Aha, another imported Canadian!  ;)

Joy,  I've imported 2 Vanagons and a Subaru Legacy and its not hard at all,
even for someone with no 'paper' training.

Just find yourself a shop that does Federal and Provincial Inspections and
get them to talk you through the process.

I think that Canadian Tire is the Federal Inspector coast to coast but
you're usually better off finding an independent inspector, then getting the
papers checked by Can Tire.

You'll need to do the US export paperwork too. This page will get you
started: http://www.riv.ca/ImportingAVehicle.aspx

Seeya, Jake

On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 6:15 AM, Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> I've finally got something like legal status in Canada (work permit - not
> yet landed immigrant), so it's time to register Matilda in Canada, instead
> of in the US.
>
> Does anyone out there know about bringing vanagons from the US to Canada?
>
> I'm looking at Newfoundland vehicle registration instructions on line.
>  Does
> anyone know whether vanagons are considered cars, or light trucks/vans/less
> than 4500kg?  I'm assuming the latter.
>
> Is a vanagon considered by Transport Canada to be a "MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER
> VEHICLES (MPV) MANUFACTURED BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2007"?
>
> Or is it considered a "TRAVEL VAN CONVERSION (VAN CONVERSION)"  In which
> case it can't be brought into Canada, since their list of authorized
> conversion companies does not include Westfalia.
>
> I see that vehicles more than 15 years old are exempt from the "Register of
> Imported Vehicles" registration process.  But I don't know which parts of
> the import rules are that RIV process and which are some other process.
>
> Has anyone out there done this?  My van is already in Newfoundland.  I'm
> supposed to register it within 30 days (which is pretty nuts, since I have
> 90 days to get a NL drivers license, but I have to have a NL drivers
> license
> to register the van here).  I have no plans to leave the country within 30
> days, or at any rate definitely not by road.  So I won't be taking it
> across
> the border.
>
> Bureaucracy is SUCH a PITA!!!!!
>
>
>
> Joy
>

--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27