you to use Queenston-Lewiston only). I brought six cars (including my '65 Squire from Texas) into Canada from the US over a period of c. fifteen years and the only issue I ever had was a four hour interrogation when they did not believe the price I paid for my '72 Gran Torino Sport SportsRoof.
US customs used to require that you send them the ORIGINAL title at least 72 hours before the car got there (if the car arrives before the 72 hours it is subject to being impounded). That means that you pay for the car first, then the seller sends you the title and you forward it to the appropriate border station. When the car gets to the border station you will be required to produce a bill of sale as well when you retrieve your title from US Customs. The only recent change to the above process which I am aware of is the possibility that some border stations are now accepting a fax of the title rather than the original title.
YOU WILL REQUIRE A TAG TO DRIVE THE CAR THROUGH THE US AND CANADA. Get a temprorary tag (or have the seller arrange for one) or your car will be stuck at the US border station until you obtain one - even to drive it from the border station building to the bridge into Canada, which is only a few hundred feet away (TRUST ME!!).
When you get into Canada you will declare the car at the first kiosk and they will give you a slip to take into the Canada Customs building. You must show the bill of sale and if they don't question the price you paid they will collect the GST (7%) and $100 excise tax if the car has A/C (doesn't matter how old the car is). You will pay provincial tax (8%) at the licensing office when you plate the car in Ontario.
Depending on the age of the car, Canada Customs may order the car to be inspected by an independent contractor who will depetrmine if there are any compliance issues (daytime running lights, safety or emissions equipment, metric speedo's, etc.).
The things we do to beat the rust bug.....

 

I've always had to produce the original title at the border, but US Customs has always accepted a fax copy 72 hours before (going back to 2002). In BC, you can buy "binder insurance" that will cover your trip back from the US and you can buy this before you own the car. But squirefreak is right, make sure you have a proper permit to drive the car on the road. Usually, you can buy one in the state you purchase the car and the other states accept it. In Washington, the plates stay with the car, so when I purchased my wagon, I just drove it up with the active tags and my binder insurance.

Even if the car is older than 15 years (doesn't require registration with RIV), the car will still have to pass a basic safety inspection for the province to register it.