How long can I keep my Australian registered bike in Canada. Want to fly back and forward over the next two years.

If you are importing the motorcycle as a visitor (a tourist), it can remain in Canada up to 12 months.

The official statement can be found at this Government of Canada website - scroll down until you find the section titled 'RIV Program Exemptions', or just do a search for the word 'temporary' on that web page.

Importing a Vehicle to Canada.

Be aware that the bulk of the information on that page deals with permanent imports to Canada, only about 5% of the information presented addresses temporary imports.

Michael

Thank you Micheal.
I did find some info. It appears their is no fee's for the temporarily import as long as i'm on my way to another county and don't sell the bike etc.
Australia is saying it's easier with a "carnet" which is not a problem. Horizons Unlimited say that you don't. Does not matter I'll just get one anyway.
I'll be using an agent to clear the bike in Vancouver etc.
Cheers.

Hi Bundy:

Jeepers, our customs people probably would not know what a carnet is, I doubt that they have ever heard of one. Carnets can be quite expensive, so unless you need one for another country you plan to visit, I don't see any benefit arising from getting one just for Canada.

In principle, entering Canada for the purpose of tourism with an Australian registered vehicle should be no different from entering Canada with a USA registered vehicle for the purpose of tourism - and there are no formalities whatsoever (none of ANY kind) when an American enters Canada for temporary tourism with their vehicle.

The key issue for you is that your importation is temporary, and for tourism. As long as the customs person who is processing your importation documents understands that (and believes it to be truthful), then you will have no problems at all.

Some suggestions for you, this based on my own experience bringing my Canadian-registered motorcycle back into Canada from Europe:

1) Make sure that the moto is clean, meaning, no bug splats on the front and no dirt under the fenders. Canada is not as paranoid as Australia when it comes to fear of importing foreign organisms, however, you can avoid the delay and additional cost associated with an 'agricultural inspection' of your motorcycle if you ensure that it is showroom clean & shiny before you ship it.

2) In Canada, it is obligatory to have liability insurance to cover any vehicle that will be operated on a public road. Insurance issued in any one province is sufficient to meet the requirements of all provinces. Strictly speaking, it is not necessary to prove that the vehicle is insured at the time of import, but practically speaking, it can help to move things along smoothly. Hence, if it is possible, supply the person doing your customs clearance with a copy of your insurance certificate, to enable them to show this to any official that may be interested.

Be aware that in some (perhaps most, I am not sure) Canadian provinces it is obligatory that the headlight be illuminated at all times when you are riding. Also be aware that all Canadian provinces require that a helmet be worn when riding the motorcycle.

To be strictly compliant with international treaties governing operation of vehicles in foreign countries, you should have an International Driver Permit. Practically speaking, because both Canada and Australia use the English language, you won't need one as long as your Australian licence clearly indicates that you are licenced to operate a motorcycle.

You will need to affix an oval-shaped white sticker with your country code (AUS) to the back of your moto, near the licence plate. If you can't easily buy one of these in Oz, you can just go to any company that makes vinyl signs and have them make one up for you as a one-off. Below is a picture of such a sticker on my motorcycle (necessary when I ride it in Europe).

Michael

Country Code Sticker

Bundy:

Just another thought, since you mentioned that someone else will be doing the customs clearance for you (rather than you doing it in person):

It might help move things along if you provide the person doing your customs clearance with a copy of your passport and a copy of your driver licence. This will enable them to show the customs official (if he or she so inquires) that the moto is being imported on behalf of the same person who owns it, and the same person who plans to ride it.

It is quite uncommon for Canada Customs officers to encounter a vehicle being imported to Canada for tourism that comes from a country other than the USA. Because it is so uncommon, the officers often don't know how to handle it... all their training says "you don't have to do anything as long as the import is for temporary tourism", but they get worried that perhaps they are missing something because the process is supposed to be so simple.

Hence the suggestions to make copies of the passport, driver licence, insurance, etc. available at the time of import of the bike. Those same documents would be available if you actually "rode the bike across the border" (i.e. entered by road from the USA), which is what the customs officials are used to dealing with.

Michael

I am not sure how long you can legally leave your bike in Canada but I shipped mine there a couple of years ago and it could not have been more simple. I went to the customs office with the paperwork and left 10 minutes later with a release note and was not told of any time limit.
You don't need a carnet or a clearing agent, their officers were friendly and helpful, if you are worried about leaving it there too long pop into the US for a few days and re-enter but as long as your bike is roadworthy, you are licenced and insured I don't think anyone will care.

I am sure of how long you can leave your bike in Canada, because that exact information is set out at various Government of Canada websites.

The rule is that you cannot keep a temporarily imported vehicle in Canada for a longer period of time than you are allowed to stay in Canada yourself under whatever pretense you entered the country (visitor, student, temporary worker, whatever).

Here are hyperlinks to three Government of Canada websites that provide additional information. The third hyperlink seems to be the most specific about duration of stay, stating "visitors, for a period not exceeding 12 months".

I don't think that the Canadian government goes out of their way to keep track of visitor vehicles, however, in this day and age when everything is recorded in a computer somewhere, the risk exists that difficulties could arise if the 12 month limit is exceeded.

Information for Visitors, Tourists and Temporary Residents Entering Canada with Foreign Owned Vehicles

Visitors and tourists to Canada (see the second last heading on that page)

Importation of Vehicles - Memorandum D19-12-1 (see item 49 (b) (i), where the 12 month time limit is stated).

I would be a little apprehensive about following the suggestion made by Mark to "pop into the United States for a few days", because I know for sure that both the Canadians and Americans keep very careful track of vehicles going back and forth across the border, this for the purpose of controlling smuggling of goods into Canada from the USA (most consumer goods are cheaper in the USA, and the VAT in Canada is much higher than it is in the USA). On the other hand, the government does not pay much attention to foreign vehicles leaving the country by air freight or sea freight, other than for the purpose of checking to ensure that the vehicle has not been reported stolen in Canada.

If you anticipate overstaying the 12 month limit in Canada, I think you would run a much lower risk of encountering problems if you kept the bike in Canada for the full duration of your visit, rather than making a quick trip into and back out of the USA. The border officials are not stupid, they would see that trip into the USA for exactly what it is (an attempt to reset the time limit), rather than as a normal part of a tourist itinerary around the continent.

Michael

We imported our Qld rego bikes into Halifax from Iceland in April 2014. paper work was easy, but the customs officer did a back flip when we said where we leaving them for 12 months, saying that was the max and not the automatic limit and they needed to leave when we left (i.e in 3 weeks time) ... we suggested did not really fit into our plans and she then relaxed a bit and suggested we might need to do some maintance (which we did) which might prevent us taking the bikes with us... then winked.... we nodded and said yes.

12 months on

We rolled across the border at buffalo 12 months to the day this April... there was only one check on the US side, all we did was show the officer our Qld papers, he did not quiet believe it so got out and checked the plates, had to explain the paper work to him, he then appeared to entered the VIN number into a data base and waved us though, no other paper work asked for. I am assuming the US/ Canadians have some sort of shared data base.

From my experinece everything went well kinda easy, bit unsure why the US crossing was so easy, maybe just inexperienced officer? Had the DOT and EPA paper work filled out and ready.

Ride safe

Brett