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Buying a motorcycle or car in Canada as a foreigner Buying a motorcycle or car in Canada as a foreigner
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Trip Paperwork Covers all documentation, carnets, customs and country requirements, how to deal with insurance etc.
Photo by Ulrike Hahnel, Rock Formations on the Lagune Route, Bolivia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Ulrike Hahnel,
Rock Formations on the
Lagune Route, Bolivia



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  #1  
Old 15 Nov 2022
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Buying a motorcycle or car in Canada as a foreigner
British Columbia:


Had a discussion with the rep from ICBC - the "Insurance Corporation of BC" that does ALL vehicle insurance in the province for required Third party Liability.

  1. You CAN arrive, and buy and insure a bike.
  2. When you buy it, if private, get the registration TRANSFER document from them, and a receipt.
  3. Go to an "Autoplan" office, of which there are many, to transfer the vehicle and get insurance. You CANNOT ride without insurance for even one foot. YOU WILL NEED TWO PIECES OF ID. Your home drivers licence and passport is fine.
  4. You need to pay sales tax, transfer fee, and buy insurance.
  5. If you buy from a dealer, they can generally get an Autoplan agent to come to the dealer and do everything there!
  6. You DO NOT need a local address.
  7. They WILL ask you for one. Just tell them you're not staying anywhere specific, unless of course you have a friend's address. Since the exact premium is based on location, some have higher accident rates etc., they will charge you the MAXIMUM rate in BC without a fixed address.
  8. If they say "call ICBC" because essentially they're clueless and don't know what to do and don't want to deal with you, tell them to call their "Support Desk" and they will tell them it's ok. You should be able to get it all done on the spot.
  9. You can insure for whatever period you want, from one month to one year. You can cancel anytime, but there is a fee to cancel early.
  10. Your insurance is good anywhere in Canada and the USA.
  11. If you want additional insurance such as fire theft and collision, you can buy it at the same time for the same period. You CAN also buy it separately for less from an insurance agent that specializes in that, BUT that's always for one year and no cancellation allowed, so generally not worth it for travellers.
  12. If you want to ride south, past the USA, your BC insurance is no longer valid.
  13. In order to cancel your insurance, you must MAIL BACK THE PLATE. Therefore, plan when your insurance naturally expires carefully.
  14. Your REGISTRATION is still valid and legal anywhere, you just need local insurance which is the norm for everyone everywhere.
  15. IMPORTANT: In Canada for sure, and I believe in most of the USA as well, you MUST ALWAYS carry your drivers licence, registration and insurance documents at all times. Here in BC, there is a significant fine, and your bike will be towed on the spot without them.


If people were to add similar information to the above for the other provinces and territories in Canada where they live, that would be much appreciated!
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Old 16 Nov 2022
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This also applies for Canadians non-resident in Canada.

We bought a vehicle in BC this Spring and it was easy, following the steps noted. One learning, noted in Grant's post, is to be aware of the expiry/renewal conditions. We are planning to pick up the vehicle next Spring and go on "stage 2"of our Canadian travels. Renewal of the insurance looks as if it's going to be a challenge. We cannot renew online since our vehicle is co-owned (by the two of us). It seems that we cannot renew by phone either (looking into this). Renewing in person would involve flying from Colombia to BC for the day...!

As an aside, we recently looked into lending our vehicle (parked in BC until next Spring) to my daughter in Ontario for the 6 months we are at home - it's a nightmare and we finally reached the conclusion that it's not feasible (technically possible but a bureaucratic mess and a huge cost).
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Old 17 Nov 2022
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The insurance DOES NOT have to be renewed if it's not being driven.

If I understand correctly, it's currently parked, and the insurance will expire before you return.
No problem - when you return, go to the closest Autoplan agent with your registration papers, pay and you're done. Easy.
IF you renew before the insurance expires you should be able to do it online. This is a NEW option in 2022, as BC has finally done away with expiry stickers on the plate, as all police can now automatically scan plates for insurance and registration validity.


As I understand it all, for your daughter to drive it, she'd have to register it in Ontario after I believe 30 days but it might be 90. And of course pay taxes, transfer fees etc. And then you'd have to do the reverse. And someone has to drive - or rail freight it - back and forth. Definitely not worth it.
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Old 18 Nov 2022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grant Johnson View Post
The insurance DOES NOT have to be renewed if it's not being driven.

If I understand correctly, it's currently parked, and the insurance will expire before you return.
No problem - when you return, go to the closest Autoplan agent with your registration papers, pay and you're done. Easy.
IF you renew before the insurance expires you should be able to do it online. This is a NEW option in 2022, as BC has finally done away with expiry stickers on the plate, as all police can now automatically scan plates for insurance and registration validity.


As I understand it all, for your daughter to drive it, she'd have to register it in Ontario after I believe 30 days but it might be 90. And of course pay taxes, transfer fees etc. And then you'd have to do the reverse. And someone has to drive - or rail freight it - back and forth. Definitely not worth it.
Your understanding is correct.

We'd prefer to keep the insurance up, it's only a "gap" of 6 weeks or so, and this would also allow my other daughter to use the vehicle if she needed to (no plan but an option - as long as it's "occasional use" this is permitted).

Update - I spoke to the Insurance Agent - I can renew on the phone and with email. The online option is not permitted in our case - the vehicle is co-owned (I know - bizzare). ICBC tell me that the new online option, as you say introduced this year, will progressively be extended to co-owned vehicles and business-owned vehicles. I'm not holding my breath.

You are absolutely right about the process for my daughter to use the car - all sorts of limitations, restrictions, and taxes. We gave up on the idea.
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Old 29 Jan 2024
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Is it the same process all over Canada in other provinces.
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Old 29 Jan 2024
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Originally Posted by jonnymac View Post
Is it the same process all over Canada in other provinces.

No, if anything BC is an outlier - the insurance here is government run, not private insurance companies. Most of Canada to my knowledge have rules that are similar TO EACH OTHER, but BC is DIFFERENT!
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Old 29 Jan 2024
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Thanks for posting Grant, out of interest is the BC insurance the same rate for all insurers or is it more expensive for foreign owners and has anyone done a comparison with the cost of buying/insuring in the US?
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Old 30 Jan 2024
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There is only ONE insurer in BC - ICBC, or "Insurance Corporation of BC". So yes, all same - does depend on where you live for rates - Big city vs small town for instance.
Sorry there's never been a comparison. But, BC has never been considered cheap. At a guess, probably cheaper in the US for both.
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