How to Import a Ferrari into Canada - Full Instructions - Sept/Oct 2014 | FerrariChat

How to Import a Ferrari into Canada - Full Instructions - Sept/Oct 2014

Discussion in 'Canada' started by 360brit, Oct 2, 2014.

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  1. 360brit

    360brit Rookie

    May 16, 2014
    26
    Calgary, AB
    Full Name:
    Stu
    I have just completed the process of sucessfully importing a 2000 Ferrari 360 (14 yrs old at time of import) into Canada (Alberta), and thought I'd share my experience with you on what to do and what not to do.
    Its (only!) 26 easy steps (!?).

    The rules keep changing so if you're looking at older posts then this one should be more up to date for the process in October 2014. I checked the RIV.ca website to make sure I could import the vehicle (14 years old), and found that the 8th digit of my VIN was an A signifying it was a USA spec model and could be imported. If it had a B then it means Euro Spec and that cannot be imported until its 15 years old. Under 15 years old has to go through RIV program, over 15 years doesnt. (BTW- if anyone is wondering the date of manufacture is considered the first of the month for the month/year shown on the VIN - a friend got this answered by minister of transport in Alberta - so dont let border guard tell you its the end of the month if you're right on the 15 year line). There are new rules for US exports that now require all vehicles (exported Oct-2014 onwards) to electronically notify US customs of the pending export through their AES system, rather than just faxing them details as before. Individuals cannot do this filing, only brokers, but its only $50-$100 fee depending on the broker, to file for you.

    So I live in Calgary Alberta Canada, and I purchased a 2000 Ferrari 360 6-speed in rosso corsa on black from San Francisco Sports Cars (great company!).

    The order events for me was: (other provinces may vary slightly)

    1. Bought the car and paid the money, then emailed the Alberta Ferrari dealership and told them I'd just bought a car and was being anal about having all records, so I asked them to confirm that all recalls had been done. They looked it up and confirmed they had, so I asked them to take a screenshot of their dealer system showing my VIN and all campaigns done and their dates. I did NOT tell them I was importing the vehicle, I told them I already had it and I just wanted the records for my collection. I hear they can tell you to go to Ferrari HQ and get an official letter and they might charge me $000s if you are importing it! Tell them you're going to bring it there for service, they'll likely be more helpful.
    2. I emailed RIV and asked them if a letter/email from any Ferrari dealership would be OK for proof all recalls were done, and they said yes and I got a case number to refer to if I had any problems.
    3. Get bill of sale from dealer, scan and email this to my insurance company, and they give me 30-day pink card for insurance (permanent one is in the mail)
    4. Use a broker to electronically file bill of sale and title to US customs 72-hrs before crossing the border with vehicle (about $75 from a broker)
    5. I used a broker to complete all import forms (only $200 on top of notification fee see above), they were prepared and left for me at Coles brokers in Coutts on the Canadian side of the border.
    6. Did a wire transfer to the broker to pay all the GST (5%) and duty (6.1% made in Italy vehicle) and $100 air conditioning fee I think. The broker pays Canadian customs for you, so theres nothing to pay at the border.
    7. Went to the Alberta registry and got a 7 day 'in transit permit' for $30 - they say I can use this to drive vehicle back from border to home (Calgary) and to take it to get inspections in order to get it registered.
    8. Drove the vehicle to the border (on a Saturday morning) at Sweetgrass MN/Coutts AB, and parked and went in to US customs with my email from them saying they'd received my 72-hr filing, the original title and original bill of sale. Note that 72hrs does not include weekends, and starts the morning after you file it. (Even though Sweetgrass is a 24x7 port - though I believe you cannot export a vehicle between 11pm and 6am)
    9. Less than 5 minutes at the US border and they stamp my title and bill of sale as 'for export'
    10. Drive to the Canadian side in the car and tell them I'm importing a vehicle (helps if the border guard is a young guy who like Ferrari's!), he'll tell you to pull into parking and go into the office. If you're using a broker, tell the border guard in the booth you need to get paperwork from the Coles office in Coutts (2 mins walk away) and he notes it down on the form before you go and park (Coles are open 6am-12pm 7 days a week!)
    11. Pickup paperwork from Coles broker in Coutts - you MUST show them the original title stamped with 'for export' by US customs - otherwise they wont release the paperwork
    12. Take the broker forms (Form 1 and a few other pieces they prepare) into Canadian customs office along with original bill of sale and title (both stamped by US customs).
    13. They take all your paperwork, scan the barcodes on it, stamp the Form 1 (important - make sure they dont forget to stamp it!), then they told me all about how the RIV system works, asked me what the car was like to drive and asked how much it was new (just out of curiosity!). They told me there was no taxes or duty to pay - broker had taken car of all that. I was told that when you use a well known broker, they just scan the papers and dont give you a hard time, they are used to the broker filling everything out properly - worth using the broker just for that piece of mind! Also I've heard if you got the car very cheaply they can ask you for proof of payment (e.g. a wire transfer proof) and/or the website/ad showing the car advertised with the price - this is just so they're sure you arent under-declaring the value of the car and that you're paying all the tax you should.
    14. After 10 minutes on the Canadian side, all forms are stamped and I'm good to go! Breath a big sigh of relief! Whole process at both borders was probably only 20 mins total!
    15. Stick the in-transit fee on the window of the vehicle (I left the California plates on it too - but I didnt need to - thought I'd be less likely to be pulled over by the cops)
    16. Drive home with big smile on face!
    17. When home, went on to RIV web site immediately on Saturday night and paid $195 online quoting my VIN number, and my Case number (big red text on Form 1)
    18. Monday, had my daytime running lights fitted by local exotic independent ($250 all in! - about 1hr labour plus a $120 relay part)
    19. Waited until Tueday and emailed RIV asking for Form 2. They said that they hadnt received Form 1 faxed from Canadian customs yet (maybe I was supposed to send it, not sure??) anyway I scanned and emailed them copy of Form 1 to the support email address, AND I sent my email of all no outstanding recalls from the Alberta ferrari dealer to the recalls email adress, and crossed my fingers.
    20. Next day them sent me an e-mail saying all was good and a link to download and print Form 2.
    21. Next day went to Canadian tire with my Form 2, stamped Form 1, certificate of title, bill of sale etc. RIV inspections are quick so you just walk in and wait - I went 8am and they fitted me in right away. Wasnt going to leave the vehicle alone with the Canadian tire mechanic, so we walked around it together, and he looked for VIN number, daytime running lights, airbags and stickers, US certificate sticker of conformity on door jamb and that was about it. 5-10 mins and it's done! I have to pay $4 per tire environmental fee ('inspection' is already covered in $195 RIV fee), he stamps Forms 1 (bottom right) and completes and stamps Form 2 (bottom right) and faxes it to RIV while I am there. He tells me I'll receive a Canadian sticker of compliance in the mail that I have to fix in the door jamb (I've heard you can just keep it in your glove box if you dont want to stick it on).
    22. Straight after Canadian tire (same morning) I go to the Alberta registry and request an out of province (OOP) inspection form ($9). I have to show them original title, Form 1, bill of sale, and driving license. Wierdly they didnt ask to see Form 2 - so I could have got this OOP form immediately after crossing border.
    23. Same morning I take this OOP request form that I got from the registry and I take it along with the Ferrari to the local exotic independent (who fitted the DRLs earlier) who are registered to do OOP inspections. They login to a government Alberta website and print the necessary forms off (using the number on the request form I just got from the registry). They spend about 1.5hrs doing the inspection - which is a safety inspection covering lights, brakes, wipers etc etc), everything passes and they print off a pass form and we both sign it.
    24. Same day, I take the OOP pass form to the registry, along with Form 1 and (this time) Form 2, original bill of sale, original title, certificate of insurance and driving license, pay $90 for 14-months registration, and they issue me with Alberta plates. Yay!
    25. Put the plates on my car and rip up the 'in-transit' permit.
    26. Drive home and have a well deserved beer! <- Step 26 is the most important step!

    Hopefully this will help someone. I find because there are so many parties involved, communication of the entire process is very difficult online because each government or private agency only does their piece of the pie and the other parties often change their bit of the process, so the information is very distributed across many web sites and sources.

    Bear in mind that these processes do change, this information was compiled Sept/Oct 2014, and is good for Alberta though most stuff apart from provincial taxes (PST/HST) and registry stuff should likely be the same.

    One last thing to note... I bought my car in San Francisco, but if I'd collected it in person in California I would have had to pay 9% sales tax! So I had it shipped to Reno NV using Little Jakes Auto Transport (Mike the driver was absolutely fanastic BTW), and drove it back on California plates that the dealer had kindly left on. If he hadnt left the plates on, I was all ready to go to Nevada DMV in Reno and get a temporary movement permit (have to show bill of sale and insurance I believe) - but luckily I didnt have to do that, and only saw 2 cop cars on my 1800km (1200mile) journey back! Before I drove back I made sure I had some basic tools, some 5w40 oil, distilled water for cooling, and a fire extinquisher just in case!

    Good luck, its all worth it in the end! Forza Ferrari!
     
  2. mik458spider

    mik458spider Formula 3

    Jan 13, 2013
    1,386
    Thank you, my friend. Will do this in future.
    I have a question : So basically the extra duty compared to if we buy it in Canada, is the 6.1% only, right? The 5% is part of the total 15% tax when buying vehicle locally, right?
     
  3. SpyderGT

    SpyderGT Formula Junior

    May 15, 2005
    997
    Vancouver, BC
    Full Name:
    Jon
    Helpful thread. Thanks Stu.

    Love Steps 16 and 26. Importing my '86 328 was much easier - no issues with recall letters or RIV and I was eligible for a refund on the 6.1% duty given the car was unmodified, for my own use and at least 25 years old.

    Enjoy your new car . . . make that "continue to enjoy your new car" given step 16!

    Jon
     
  4. Andrew D.

    Andrew D. F1 Rookie

    Jul 6, 2008
    3,979
    Goodwood Ontario
    Full Name:
    Andrew D.
    #4 Andrew D., Oct 4, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2014
    Good points. Have imported 6 exotics. I use a transport company that deposits the car at my front door all duties and taxes paid. Then just the licensing and RIV sticker if <15 years old. Easy. Last was a 2008 Jag XKR this past May. Wife was driving it 3 days after it arrived. One hitch,in Ontario they are anal about the temporary licence to take it to Canadian tire and safety and emissions.-you can only get the temp after the safety and can tire( I cheated and used my other jags plates but did have it insured first).
     
  5. Peter

    Peter F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 21, 2000
    6,432
    B.C., Canada
    Excellent, thanks for posting this Stu!

    Is it the same, or similar in ways if importing from somewhere else besides the U.S. (like Europe)?
     
  6. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 28, 2005
    4,121
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Full Name:
    Gordon
    Thanks for the detailed write-up, Stu - and congratulations on your 'new' 360!!

    I think you said the broker used was Coles - did they handle all your broker work?

    Who was the 'exotic independent' shop in Calgary?

    Cheers,
    Gordon
     
  7. Andrew D.

    Andrew D. F1 Rookie

    Jul 6, 2008
    3,979
    Goodwood Ontario
    Full Name:
    Andrew D.
    You cant import a European car less than 15 years old-different emmissions and other regs. RIV will not allow it. Or maybe with extremely expensive changes that would not be worth it. Now when we get free trade with Europe that may change.
     
  8. 360brit

    360brit Rookie

    May 16, 2014
    26
    Calgary, AB
    Full Name:
    Stu

    You're right it's 6.1% more than if you bought in canada. Not sure what you mean by 15% but there's no provincial sales tax in alberta so it's just 5% federal gst.
     
  9. 360brit

    360brit Rookie

    May 16, 2014
    26
    Calgary, AB
    Full Name:
    Stu
    Hi Gordon, I used Matt (nice helpful guy) at Customsquote.com, and they did all the paperwork, and the 72hr notification, and I picked it up at the Coles office.

    Steve at Riegel Tuning in Calgary did the daytime running lights. If you don't know Steve then he's got a great reputation for knowing ferraris inside out for decades, and super honest. Highly recommended.
     
  10. mik458spider

    mik458spider Formula 3

    Jan 13, 2013
    1,386
    In Vancouver, when you buy any car, you have to add 15%. So it's only 5% in AB.
    Now I understand what my friend used to tell me, BC stands for Big Cash.
     
  11. Peter

    Peter F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 21, 2000
    6,432
    B.C., Canada
    I should have been specific, but I'm aware newer-than-15-years-old can not be imported... What I should have said was OLDER than 15 years old can be imported in a similar manner as a car from the U.S.?
     
  12. Peter

    Peter F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 21, 2000
    6,432
    B.C., Canada
    It's actually 12%. Called: "TDP" (Tax on Designated Property). Applies to private sales of cars, boats and aircraft. Introduced - sneakily - at the same time as the HST by the Liberals. New Car Dealers Asso. lobbied the gov't to "level the playing field" against private sales as they figured the average Joe is just "curbing" and eating away at their business...

    The Vintage Car Club of Canada tried to petition the gov't to drop this (at least for classic, "Collector" car sales), but couldn't make enough noise to be heard.

    :(
     
  13. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 28, 2005
    4,121
    Calgary, AB, Canada
    Full Name:
    Gordon
    Thanks, I know of Riegel Tuning, but didn't know they worked on Ferraris as well. I will keep them at the top of the list if I need someone to work on my 308.
     
  14. ferrarilover

    ferrarilover F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2003
    2,558
    Barrie, ON, Canada
    Full Name:
    Christopher Bailey
    Mods: Any chance this thread can be a sticky? Very helpful list, hats off to Stu for a) remembering his steps and b) sharing it with us. This RIV stuff comes up frequently and I believe this is the most exhaustive list.
     
  15. spyderman

    spyderman Formula 3

    Nov 4, 2003
    1,594
    Toronto - Canada
    Full Name:
    Spyderman
    Amazing info. Thank you for sharing.
     
  16. marinelo

    marinelo Formula Junior

    Jan 18, 2004
    309
    Toronto
    Full Name:
    Rob
    #16 marinelo, Nov 9, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2014
    Excellent info, I wonder if the U.S. Follows similar guidlines when they import a Canadian car.....?
     
  17. Peter

    Peter F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 21, 2000
    6,432
    B.C., Canada
  18. crazy canuck

    crazy canuck Formula Junior

    Jun 20, 2005
    426
    West Coast
    Excellent detailed write up.

    Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your new 360! -- Enjoy it in good health
     
  19. F360-1386

    F360-1386 Formula 3

    Oct 8, 2006
    1,685
    Markham, ON, Canada
    Full Name:
    51216M
    Thanks for sharing ; I have one coming soon
     
  20. canadianferrarista

    canadianferrarista Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2010
    1,336
    Calgary, Ab. Canada
    Full Name:
    Domenic
    Excellent write up Stu & congratulations on your new 360.

    I've imported 3 Ferrari's from the US and I would like to just add one note because of my experience. It would not hurt to get your Bill of Sale from your US seller notarized. I was questioned as to if that is really what I paid for my car by Canada Border Services....even though I had the wire transfer proof.....they were having a hard time believing that I paid what the Bill of Sale showed, and that it was less than what they saw advertised in the current market listings. They were trying to value my car for more than what I actually paid so they could collect more GST.

    This experience occurred when I had purchased my Barchetta and after that, I had my Bill of Sale contracts notarized in the US before reaching the border.
     
  21. Peter

    Peter F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 21, 2000
    6,432
    B.C., Canada
    Excellent note!

    Not playing devil's advocate here, but from their viewpoint, what's to say that the wire transfer isn't a partial, or down payment for the car (if it really was that low)? But yes, if the Bill of Sale is notarized, then it's one more legitimate item.
     

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