How To Get YOUR Car Off The DOCK

[GTRio]

in reading this it seems like in BC it takes a couple weeks from the time of the cars arrival until shes driving around.

Is there any way to get the vin plates sent to the VI shop so they are waiting there by the time the car is ready to be released to you?

the form one would be the only thing preventing that the way its outined here, correct?

thanks,

b

[Danno]

in reading this it seems like in BC it takes a couple weeks from the time of the cars arrival until shes driving around.

Is there any way to get the vin plates sent to the VI shop so they are waiting there by the time the car is ready to be released to you?

the form one would be the only thing preventing that the way its outined here, correct?

thanks,

b

When I applied for the VIN, the insurance agent just needed the Export Certificate in english, Bill of Sale, and I think the Bill of Lading as well (can't remember). Got the application mailed out to ICBC but then recieved a call from them a few days later requesting a copy of the Form 1 as well as the Export Certificate in Japanese. My guess is the insurance agent didn't know what all was needed so didn't ask for it.

That being said, you probably could get away with what I did before the car clears Customs, and then fax a copy of the Form 1 to ICBC at a later date. But it would all depend on what you need for the VIN application up front.

It only took them 4 days to get the application sent out and the tags to arrive at the inspection place for me, so it's not much of a wait.

[GTRio]

cool, thanks.

I will give that a shot.

she hasnt even left jpn yet and im still waiting for her to get here. I feel like a kid again

[RHDGT-4]

How do you tell the year, and month of manufacture from a Chassis Code....Any help? You can PM me

[snowcat]

Would anyone be able to update this post with up to date information? A bit more detail would also be appreciated, I.E. what is this "advice notice" [sic]?

[dah_hunter]

Advance Notice.. Is the document you get from the shipping company telling you what you have on the boat.. and size, weight, etc, its different company to company..
This Document is still good and doesnt realy need updating..
I refer back to it when i forget something.

[snowcat]

I'm already finding that the information in this document is either out of date or wrong and I've only been going at it for a few hours.

For example, it appears a number of the agencies mentioned have changed their names/acronyms and the procedures for contacting them are different (Of course also variable depending method of shipping).

When I'm done with clearing my car I will update this document with accurate information.

[snowcat]

Alrighty, so my car is now just about ready to go. The last step for me to take is to pick it up from the dock on Friday.

The original post is a good guide but there are a lot of incorrect terms and etc.. which make it difficult to follow. So here is my rewrite:


Please note this post concerns ONLY roll on / roll off shipping procedures. Container shipments are likely to be somewhat different.

Complete list of things you must have when going to the dock to pick up your car:

Invoice (A copy printed from email is ok - it must have exporter's letterhead on it)
2 copies of your Bill of Lading (From the shipping company)
In-Bond notice (The yard where your car is being held will fax this to you once you call them)
Deregistration papers in English and Japanese (Needed for customs)
CBSA/CFIA stamped form (Needed for customs)
Casual goods accounting document (Given to you by Customs. Don't know if you need this, but bring it anyway)
Steamship release (This is important. You must call your shipping company and request they release the vehicle)

------------------------------------------------------------


Step 1) You must get an invoice from the person you bought the car from. In my case, they sent me an email invoice. The invoice should be broken down into the Vehicle price, Shipping price and Finders fee (if applicable).

Step 2) You must receive the bill of lading and deregistration papers in Japanese AND a copy translated into English from the person you bought the car from. If you do not have an English translation, you will need to get one made.

The person who sold you the car will usually ship these documents to you once your vehicle is on a boat heading your way.

Step 3) Call the autoyard your vehicle's ship is destined to arrive at. In my case, they wrote New Westminster port on the bill of lading, the vehicle is actually being held at the former "Annacis Auto Terminals" now known as WWL Vehicle Services Canada, Ltd.

If your vehicle is destined to arrive at annacis auto terminals, you'll want to speak with Kate at the following number: 604 521 6681

If it is going to arrive at Fraser wharves then call Debbie: 604-277-1141 ext#: 309

You need to determine when the ship is going to arrive, what days you may pick the vehicle up, any expected delays, and any other questions you may have. Try to be brief and to the point- these people are busy.

Step 4) Once your car is in Canada you need to have your car approved by the CBSA/CFIA. You accomplish this by calling the following number and requesting they fax you a release request for a used vehicle from Japan: 604-666-3837. The original poster mentions that there are different numbers to call depending on where your car is located, but the people I spoke with there didn't seem to care. The fee for release is around $45 barring any car washing.

Once you receive the request for release form, fill it out with your information and payment info, then fax it back to them. They take 1 day or less to get back to you, provided your car does not need to be washed. If your car needs to be washed, there will be some intermediary steps which I will not cover here, but the people over at CBSA/CFIA will explain them to you. Any car washing needed will be paid for at YOUR expense. It may be worthwhile to have your exporter wash the car BEFORE it leaves Japan.

Step 5) Request In-Bond/Cargo Control notice from the location your car is being held. That means you're calling either Kate or Debbie again and getting them to send you a fax page.

Kate at the following number: 604 521 6681
Debbie: 604-277-1141 ext#: 309

Step 6) Go to customs. You actually have to physically go to customs and get everything stamped. Bring photo ID. They won't let you proceed without it. Make an appointment too. Expect to wait around for about an hour as they shuffle papers.

The address is 333 Dunsmuir st. It's about a 2 minute walk from Granville st.

The number to call to schedule an appointment is: 604-666-0547. Warning: Even if you book an appointment for before 4:00pm, they will still complain that you came too late. Government workers. In any case customs is open until 4:30, they will NOT handle anyone walking in after 4pm. The cashier who is on the same floor on the other side of the customs office is also open until 4:30, and is equipped to handle debit, credit card and cash. I do not know if they will accept non-certified cheques.

You must pay 6.1% Duty and 6% GST on the price of the vehicle as declared on your invoice. They do not charge duty or GST on the price of shipping, so long as your invoice differentiates between the two.

Step 7) Request steamship release. You will need to call your shipping company and ask them to give you the steamship release for your vehicle.
If you are not sure what the number of your shipping company is, call either Kate or Debbie and ask for the number to the agent at whatever shipping line your car was shipped with.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm tired as I write this so there may be some minor corrections or oversights. But this post in combination with the original post should make things much more clear. I have also tried to use the correct terms for all the forms which I believe is important in getting a full understanding of what you're doing.

Importing yourself is not difficult. It's certainly not worth paying a broker $200 to do for you. But you will need to leave work a few hours early at least two times during the entire process - once to go to customs and once to pick up your car and deliver the documents to the holding facility.

[dah_hunter]

Here are My comments on Snowcats Write up.

Step 4).. This is the request for release form that they require.

http://www3.telus.net/FVI/pics/NOV/Request.jpg

The one the fax to you is hard to read and crappy...
I re-did the whole form from scratch, and while its not perfect.. it looks way better.. and i have used this 3 times they didnt even notice it wasnt there version.. so its all good..

Step 6)Photo ID, I have never had them ask for this before.. As for appointment make it for 1 or 2.. they are always empty around this time.. i work a few blocks away and its the best time to go..

Step 7) I have never heard of this document. Steamship Release. I bring in a car every couple months and do the paperwork myself.. and never heard of this form.. I guess i will look into it..

Thats just my little rant.. I want to thank Snowcat for updating the original post.. as i have been thinking about doing it.
Hopfully this process is easy and simple for all..

**Note** Personal experiance, if you go to customs, and its all ladys working, its easy and like a breeze... but when its the guys, the are anal and a pain.. Avoid the guy with Glass's and a Hitler Style Mustashe.
Then again it might be jsut me..

[Blacksheep]

steamship release

I'm surprised no ones defined what a steamship release is, so i guess I'll come out of the woodwork and fill the uninitiated in; Steamship release, this is a form you rarely if ever see, which explains why few people know what it is. But just because you don't see it, doesn't mean you don't need it. Heh ok I'll stop beating around the bush. Basically when you turn in your bill of lading to your shipping company, in my case NYK, they automatically fax the Steamship release to the terminal that is holding your car, in my case, WWL. This form basically releases your car from NYK to the terminal, and to get your car released from the terminal you need a stamped advice notice, which you'll receive an original, but a copy of it will usually be faxed ahead of you.

The number for your shipping company should be on your bill of lading, no need to bug Debbie for a number you already have, and if you don't live in Vancouver, you can do what I did, which is fax your bill of lading to your shipper and send the original through snail mail, thus getting the steamship release faxed to the terminal so you can pick your baby up without a hitch. (call your shipper ahead of time to see if this is an option ofcourse.)

one more thing! and this is important, if you're picking up your car at WWL terminals, you need to pay 65 bucks in fees to pick up your car, but heres the thing, they don't accept debit or credit cards, just cold hard cash or cheque. In an age of debit machines and plastic money, this kinda thing can really catch you off-guard, especially if theres only 40 min before the terminal closes and you need to call a cab to get you to an ATM and back...ops:

[snowcat]

I'm bringing in another car (RX-7) soon, I will do another writeup or edit my guide as it progresses.

Also to let people know, Raminder quit working at the annacis auto terminals, she's been replaced by Kate.

By the way, the fees due at WWL (Annacis auto terminals) is based on weight, so if you're bringing a honda beat you're going to be paying less than you will if it's a Skyline or RX-7. They will tell you how much once they receive paperwork on your car (Weight is specified on the boat forms)

[slashmonkey]

Step 4) Once your car is in Canada you need to have your car approved by the CBSA/CFIA. You accomplish this by calling the following number and requesting they fax you a release request for a used vehicle from Japan: 604-666-3837. The original poster mentions that there are different numbers to call depending on where your car is located, but the people I spoke with there didn't seem to care. The fee for release is around $45 barring any car washing.

Once you receive the request for release form, fill it out with your information and payment info, then fax it back to them. They take 1 day or less to get back to you, provided your car does not need to be washed. If your car needs to be washed, there will be some intermediary steps which I will not cover here, but the people over at CBSA/CFIA will explain them to you. Any car washing needed will be paid for at YOUR expense. It may be worthwhile to have your exporter wash the car BEFORE it leaves Japan.

This information is out of date, CBSA now completely handles soil inspections and the request for release approval form, which they can email or fax to you if you call 604-666-0547 (vancouver customs located at 333 dunsmuir) or 604-713-9585 (the actual phone # listed on the new form)

[kouki240]

First of all... big apologies for bringing up an extremely old thread, but this thing is gold!!

I have a couple questions for our customs gurus...

1. Have these steps changed at all in the last few years??

2. What would be the best way to get your car off the dock if you only have 24 hours in Vancouver? My car lands on a Saturday and I plan on going Tuesday-Wednesday to get the car out. Am I able to fax soil test release, get the advice notice, and send the bill of lading before the car even arrives?

Thanks guys!!

[kouki240]

Oh yes, and do you need any of the original paperwork in order to get the car off the dock, or will photocopies suffice??

[dah_hunter]

YOu need the originals documents to deal with Customs in person..

Timing wont work.. if your car lands on a Saturday, its not going to be ready for release by Wednesday the same week. .. I would say it would be ready by the following Wednesday.. thats more realist..

also you need 24 hours from when you do customs to when you can pick up the car..

so i would say you will want 3 days to be safe..