I just recently imported a BMW after weeks of research on this forum and some others – I thought I should compile all my findings to new buyers. I’ll try to update this as people add to the thread.

This can be applied to importing any car - in my case it was a BMW.

Step 1: Finding the right Car

Everyone has their own way of sourcing vehicles, but my main source that I used when exploring used cars in the United States was from autotrader.COM (similar to autotrader.ca that we use in Canada). Keep in mind that if the VIN number starts with a LETTER, it is not made in North America and is subject to the 6.1% duty. The BMW X5 and X3 begin with numbers, which means they are made in North America and are not subject to the 6.1% duty.

You can narrow your results on this depending on where you live in Canada and how far from the border you are willing to drive. Make sure you have a local mechanic in the area check out the car, and possibly even a dealer in the area who can tell you what codes the car has been hitting (ie. HFPF issue on the 3 series)

Obtaining a Carfax is critical. Any history of the car being involved in a flood, lemon, junk status could mean that when you import the car into Canada, it will be branded as “Irreparable” which means it cannot be driven legally in Canada and only used for parts. Make sure your car is a clean title (no insurance write-offs, major accidents) – you wouldn’t want to buy a car involved in a major previous accident anyways.

Once all of the above is complete, you can proceed to purchasing the vehicle!

Step 2: First stage of Importing process / Paperwork

After purchasing your car in the U.S, you will need to e-mail your title to US Customs 72 hours prior to crossing the border so they will clear it for crossing. This is to ensure that the vehicle leaving the U.S is not stolen and does not have any liens outstanding (such as ownership by a Bank).

Emailing your title to US Customs (ie. If you are crossing the Lewiston Bridge):
E-mail your title to BuffaloVINNYOFFICE@dhs.gov with the VIN number, Make, Model and Year of car. You will then get a confirmation email from them. You MUST bring this e-mail with you when you export. (I will try to get a list of emails for all the bridges)

After dealing with US Customs, you will get into the line to cross the border into Canada with the following documents.

1. Passport
2. Bill of Sale
3. US State Title Certificate

Document you'll receive: Transport Canada Vehicle Import "Form 1" filled in and stamped by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as well as a Casual Goods Accounting Document which states the vehicle value and GST paid.

Both will be granted after you pay any applicable RIV fees and 6% GST on the value of vehicle.

If the vehicle was not made in the NAFTA zone (US/Canada/Mexico) you will also have to pay a 6.1% duty no matter the vehicle age. If you have air conditioning, expect to pay an extra $100 excise tax but don't bring this up if they don't because they don't always inspect the vehicles.

You will also have to pay the remainder of the tax (if you're in Ontario, you will pay the GST at the border, and the PST at the Ministry licensing office - the combined tax is 13% (HST)).


Step 3: After your car is in Canada

There are several things that need to be done after your car is in Canada prior to having it fully registered and licensed (this example is for Ontario).

1. Mechanical Safety Certification – this can be done at any local mechanic for about $50-100.

2. DriveClean Emissions Testing – this can be done at any DriveClean facility, they normally cost $35.

3. Registrar of Imported Vehicles Form 2 – In order to obtain the Form 2 from RIV, you will need to pay RIV $195. This can be done online on RIV.CA or by calling them at 1-888-848-8240. Make sure you have your Form 1 that you received at the border handy (the number on the top right is the Case ID).

You will also need to obtain a BMW recall clearance letter – this can be obtained by going into a Canadian BMW dealer (ie. BMW Toronto). They will charge you $500 and may push you to change your cluster (I was able to talk my way out of the cluster swap). I found out after I went through the process that Unity Auto in Toronto is able to provide these recall letters for less than what BMW, Porsche, Mini, Aston Martin, etc are charging - I spoke to RIV and one of their reps (Stacy) confirmed this.

Sometimes if your lucky - RIV will already have your car's information in their system which tells them there are no open recalls on your car. This way you can skip this step altogether and get your Form 2!

After paying RIV and submitting the BMW recall letter, RIV will release your Form 2 on RIV’s website under “Track your case”.

4. Canadian Tire Inspection – This service is free, the main thing they check for is that your daytime running lamps are working when the ignition turns on. If your car does not have the ability to turn on DRL through your i-Drive, there are plenty of Car Audio/Alarm shops that can do this for under $75. Ensure that you have all your paperwork (Form 1, Form 2, title). Once they stamp your form 2 – everything is complete!

5. Get Insurance! I went with TD since they had the best quote for me.

Step 4: Final Step (Registration! Woohoo)

Finally – you walk into any local Ministry of Transportation location with your Form 1, Form 2, bill of sale, title, mechanical safety, and emissions test. The balance of your taxes (you only paid GST at the border) will be payable at this point.

Sit back and enjoy your BMW ::

 

Good info. Thanks for posting. GL with the new beemer..

 

Thanks! and no problem.

 

This thread is extremely helpful. thanks for the information.

 

wow thank you so MUCH!!!!!!! Saved me a bunch of money using some of the mentioned info

 

In BC the inspections to get done are different, one point to note is that Canadian tire refused to do the Provincial inspection (similar to the mechanical above) as they said my car was too low to go up on their lifts! It's a 996 turbo with stock suspension... It was probably a good thing, I don't trust those guys anyway.

Also note, the recall letter is easiest to get in the states, if u buy from a porsche dealer they will throw it in for free, else just swing by one on the way to the border. It cost me $30 at roger jobs porsche in bellingham, but i needed them to mail it to me, if your there in person they would probably just print it for you for free.

 

Also there is a simple DRL mod of 996's, it'll cost all of $10 and literally takes 10 minutes to install. The link to the writeup is down, but you just jump fuse A6 (heated seats, which i don't have) to A9 for headlights as DRL, or A6 to A3 and A4 for parking lights as DRL. I did the second option and installed some LED DRL's in the front bumper running off the parking lights circuit.

NOTE : parking lights are not bright enough to pass inspection as DRL's, if you get aftermarket LED DRL's only DOT spec ones will pass (must have DOT logo molded on them). Found this out the hard way, so i just swapped the mod over to A9 (headlights) instead of A3/A4 and after it passed i swapped it back...

There are also a good pair of phillips LED DRL's that are DOT spec, but they were narrower and thicker than the ones i got, i preferred having the width. PM me if you need any info.

 

For those who have imported, did you guys get temp permit from the local state or use your Canadian licence plate from an old vehicle (ie. Ontario plates with a valid sticker, and plate portion of a permit).

I'd likely ship it but just in case I find something in the northern states.

 

Just imported a 2010 C4S (pics to come on weekend) and had a texas temp permit. Cost was $5, dealer printed it on a lightweight cardboard and wrapped it in plastic, insurance was purchased from ICBC for $131 for 10 days (which is the minimum length of time). Even though the car was shipped to the border it still needed to be registered, though no one asked for proof of registration.
Everything went smoothly. US customs took about 2min, Canada customs maybe 10min. I was honest about price I paid, being from a Porsche dealer probably helped. At no point did anyone grill me, I'm a firm believer in honesty and that probably made the process smooth. Being 28 years old and south asian I thought I would get questioned more, but the only person that was curious how I afford it was the Canadian customs guy in the booth.
Have a minor issue or two to work out with the dealer, other than that it was a great first time experience with a greater reward.

 

You're in California though?

 

I have a question regarding to the tax. Let's say you buy a used non-na-built car and to import it to BC, you will end up paying 18.1% total tax. Do you still have to pay the sales taxes on the USA side?

Another thing is, I heard, you can't buy a brand new car in USA and import it back to Canada. I am not sure if that is for real, but it doesn't make much sense to me. I wonder if you can confirm this one.

I would love to support local business and get the money spent in Canada, but I am not some lottery winner that has a big chunk of cash sitting in the bank account. Saving money on car purchase matters to me, especially, when the number is tens of thousands.

Thank you again for sharing this useful information/process.

 

1. No you only pay the 6.1% + 13% (varies on your province)... you do NOT pay the US side sales tax.

2. Some manufacturers prevent you from buying brand new in the U.S... I've heard Toyota does this so you can't buy a new Toyota at a Toyota dealership... you can still buy a new (relatively new.. ie. 10km) from the U.S without issues. It differs from manufacturer to manufacturer.

3. Some dealers in Toronto specialize in purchasing in the U.S... and can possibly provide you with financing. I'm not aware of any off the top of my head though.

 

Thanks for clear that question. Really appreciate it. Now I can start doing my homework about importing a car and save some money

 

Thanks for compiling information....does BMW Canada honour Warranty?
Is it possible to impot new BMW X3?

 

got some time this holiday season ... ?? Read this thread ...
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/wow-new-used-cars-us-up-30-cheaper-read-post-1-a-307601/

Yep - that is quite a long thread ... :-)