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Here are the next steps to the registration process.
Step #1: Provincial Safety inspection
All cars imported into Canada are inspected by the Canada border Services Agency upon entry into the country, however this inspection is mainly for biological materials or illegal substances. The Provincial governing bodies are responsible for regulating the safety and road-worthiness of the vehicles registered in their respective provinces, and as such each vehicle imported, whether it be from a neighboring province, or across an ocean on the other side of the world, require a Provincial Safety inspection, performed at a licensed facility by a certified mechanic with the proper equipment.
We suggest you make sure the inspector you have chosen is licensed to do the Provincial Safety inspection and that the inspection itself is done to regulation.
It is in everyone's best interests to repair any necessary issues with these vehicles prior to registration and road use. Of course, the vehicles we import are of higher quality than 90% of the vehicles on the roads in Canada today, and the majority of them pass through with little to no repairs necessary. This is the point where spending the money on a good quality vehicle really pays off. If you picked up a vehicle for a great deal, now is when you will find out how good of a deal it really is.
For the inspection, you will require temporary insurance, flatdeck, or some method of transport to re-locate the vehicle to the inspection facility. You must specify you need a "Provincial Safety Inspection" (also known as an "Out Of Province Inspection"). You DO NOT require a federal inspection, that's only for US vehicles and they follow a different process.
The cost for the inspection will be anywhere from $80 to $150, depending on your inspector.
Any repairs / modifications necessary to pass this inspection are the sole responsibility of the buyer as outlined in your purchase agreement.
Step #2 VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) Application
If you are a BC resident, you may be required to affix a new BC VIN to your imported vehicle.
If you are not a BC resident, or have imported a European car with 2 17 digit VINs present on the vehicle already, you may be exempt from this process.
**ON does not require a new VIN to be installed, they will typically just add 0's to your JDM VIN until it's 17 digits.
Step #3: Registration
Once the vehicle has passed the safety inspection, the next step will be registering the car in your name.
We will have provided all the necessary documentation to transfer the vehicle from the original owners name in Japan, to ours as a broker acting on your behalf, and finally into your own. This completes the paper trail and shows continuity of ownership to allow the vehicle to pass through our hands as a broker for the importation, without the need for it to be registered into our name and having additional taxes involved. You must be very specific with the insurance agent that the vehicle was purchased by us on your behalf as a broker, and you are now registering the car in your name as the registered owner of the vehicle.
Documents required for registration
• Original Title/De-registration (Purple in color)
• Translated Title/De-registration
• Original Stamped Form 1 (White, legal sized 8.5" X 14")
• Canada Customs B3 Coding Documents
• Bill of sale from Exporter
• Terra 2 Imports Bill of Sale
• Bill of Lading
• Provincial Safety Inspection (Yellow or White with a Sticker Attached)
The insurance agent will then confirm the documentation you have provided matched the VIN's on the vehicle by sighting them. The vehicle may need be present for the agent to sight the VIN's. The original VIN must be confirmed and match all documentation.
At this point the car can be entered into the system and start it's life as a Canadian registered vehicle.
Please allow for some time for this process. Typically an hour minimum is required to fill out the necessary forms and view the VINs, as there is quite a bit for the insurance agents to do.
Of course some are more experienced than others, and we've been in and out in 20 minutes with a very experienced agent, but on average plan for an hour to complete the process as you may have to educate the agent you have chosen. We recommend asking for an agent who is experienced with imported vehicles from Japan. Be sure to find someone that seems nice and helpful.
Step #4: Insurance
It's finally time to put those well deserved plates on your vehicle!
You may transfer the insurance from a current policy (you will be required to bring the plates and paperwork to take this route), or start a new policy.
You may be surprised at how much insurance will be for your new imported vehicle. Due to the fact insurance is more dependent on the age of the vehicle rather than the condition and mileage, imported vehicles typically enjoy lower premiums, though this is not always the case with high performance Sports cars and young males. On average, many of our clients are paying much less for the insurance on their imported vehicle than for their previous late model vehicle, but that all depends on many factors.
Check with your insurance broker now about your coverages, as you may wish to shop around.
Step #5: Drive and Enjoy
Step #1: Provincial Safety inspection
All cars imported into Canada are inspected by the Canada border Services Agency upon entry into the country, however this inspection is mainly for biological materials or illegal substances. The Provincial governing bodies are responsible for regulating the safety and road-worthiness of the vehicles registered in their respective provinces, and as such each vehicle imported, whether it be from a neighboring province, or across an ocean on the other side of the world, require a Provincial Safety inspection, performed at a licensed facility by a certified mechanic with the proper equipment.
We suggest you make sure the inspector you have chosen is licensed to do the Provincial Safety inspection and that the inspection itself is done to regulation.
It is in everyone's best interests to repair any necessary issues with these vehicles prior to registration and road use. Of course, the vehicles we import are of higher quality than 90% of the vehicles on the roads in Canada today, and the majority of them pass through with little to no repairs necessary. This is the point where spending the money on a good quality vehicle really pays off. If you picked up a vehicle for a great deal, now is when you will find out how good of a deal it really is.
For the inspection, you will require temporary insurance, flatdeck, or some method of transport to re-locate the vehicle to the inspection facility. You must specify you need a "Provincial Safety Inspection" (also known as an "Out Of Province Inspection"). You DO NOT require a federal inspection, that's only for US vehicles and they follow a different process.
The cost for the inspection will be anywhere from $80 to $150, depending on your inspector.
Any repairs / modifications necessary to pass this inspection are the sole responsibility of the buyer as outlined in your purchase agreement.
Step #2 VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) Application
If you are a BC resident, you may be required to affix a new BC VIN to your imported vehicle.
If you are not a BC resident, or have imported a European car with 2 17 digit VINs present on the vehicle already, you may be exempt from this process.
**ON does not require a new VIN to be installed, they will typically just add 0's to your JDM VIN until it's 17 digits.
Step #3: Registration
Once the vehicle has passed the safety inspection, the next step will be registering the car in your name.
We will have provided all the necessary documentation to transfer the vehicle from the original owners name in Japan, to ours as a broker acting on your behalf, and finally into your own. This completes the paper trail and shows continuity of ownership to allow the vehicle to pass through our hands as a broker for the importation, without the need for it to be registered into our name and having additional taxes involved. You must be very specific with the insurance agent that the vehicle was purchased by us on your behalf as a broker, and you are now registering the car in your name as the registered owner of the vehicle.
Documents required for registration
• Original Title/De-registration (Purple in color)
• Translated Title/De-registration
• Original Stamped Form 1 (White, legal sized 8.5" X 14")
• Canada Customs B3 Coding Documents
• Bill of sale from Exporter
• Terra 2 Imports Bill of Sale
• Bill of Lading
• Provincial Safety Inspection (Yellow or White with a Sticker Attached)
The insurance agent will then confirm the documentation you have provided matched the VIN's on the vehicle by sighting them. The vehicle may need be present for the agent to sight the VIN's. The original VIN must be confirmed and match all documentation.
At this point the car can be entered into the system and start it's life as a Canadian registered vehicle.
Please allow for some time for this process. Typically an hour minimum is required to fill out the necessary forms and view the VINs, as there is quite a bit for the insurance agents to do.
Of course some are more experienced than others, and we've been in and out in 20 minutes with a very experienced agent, but on average plan for an hour to complete the process as you may have to educate the agent you have chosen. We recommend asking for an agent who is experienced with imported vehicles from Japan. Be sure to find someone that seems nice and helpful.
Step #4: Insurance
It's finally time to put those well deserved plates on your vehicle!
You may transfer the insurance from a current policy (you will be required to bring the plates and paperwork to take this route), or start a new policy.
You may be surprised at how much insurance will be for your new imported vehicle. Due to the fact insurance is more dependent on the age of the vehicle rather than the condition and mileage, imported vehicles typically enjoy lower premiums, though this is not always the case with high performance Sports cars and young males. On average, many of our clients are paying much less for the insurance on their imported vehicle than for their previous late model vehicle, but that all depends on many factors.
Check with your insurance broker now about your coverages, as you may wish to shop around.
Step #5: Drive and Enjoy