People often get stuck at several significant steps in the customs process. When you intend to import your important property such as your dream car, the laws that govern such activities may differ from one state and country to another, which is why the involvement of agents is always recommended and sought.
So, if it’s your dream car that you plan on importing to Canada, there are a few legal and practical requisites that must be fulfilled for a smooth experience.
Here, let us try to understand how one can import their dream car into Canada.
Importing from a country other than the US
There are certain specific situations and conditions under which a vehicle from a country other than the US shall be eligible for import, for personal use. Generally, if your vehicle was not manufactured for sale in the United States, its certification for use in Canada is quite unlikely. In other words, most vehicles that are manufactured outside the US for sale, do not comply with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and are hence not eligible for import in Canada.
So, a person wanting to import his dream car into Canada may have to modify the vehicle as per the above-mentioned requirements and pay additional charges, duties and taxes as well, to get Canada customs to release the car and register.
What does inadmissible vehicles mean?
As per Canada’s Registrar of Imported Vehicles, a vehicle will be deemed to be inadmissible if the manufacturer advices transport Canada that it does not meet the standards of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety. Further, it cannot be modified either to meet such standards. So, you cannot import a vehicle that isn’t certified to meet Canadian safety standards.
- Vehicles older than 15 years can be imported without meeting these standards but must pass the inspection at the border.
- A vehicle which has been declared to be “salvage” in the US or has been involved in an insurance write off accident cannot be imported either.
So, in order to import your dream car into Canada, you must ensure its compliance with all the safety and government requisites, obtain the ITN and complete the AES filing with the customs. Besides, you may also be required to present relevant documents for inspection.
Given the intricate nature of the process to import your dream car into Canada, most people seek assistance from reputed customs agency. And, Clearit car importing specializes in such shippings.
