I wish I had been able to find a very clear and concise blog post when I was importing my car from the US into Canada. The process is honestly a bit of a pain and very confusing. Plus, there is a risk of legal trouble if you miss any crucial steps.

When I first determined I’d move from the US to Canada I was nervous about the idea of leaving behind my VW Jetta. This car was my pride and joy! I only owned it about a year and a half, but deep down it was too soon for a separation. I started researching how I could get my car across the border, but only found confusing forums.

The following are the steps I took importing my car into BC via Washington State. I’ve broken the process down into 9 main steps and I hope this guide is helpful for you!

STEP ONE:

An initial checklist that breaks down almost everything you need to do can be found on the RIV website. I do appreciate the format as it is very straightforward. First, fill out the information regarding your vehicle (type, make, year, etc), what border crossing you will use, and where you believe you will have your car inspected. I selected Surrey and had mine done at one of the Canadian Tire locations.

Keep in mind, you have to make sure you go through an “approved” inspection site, so check through the list of what places are near you. This is required given US cars are slightly different than Canadian cars. They will help ensure that your car has proper warning requirements for Canada, a way to know how many km/hr you’re driving, etc. Here is the website link you will use: http://www.riv.ca/importerchecklist.aspx.

STEP TWO:

Once you fill that out that initial questionnaire, you receive a checklist. You’ll need to first ensure your car is considered admissible. You also must make sure your car does not have any recalls.

Note: Even if your car has never had a recall, you need to obtain a recall clearance letter from the manufacturer.

With my Jetta, for example, I found a section on Volkswagen’s website that directed me to who I need to email in order to receive this clearance letter. Process was very straightforward and I had the letter within a week. 

STEP THREE:

Through the RIV site you now should create and account and fill out your Vehicle Import Form. You will need this when crossing into Canada. At some point you’ll need to pay an RIV registration fee as part of the import process. I just decided to pay right away. It was like $295 for me at the time.

STEP FOUR – A:

In addition to the importation of your car into Canada, you need to prepare the proper documentation for US exportation. Technically the exportation is not a requirement, but is highly recommended, so my advice is to just do it. You will need to get a Vehicle Export Form. I lived close to the border so I got a form in person. You fill it out – VIN number, title info, etc.

This is also where you want to get a broker involved. Using a broker you pay to expedite the process of getting an ITN number, a requirement on the export sheet. I used Pacific Customs Brokerage Service. The true pain in the ass with this process is that your car must sit in the US for 72 hours. Unless you’re extremely rich and can pay a bribe, I don’t think there is a way getting around this.

STEP FOUR – B:

Once the export form is ready, you go to the export window. I used Pacific Highway because they have an actual export office. Hand in your export documents and tell them you’re beginning the export process and are keeping your car in the US for three days. I read in various forums that weekends don’t count but they do (at least for me they did).

I dropped my car off on a Friday and picked it up on Monday. Again, a pain, but you have to do it. When you park it, you need to be careful because a lot of locations will tow it. There are gas stations and other spots near the border that allow you to park during this period. I parked at Yorky’s Market (1307 Boblett St, Blaine, WA 98230). It costs $10 a day, but it is secure and several border officers recommended it to me. Make sure to bring a spare set of car keys because they hold onto one. Then you can fill up your gas for cheap when you pick it up! Win win. 

Upon picking up your car, drive back to the US export office so they can do a quick vehicle check and stamp your title stating the vehicle exportation is legal. You’re finally done with that headache of a step.

STEP FIVE:

Next, drive over to the Canada border/line-up and let them know you’re importing the vehicle. They’ll have you park on the side and you’ll go inside the office. Make sure to have your Vehicle Import Form filled out (referenced in Step 3). You’ll also need to provide an estimated value (in CAD$) for your car. They will go through the RIV form and then stamp and sign-off. They’ll also provide you with a car import account document, which includes your car’s value.

STEP SIX: 

Email RIV support and attach your signed Vehicle Import Form, your Car Import Account document, and your Recall Clearance Letter. State whether you’ve already paid the RIV registration fee, provide your case number (which you are assigned once you register through RIV), and your VIN #. Within 24 hours, you’ll receive a notification they received this information and are processing it.

STEP SEVEN: 

After you have approval, you get an email with access to your Vehicle Inspection Forms you’ll be able to reach via the RIV website. Now you make sure your car complies with Canadian vehicle laws. I took mine to an approved Canadian Tire. It cost a couple hundred dollars, but they sign-off and then you mail those documents back to RIV again. Complete this step within 45 days of importing your car. 

STEP EIGHT:

In the mail, RIV sends you a Canadian Statement of Compliance sticker once your inspection documents receive approval. It has instructions on where to place it in your car and also means you are done with another headache.

STEP NINE:

Have a big adult beverage to celebrate completing this process! This is long and tedious, but you have done it the responsible, legal way!

Make sure to keep all originals (or at least copies) of all of these forms. In order to go through the licensing process later you may need the Vehicle Import Form. It’s best to just hold onto it all documents. Again, this is a long process and half of my battle was figuring out exactly what is necessary. This is the process I took (living in BC) and it worked out well in the end. 

One last item to mention is that I landed BEFORE I imported my car. So you do not need to necessarily do both at once, but it probably would’ve been easier to. Let me know any other questions about this. I hope this is clear and helpful!