The fundamentals:

Any car brought in from abroad must be 15 years or older, using the date the car was built. If it is younger then 15 years, it falls subject to Transport Canada regulations, which may prohibit entry to any vehicle that does not meet Transport Canada's Safety Regulations. In other words, go for a car older then 15 years.

Make sure you aren't buying a stolen car. This is a very rare thing, but it is just common sense.

Check the vehicle out as best you can. If buying over the internet, ask for a LOT of hi-resolution pictures. I even asked for a sound clip of a running engine! While buying over the internet is fraught with risk, you can take measures to protect yourself.

The absolute best way to buy "sight unseen" would be from a dealer who specializes in the make of vehicle you desire. Remember, if you get a lemon, there are recourses, especially in today's electronic community.

Ask the owner, as part of the deal, to bring the car to a port. This saves a big hassle. Find a shipper who knows and has experience transporting cars. There are 2 basic ways. One is container shipping. The car can be shipped all the way to your community, but it is very expensive. The cheaper way is something called RoRo. (Roll On, Roll Off), where the car is driven aboard the ship, and driven off. Canada has 2 ports that handle RoRo, Halifax and Vancouver.

Make sure you have a shipper lined up first, the most important part of the whole transaction. You can simply contact a shipper overseas. Most speak English, and a few dollars might be saved this way. If you live in Ontario or further east, I recommend RoRo delivery to Halifax, and simply pick the car up there. You can rent a one-way car dolly from U-Haul. The cost of shipping a car from Rotterdam to Halifax using RoRo? About $600 USD. Compare that to about $1,400 USD to Montreal.

Take the drive out to Halifax! The East coast is beautiful, make it a little holiday. Some shippers will try to recommend you ship your car to New York Harbour first. This adds to the paperwork. US customs could make things difficult. Avoid this option! All prices in shipping are quoted in US dollars.

Container shipping is great if you are shipping more then one car. Up to three cars fit in a container. This would be the way to go if you want the car(s) delivered practically to your doorstep. You pay for the container, not the car(s) this way.

It is more expensive however. Remember to insure the shipping. RoRo has higher risks, so insurance is imperative.

Most, if not all European countries demand the car be "de-registered". This costs about $135 Euros or $205 Cdn. The shipper in Europe will take care of that. Make sure the seller doesn't get to foot the bill!.

Once in Canada, you'll need to show Customs a clear trace of paperwork from the previous owner to you, the price you paid, with receipts. They'll be happy to charge you 7%GST and a 6.1% tariff (totalling 13.1%) Then, you'll need to pay the PST as well. (In Eastern Canada, the HST is applied) Customs will want to ensure the car is clean of contraband, like drugs for instance. Another shipping regulation is that the vehicle is shipped with less then a 1/4 tank of fuel.

Customs here in Canada want the vehicle clean. If it arrives dirty, it will need cleaning with a steam cleaner before they inspect it. The transport folks do it at an outrageous price of $70-80. Make sure it is clean before it is shipped and save the money! (Even then, they may still insist on it).

Customs will give you a K-22 which allows you to take your new car out of the bonded warehouse. A storage charge may apply. (Usually $50 Cdn)

Remember to save all the paperwork! When registering you car in your province, you'll need everything! Registering your car will require the K-22 form, and, in some cases, a translation of the registration certificate. You can simply translate the document yourself and have it stamped by the appropriate embassy. The stamp merely means they saw the document. A stamp is a universal bureaucratic weapon, a form of language amongst bureaucrats.

How do you pay the seller? This is easy. Any bank will sell you a bank draft in euros. Just send it by courier or special delivery to the seller. It'll take about 10 business days for it to clear the seller's bank. The same with overseas shippers. A lot of legwork, many phone calls, emails, etc, but it is easily do-able.

Best of luck! -Hans Asselbergs: Ottawa Citroen Club

Reference: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importusa/impxus_e.htm

Also see: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/importation/menu.htm