Canada: check vehicle eligibility first
Selected federal rules for permanently importing ordinary used passenger cars from Korea. Korean-market certification and manufacture date determine the starting route. Provincial or territorial registration and individual vehicle approval require separate confirmation.
Sources reviewedCheck the original market specification
Korean-market passenger cars under 15 years old that do not comply with Canadian motor vehicle safety standards are not eligible for ordinary permanent importation. Modifying such a car to Canadian standards does not create an import route. Returning Canadian-specification and qualifying U.S.-specification vehicles follow separate rules.
Use the manufacture month and year
Passenger cars at least 15 years old at importation qualify for the age exclusion from federal vehicle safety rules and the used-vehicle import prohibition. Age is based on manufacture month and year, not model year. Other border requirements still apply; buses have a different rule.
Separate RIV from local registration
Age-exempt cars do not enter the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program. RIV covers qualifying U.S.-certified vehicles sold at retail in the U.S. or prescribed vehicles from Mexico. Successful importation does not guarantee provincial or territorial registration: confirm local licensing requirements before purchase.
Prepare the vehicle for border inspection
Imported used vehicles must be free from soil, sand, earth, plant residue, manure and related debris, regardless of origin.
Documents and registration
Ownership and manufacture-date evidence
Provide ownership evidence, such as a registration document or bill of sale, and reliable manufacture-date evidence. CBSA must be able to match the vehicle's identifying markings to the paperwork supporting age exemption; model year alone is insufficient.
Import declaration for the chosen route
For the age-exempt route, use Vehicle Import Form 1 or e-Form 1 as applicable. An accepted Single Window Integrated Import Declaration is an alternative; CBSA does not also process Form 1 for that electronic route.
Confirm before purchase
Still unconfirmed for your vehicle. Check with the relevant authority or receiving agent before purchase.
- The exact VIN, manufacture date, original certification and admissibility must be confirmed before purchase or shipment.
- Returning Canadian vehicles, qualifying U.S.-specification vehicles, temporary imports, buses, replicas, parts-only vehicles and commercial importer obligations need separate review.
- Province-specific inspection, insurance, steering-position and salvage or rebuilt-vehicle registration requirements are not confirmed here.
- Vehicle-specific environmental requirements, customs valuation, duties, taxes, fees, freight and delivery times are not quoted.
- Our US$100 condition inspection does not replace Canadian statutory testing or certification.
Shipping & costs
For Canada, specify the receiving city and importer. Request a written offer showing the route, transport stages, delivery point, insurance and included charges. Confirm vehicle eligibility and required approvals before booking.
What goes into the cost?
Send the vehicle listing, quantity and delivery point. Eligibility and required approvals must be confirmed before arranging shipment. Freight and departure dates need a current offer.
Vehicle purchase
Confirm the vehicle price, invoice and payment recipient.
Vehicle inspection — US$100
Our pre-purchase condition inspection; separate from required government testing or certification.
Korea-side preparation
Request itemized inland transport, export documents, handling and loading.
International freight & insurance
Confirm the route, shipping method, insurance, quote validity and exclusions.
Destination charges
Ask your receiving agent about handling, customs, taxes, registration and delivery costs.
Inspection & next steps
- Send your vehicle details. Share a listing or your preferred model, year and budget.
- Confirm eligibility, then inspect — US$100. Our vehicle condition inspection is separate from government testing or certification.
- Review the shipping offer. Confirm the route, costs and required approvals before booking.
Official sources & review dates
View 5 official sources and review notes
Source publication or amendment dates and our review dates are listed separately.
- Importing a vehicle from countries other than the United States and Mexico ↗Transport CanadaPage modified: Reviewed: Read the live guidance and its exceptions. Its older page date was cross-checked against the current Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations and CBSA's 2 September 2026 memorandum, which retains the foreign-market restriction and age exemption.
- Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations — section 4(2)(a) ↗Department of Justice Canada — Justice Laws WebsiteRegulations last amended: Reviewed: The consolidation is current to 21 July 2026; the regulations as a whole were last amended on 1 January 2025. Section 4 retains the age exclusion. The September 2026 CBSA memorandum independently confirms its current application; the website update is not a new commencement date.
- Used or Second-hand Motor Vehicles Regulations — sections 1(j), 2 and 4 ↗Department of Justice Canada — Justice Laws WebsiteRegulation registration: Effective: Reviewed: Read the current consolidation, stated current to 21 July 2026, including the separate tariff prohibition exclusion. Section 4 states the original commencement date. Cross-checked against CBSA's current vehicle memorandum and its linked D9-1-11 guidance.
- Memorandum D19-12-1: Importing Vehicles into Canada ↗Canada Border Services AgencyMemorandum updated: Reviewed: Read the dated current memorandum, paragraphs 3, 9, 15, 31–37 and 43–44, and Appendices B and E. The September update concerns temporary residents; the reviewed permanent-import rules remain in the text.
- Importing Older Vehicles into Canada ↗Transport CanadaPage modified: Reviewed: Read the live manufacture-date, ownership and provincial-registration guidance. Its age rule was checked against current legislation and the September 2026 CBSA memorandum. No province-specific registration approval is inferred.