Canada

The first thing you need to do is find out whether the car you're importing is even importable into Canada. Many cars destined for the US market do not meet Canadian safety standards (especially newer ones), and are therefore not importable at all. Note specifically that the person at the border was quite surprised that my MR2 was acceptable it seems that many late model Toyotas do not qualify. Transport Canada has an agreement with a private firm, Livingston International, which is now operating as the Registrar of Imported Vehicles. If you call them, and give them the year, make, and model of vehicle, they will tell you whether the car is legally allowed to be imported into Canada.

• Original Title, Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin or Certificate of Origin (front and back).
  Should your vehicle not be required to have one of the these documents, then you must provide a certificate of No Title.

• Bill of Sale

• Copies of the Export Certificate and Invoices

• Manufacturer’s statement of compliance affixed to the vehicle

• EPA label affixed to the vehicle

• A vehicle can be imported temporarily to Canada when:

• Visitors, tourists, and temporary residents enter Canada with their vehicles.

• Canadian residents return to Canada with a short-term rental of a U.S. vehicle.

• Canadian companies temporarily import vehicles for some special uses allowed by the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and its regulations.

• Some vehicles are defined as non-regulated, which makes them exempt from having to comply with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act when they are manufactured or imported.

• Vehicles have non-regulated status based on their:

• Design characteristics

• Circumstances at time of entry into Canada

• Age of the vehicle

• Vehicles 15 years old or older according to their manufacture date

• Buses manufactured before January 1, 1971

• Vehicles brought in temporarily by visitors, foreign students or foreign workers

• Vehicles designed strictly for off-road use such as farm tractors, construction equipment and utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs)

• Competition vehicles designed only for closed course competitions, with the necessary labels

• Power-assisted bicycles, as defined in section 2(1) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations

• Verify the vehicle's non-regulated status

• Inspect for possible soil contaminants

• Examine the ownership documents

• Collect taxes and/or duties if applicable

• Decide admissibility according to other Canadian customs regulations that may apply

• US Title to the vehicle

• Bill of sale/transfer of ownership

• In addition, you will need a written notice from the manufacturer of the vehicle (NOT just a dealership) stating that any recalls that may be in effect have been performed on the car your planning on importing.

• Also note that if the car is newer than the 1990 model year, you will be expected to have the car retrofitted with the equivalent of the Canadian Daytime Running Light system. This procedure can be done after the car is in Canada, but you must have it completed and inspected within 45 days of importation.