The short answer
Imported car insurance is ordinary auto cover written for a vehicle first sold outside Canada, such as a US-market truck or a right-hand-drive car from Japan. The questions that differ are paperwork, valuation and repair: has it cleared federal import and provincial inspection, what is it worth here, and can parts be found. A licensed broker can approach insurers that accept imports and explain what each one needs to see.
- Buyers bringing a car or truck across from the United States
- Owners of right-hand-drive imports from Japan or the United Kingdom
- Newcomers who shipped their own vehicle when they moved to Canada
- Enthusiasts whose imported model was never sold by Canadian dealers
- Anyone whose current insurer hesitated once the vehicle identification number came back foreign
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for imported vehicle insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
Standard auto cover on an import
Liability, collision, comprehensive and injury benefits work the same way they do on any vehicle. What changes is whether an insurer will write the vehicle at all and on what conditions.
Agreed or stated value
An import with few local sales has no easy market price. Some insurers will agree a value in advance, usually backed by an appraisal, instead of working one out after a loss.
Repair and parts
If parts must be shipped from overseas, a repair can take weeks. Ask how the policy treats the wait, whether rental or loss-of-use cover runs that long, and who chooses the repair shop.
Modifications
Imported performance cars often arrive with aftermarket wheels, suspension, intakes or engine work. Each change should be listed, because an unlisted modification can complicate a claim.
Transit and storage before registration
A car on a carrier, at a port or waiting for inspection is not always covered by a regular policy. Ask when cover begins and whether the vehicle can be insured before it is plated.
Right-hand-drive considerations
Right-hand-drive vehicles can generally be registered in Canada, but some insurers ask more questions or limit how they are used. A broker can tell you which insurers write them without fuss.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- The vehicle identification number or chassis number, and the original export or deregistration certificate
- Federal import paperwork, including the customs entry form stamped at the border
- Any recall clearance letter or confirmation that open recalls were dealt with before import
- The provincial out-of-province or safety inspection report, or the booked inspection date
- The purchase invoice and the shipping or carrier documents
- A recent appraisal or auction sheet if the model is rare or was never sold here
- A written list of modifications, with receipts where you have them
- The name of a shop that can service the vehicle and source its parts
- Your driving history and current auto policy, if you have one
A broker will ask
- Where was the vehicle first sold, and has it fully cleared import into Canada yet?
- Has it passed the provincial inspection, or when is that booked?
- Is it right-hand drive, and will it be your daily driver or an occasional car?
- What did you pay, and is there an appraisal or auction grade to support its value?
- What has been modified since it left the factory?
- Who will repair it, and how long do parts usually take to arrive?
- Where is it stored, and is it driven through the winter?
- Is it financed, and does the lender want particular cover in place?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
A pickup bought at a US dealership
A rancher near Lethbridge found the exact trim he wanted at a Montana dealer and drove it home. The border crossing is done, but the truck still needs a recall letter, the federal import inspection and a provincial inspection before plates.
First steps. Keep the customs entry form, the recall letter and the bill of sale together. Ask the broker whether the truck can be insured during the weeks between the border and registration, and what each insurer will want to see once the inspections are complete.
A right-hand-drive sports car from Japan
A software developer in Calgary imported a twenty-five-year-old Japanese coupe with an auction grade, a turbo upgrade and coilovers. It is a summer car and will be stored in a heated garage each winter.
First steps. Gather the export certificate, the auction sheet, a translated list of modifications and a local appraisal. Ask the broker whether an agreed value is possible, how the modifications change which insurers will look at it, and whether seasonal storage affects the cover.
A family who shipped their car from overseas
A couple relocating from the United Kingdom to Edmonton shipped their right-hand-drive estate car with them. It has never been sold in Canada, and their previous insurer cannot write a policy here.
First steps. Bring the shipping documents, the UK registration certificate and a claims-history letter from the old insurer. Ask the broker how foreign driving experience is credited, whether the vehicle can be insured while it clears the port, and where it could be repaired locally.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Out-of-province inspection
- A provincial inspection a vehicle from outside the province or country usually must pass before it can be registered. The name and the checklist differ from province to province.
- Right-hand drive
- A vehicle with the steering wheel on the right, built for markets that drive on the left. Many are imported from Japan once they are old enough to qualify.
- Agreed value
- A value the owner and insurer settle in writing before any loss, usually supported by an appraisal, so a total-loss claim does not turn into a debate.
- Auction sheet
- A grading report produced when a car is sold through a Japanese auction, noting its condition, mileage and repairs. Insurers and appraisers often ask for it.
- Recall clearance letter
- A letter from the manufacturer confirming that open safety recalls on a US vehicle were completed or do not apply, often needed during import.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Booking the carrier before checking whether any insurer will write that model and its modifications.
- Assuming the purchase price will be paid back after a total loss when no value has been agreed in writing.
- Driving on a temporary permit without confirming that the insurance is actually in force.
- Leaving modifications off the application because they were done by the previous owner overseas.
- Forgetting that a long wait for imported parts can outlast the rental cover on the policy.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles imported vehicle insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
Can I insure a car I imported from the United States?
Generally yes, once it has cleared the federal import steps and is ready to register in your province. Many insurers treat a US-market vehicle much like a Canadian one, though some ask for the import paperwork and inspection report first. A broker can confirm what each insurer needs and whether cover can start before the vehicle is registered.
Is insurance harder to find for a right-hand-drive import?
It can take more phone calls. Some insurers write right-hand-drive vehicles routinely, while others limit how they are used or decline them. Rarity of parts and the question of value matter as much as the steering position. A broker who works with import owners will know where to start and what supporting documents help.
How is an imported car valued for a claim?
Without an agreement, a claim on a total loss is usually settled at what the vehicle was worth just before the loss, which is hard to prove for a model rarely sold here. An agreed or stated value, set in advance with an appraisal, can remove that argument. Ask the broker which approach each insurer offers.
Do I need insurance before the import inspection?
You may need cover to drive the vehicle to an inspection, and you will want protection for theft or damage while it waits. The rules for temporary permits and the timing of cover vary by province and insurer. Talk to a broker before the vehicle arrives so there is no period when it is unprotected.
Will modifications on an imported car affect my insurance?
They usually do. Performance upgrades, lowered suspension and engine swaps change the risk and the repair cost, and some insurers decline heavily modified cars. Listing every modification at the start keeps the policy accurate. Leaving one out because it came with the car can create a problem if you ever need to claim.
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General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.