What Not to Bring When Crossing Into Canada

When you return to Canada from a foreign country, you may qualify for a personal exemption. This allows you to bring goods of a certain value into the state without paying regular duty and taxes. There are exceptions for a minimum duty that may use to some tobacco products.

Here are some general guidelines on what you tin and cannot bring home when returning to Canada. Items immune into Canada must still be declared on your declaration card.

Plan alee while yous are abroad past using the duty and taxes estimator as you lot shop to aid you make informed decisions on the corporeality of duty and taxes you lot will have to pay when yous return to Canada.

You lot tin can too consult the Personal exemptions mini guide to the more popular items yous can bring into Canada nether your personal exemption based on the length of time you accept been away.

Absence of less than 24 hours

At that place are no personal exemptions for same-mean solar day cross-border shoppers

Absenteeism of 24 hours or more

You can claim goods upward to CAN$200 without paying any duty and taxes. You must have the goods with you when you enter Canada, and tobacco products or alcoholic beverages are not included in this amount. If you bring in appurtenances worth more than CAN$200, you have to pay full duty and taxes on the total corporeality.

Absence of 24 hours or more

Maximum amount	Minimum absenteeism	Alcoholic beverages	Tobacco products
$200	24 hours	Not included	Not included

Absence of 48 hours or more

You can claim goods worth up Tin can$800 without paying whatever duty and taxes. You must have the goods with y'all when yous enter Canada. Although you can include some tobacco products and alcohol, a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products and manufactured tobacco. See the Canadian Border Services Bureau (CBSA) web pages on Alcoholic beverages and Tobacco products for more details.

Absence of 48 hours or more

Maximum amount	Minimum absence	Alcoholic beverages	Tobacco products
$800	48 hours	Specified quantities only	Specified quantities only - Minimum duty may apply

Special duty rate

If y'all exceed your personal exemption afterward a trip of 48 hours or longer outside Canada yous volition be charged a special duty charge per unit of 7% on the next CAN$300-worth of goods. The rate applies simply to appurtenances that accompany yous and does non apply to tobacco products or alcoholic beverages. Y'all all the same have to pay whatever Appurtenances and Services Tax (GST) or Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) that applies. In some provinces, the CBSA also collects the provincial sales tax.

Special duty rate

Maximum amount	Minimum absence	*MFNT	Alcoholic beverages	Tobacco products
$300	48 hours	Specified quantities only	Not included	Not included

Absence of vii days or more than

You can merits up to Can$800 worth of goods without paying any duty and taxes. You must take the tobacco and alcohol with you when yous enter Canada, simply the residuum of the goods can arrive later by mail, courier or commitment agency. Although you can include some tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, a fractional exemption may use to cigarettes, tobacco products and manufactured tobacco. See the CSBA web pages on Alcoholic beverages and Tobacco products for more than details.

Absence of 7 days or more than

Maximum amount	Minimum absence	Alcoholic beverages	Tobacco products
$800	Seven days	Specified quantities but	Specified quantities only - Minimum duty may apply

Part of the year outside Canada

Even if y'all spend office of the twelvemonth in another land, you lot are still considered a resident of Canada. This means that you are entitled to the same exemptions equally other Canadians. When you import foreign goods or vehicles for your personal use into Canada (fifty-fifty temporarily), you have to run across all import requirements and pay all applicable duty and taxes.

Alcoholic beverages

Alcoholic beverages are products that exceed 0.v% booze by book.

You are allowed to import merely one of the following amounts of alcohol and alcoholic beverages free of duty and taxes as part of your personal exemption:

Alcoholic beverages

Production	Metric	Majestic	*Estimates
Wine	Up to i.five litres	Up to 53 fluid ounces	Two 750-ml bottles of vino
Alcoholic beverages	Up to 1.xiv litres	Upward to twoscore fluid ounces	I large standard bottle of liquor
Beer or ale	Upward to 8.5 litres	Upwards to 287 fluid ounces	Approximately 24, 355-ml cans or bottles of beer or ale

*Canteen sizes vary, just the amounts listed are firm.

You must be of legal historic period in the province into which yous are importing the alcoholic beverages. While you are permitted to import more than than the amounts listed higher up, you will be responsible for paying duty and taxes on the additional alcoholic beverages you lot are importing.

Note

The CBSA classifies "cooler" products according to the alcoholic beverage they comprise. For case, beer coolers are considered to exist beer, and vino coolers are considered to be vino.

Tobacco products

If you are eighteen years of age or over, you are immune to bring in all of the following amounts of tobacco into Canada duty- and taxes-complimentary within your personal exemption:

• 200 cigarettes
• l cigars
• 200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco, and
• 200 tobacco sticks.

Annotation

If you include cigarettes, tobacco sticks or manufactured tobacco in your personal exemption, you may receive only a partial exemption. Y'all volition have to pay a special duty on these products unless they are marked "DUTY PAIDCANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ." Canadian-made products with this mark are sold at duty-gratuitous shops. Yous can speed up your clearance past having your tobacco products bachelor for inspection when you get in.

If yous bring in more than your personal exemption, you will have to pay regular assessments on the excess amount. These regular assessments tin include duty and taxes, besides as provincial or territorial fees. When they calculate the amounts attributable, edge services officers will give an allowance for products that accept an excise stamp "DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ".

The Excise Human action, 2001 limits the corporeality of tobacco products that may be imported (or possessed) by an individual for personal utilise if the tobacco product does not have an excise postage "DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ." The limit is currently five units of tobacco products. Ane unit of measurement of tobacco products consists of one of the following: 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 grams of manufactured tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks.

Conditions on your personal exemptions

Except for restricted items, y'all can bring dorsum any amount of goods as long equally yous are willing to pay the duty and taxes and any provincial or territorial assessments that use. This rule applies even if yous do not qualify for a personal exemption.

You are eligible for a personal exemption if you are

• a Canadian resident returning from a trip outside Canada
• a former resident of Canada returning to alive in this land, or
• a temporary resident of Canada returning from a trip outside Canada.

Even young children and infants are entitled to a personal exemption. Every bit a parent or guardian, yous tin can brand a declaration on behalf of a child as long every bit the appurtenances you lot are declaring are for the child's employ.

Y'all cannot combine your personal exemptions with those of another person or transfer them to someone else.

You lot cannot combine your 48-hour exemption (Tin$800) with your seven-twenty-four hours exemption (CAN$800) for a total exemption of CAN$1,600.

In general, the goods you include in your personal exemption must be for your personal or household utilise. These appurtenances include souvenirs, gifts that you received from friends or relatives living outside Canada or prizes that you won.

Goods you bring in for commercial apply or for another person do not authorize for the exemption and are subject to applicative duty and taxes.

Y'all should have all purchases fabricated abroad and your receipts readily available. Be prepared to make a full and accurate declaration, including the amount of goods you are bringing with yous, in Canadian dollars.

Making a total annunciation and paying any duty and taxes you owe is a simple, straightforward procedure. You tin can pay by cash, travellers' cheque, Visa, American Express or MasterCard. The CBSA as well accepts debit cards at near offices. If an amount is no more than CAN$2,500, you lot can sometimes pay by personal cheque with suitable identification. A border services officer will requite you a receipt showing the calculations and corporeality yous paid.

Arriving with $x,000 or more

Under Canada's Gain of Criminal offence (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, there are no restrictions on the corporeality of money that you tin bring into or take out of Canada. You lot must, however, report amounts of currency equal to or greater than CAN $x,000 or its equivalent in a foreign currency to the Canada Border Services Agency. These rules apply whether you are bringing the money into, or taking it out of Canada, or carrying the coin with you or sending it by mail or by courier.

Food, plants, animals and related products

Certain food, plants, animals and related products pose a risk to Canada. Food can carry disease, such every bit E. coli. Plants and plant products can comport invasive alien species, such as the Asian Long-Horned Protrude. Animals and creature products can deport diseases, such as avian flu and foot-and-mouth affliction.

Because of these risks, the Government of Canada regulates the import and export of controlled food, plants, animals and related products to and from Canada.

The food, plant and animal-related threats that pose a chance to Canada are constantly changing. Refer to the Canadian Nutrient Inspection Agency'due south Automatic Import Reference System (AIRS) to obtain the latest CFIA import requirements. Airs is an automatic reference tool that uses a question and answer approach to guide you through a series of questions virtually the Harmonized Organization (HS) Code, origin, destination, end utilize and miscellaneous qualifiers of the product you lot wish to import.

Hint: Search AIRS past "key give-and-take" if you do non know the HS Code of the good you lot want to import.

Certain species of plants and animals might also be subject to the requirements of the Convention on International Merchandise in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These requirements will not appear in AIRS, so information technology is important to check the CITES Command Listing as well.

Endangered species

Parts or derivatives of endangered species can be institute in many common souvenirs such equally wearable, jewellery, musical instruments, herbal or traditional medicines, cosmetic creams or food products. Souvenirs made from endangered animals and plants may be freely sold in the country yous are visiting. The fact that they are available does non mean that they can be legally bought or sold, or brought beyond the border. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild fauna and Flora (CITES) is an agreement to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does non threaten their survival. You may bring some souvenirs into Canada fabricated from some CITES-listed species without a CITES permit, as long as you have the souvenirs on your person or in your accompanying personal baggage. It is your responsibleness to know if you are importing restricted wild fauna species (plants and animals, and their derivatives) – check the CITES Species Listing, and follow all of the requirements to legally ship them. You may also consult Endangered Species and the International Traveller.

Global Affairs Canada may require permits and/or impose an import quota on certain commodities. For more information, visit the Consign and Import Controls Bureau section of the Global Diplomacy Canada website.

Gifts

While y'all are outside Canada, you can send gifts free of duty and taxes to friends at dwelling in Canada nether certain weather condition. To qualify, each gift must non be worth more than CAN$threescore and cannot be a tobacco product, an alcoholic beverage or advertising thing. If the gift is worth more than Tin$threescore, the recipient will have to pay regular duty and taxes on the excess corporeality. It is always a good idea to include a gift card to avoid whatsoever misunderstanding.

Gifts you transport from outside Canada do not count as part of your personal exemption, but gifts you bring back in your personal baggage do and are treated like any other purchases.

Jewellery

Because jewellery is often very valuable and tin can be difficult to identify, y'all should travel with equally petty equally possible.

Take the following steps before y'all leave Canada. It will brand information technology easier for you to re-enter the country with jewellery:

• Obtain an appraisal study and a signed and dated photograph of each slice of jewellery from a recognized Canadian gemologist, jeweller or your insurance agent.
• Obtain written certification that the items or jewellery in the photographs are the ones described in the appraisal report.
• Have the jewellery appraisal reports, certification statements and photographs to a CBSA office to exist validated.
• If the jewellery was purchased in Canada, keep the sales receipt.
• If you imported the goods previously, brand sure you have a copy of your receipt.
• Deport the appraisal reports, certifications and photographs when you lot are travelling outside Canada.

Prizes and awards

In most cases, yous accept to pay regular duty and taxes on prizes and awards you receive outside Canada. Prizes can be declared as part of your personal exemption and duty and taxes must be paid on whatsoever excess amount.

Non-resalable prizes such every bit medals, trophies or plaques are by and large duty- and tax-gratuitous. For more information, call the Edge Information Service at i-800-461-9999 within Canada. TTY is also available within Canada at i-866-335-3237. From outside Canada, call 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064.

Restrictions

The importation of certain goods is restricted in Canada. Hither are some examples of these goods. Brand sure yous have the information you require before attempting to import these items into Canada.

Cultural belongings

Some antiques or cultural objects considered to take historical significance to their country of origin cannot be brought into Canada without the appropriate export permits. Before you lot import such items, yous should contact Canadian Heritage:

Movable Cultural Holding
Canadian Heritage
25 Eddy Street, 9th floor (25-9-North)
Gatineau QC K1A 0M5

Telephone: i-866-811-0055
Fax: 819-997-7757

Explosives, fireworks and ammunition

Yous must have written say-so and permits to bring explosives, fireworks and certain types of ammunition into Canada. For more information, contact:

Explosives Regulatory Division
Natural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 10th Floor
Ottawa ON  K1A 0E4

Telephone: 613-948-5200 (regular hours -08:00 to fifteen:00 ET)
Telephone: 613-947-9111 (later hours)
Fax: 613-948-5195
Email: ERDmms@nrcan.gc.ca

Website: www.nrcan.gc.ca

Firearms and weapons

You must declare all weapons and firearms at the CBSA port of entry when you enter Canada. If not, you could face prosecution and the goods may be seized.

For more detailed information on importing a firearm into Canada, read Import and Export a Firearm or Weapon Into Canada or call the Edge Information Service. For information about applying for a Canadian firearms licence or a firearms registration certificate, or to obtain an Application for an Authorization to Transport Restricted Firearms and Prohibited Firearms (Class CAFC 679) in advance, please contact:

Canadian Firearms Program
Ottawa ON K1A 0R2
Telephone: 1-800-731-4000 (toll-complimentary in Canada and the Us)
+1-506-624-6626 (from all other countries)
Fax: 613-825-0297
Electronic mail: cfp-pcaf@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Prohibited goods

Obscene cloth, hate propaganda and child pornography cannot be imported into Canada.

Prohibited consumer products

This is a partial listing of consumer products that are banned in Canada and cannot exist imported:

• Baby walkers
• Infant cocky-feeding devices
• Jequirity beans and items containing them
• Lawn darts with elongated tips

A total list of products that are prohibited nether the Canada Consumer Production Safety Act is provided in Canada Consumer Product Safety Act Quick Reference Guide - 2011.

Regulated consumer products

This is a partial list of regulated consumer products that must meet Canadian safety requirements:

Motorcar seats must run into the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard and have a National Safety Mark and a compliance label stating the height and weight of the child for which the seat was designed. For more information, see Kid Auto Seat Cantankerous Border Shopping – What Parents and Caregivers Should Know.

Children's Sleepwear must encounter flammability requirements. For more data, meet Children'southward Sleepwear: Flammability Requirements Guideline.

Cribs should have the manufacturer'south label indicating the model number, date of manufacture and associates instructions.

Strollers must meet labelling and performance requirements.

Toys must see mechanical, electrical, toxicological and flammability requirements. For more information, see Toy safety.

Hockey helmets and face protectors must see the requirements of standards published by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Playpens must run into labelling and performance requirements.

For more than information, delight visit Health Canada's Bringing Consumer Products into Canada web folio.

Used or 2nd-manus mattresses

You cannot import used or second-hand mattresses into Canada unless you take a document, alphabetic character or whatsoever other certificate signed by a person qualified to clean and fumigate that clearly proves that the mattresses have been cleaned and fumigated.

Wellness products (prescription drugs)

In Canada, health products may exist regulated differently than they are in other countries. For example, a drug that is available without a prescription in one country may crave a prescription in Canada. There are also restrictions on the quantities and types of health products that can be brought into Canada.

For more information on importing wellness products into Canada, please consult Health Canada's Guidance Document on the Import Requirements for Health Products under the Food and Drugs Human action and its Regulations.

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Source: https://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/what-you-can-bring-home-to-canada

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