Moving Back to Canada

Serving Canadians

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) operates at some 1,200 service points across Canada and 39 locations abroad. It employs approximately 13,000 public servants who handle over 12 million commercial releases and more than 95 million travellers each year.

The CBSA's role is to manage the nation's border by administering and enforcing over 90 domestic laws that govern trade and travel, as well as international agreements and conventions.

The CBSA delivers innovative border management through a network of dedicated professionals who work strategically with domestic and international partners to ensure that Canada remains secure and responsive to new and emerging threats. The CBSA also intercepts, detains and removes those persons who pose a threat to Canada or who have been determined to be inadmissible.

Border services officers are at Canada's entry points to help you when you return to Canada. The CBSA is committed to providing efficient and courteous service. At designated bilingual offices, border services officers will serve you in the official language of your choice. If you require more detailed information that is not provided in this publication, please call the Border Information Service (BIS) at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information.”

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• Is this publication for you?
• Before you return to resume residence
  • Listing your goods
  • Declaring your goods
  • Value limitation ($10,000)
• Ownership, possession and use requirements
  • Exceptions to ownership, possession and use requirements
  • Replacement goods
  • Wedding gifts
  • Public health
• Items you can import duty- and tax-free
  • Personal and household effects
  • Additional personal exemptions
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Tobacco products
  • Currency and monetary instruments
• Disposing of goods you imported duty- and tax-free
• Restrictions
  • Firearms and weapons
  • Explosives, fireworks and ammunition
  • Vehicles
    • Import restrictions
    • Transport Canada requirements
  • Other considerations
  • Restrictions on temporary importing
  • Goods subject to import controls
  • Prohibited consumer products
  • Food products, plants and animals
    • Food products
    • Plants
    • Animals
  • Endangered species
  • Prohibited goods
  • Used or second-hand mattresses
  • Health products (drugs)
  • Cultural property
  • Items imported for commercial use
• Additional information

Is this publication for you?

This publication will be helpful if you are:

• a resident of Canada who is returning to resume residence after an absence of at least one year; or
• a former resident of Canada who has been a resident of another country for at least one year.

The CBSA considers one year to be one calendar year from your date of departure. For example, if you leave on January 1, 2007, and return on January 1, 2008, we consider you to have been absent for one year.

Before you return to resume residence

Listing your goods

Before your return to Canada, you should prepare two copies of a list (preferably typewritten) of all the goods you intend to bring into Canada as former resident's effects, showing the value, make, model and serial number (when applicable).

Since jewellery is difficult to describe accurately, it is best to use the wording from your insurance policy or jeweller's appraisal, and to include photographs that have been dated and signed by the jeweller or a gemologist. You should describe each item of jewellery on the list of goods you submit. This information makes it easier to identify the jewellery when you first enter Canada, and later on when you return from a trip abroad with this jewellery.

Divide the list into two sections. In the first section, list the goods you are bringing with you, and in the second, the goods to follow. Goods that arrive later qualify for free importation under your entitlement as a former resident only if they are on your list.

Declaring your goods

When you arrive in Canada, even if you have no goods with you at the time of entry, you must give your list of goods to the border services officer at the first point of arrival in Canada. Based on the list of goods you submit, the border services officer will complete a Form B4, Personal Effects Accounting Document, for you, assign a file number to it and give you a copy of the completed form as a receipt. You will need to present your copy of the form to claim free importation of your unaccompanied goods when they arrive. Goods to follow may be subject to import restrictions before you can import them.

To speed things up, you can complete Form B4 in advance and present it to the border services officer when you arrive. You can obtain a copy of the form by calling BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or from the CBSA's Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca.

Value limitation ($10,000)

Any single personal or household item (including an automobile) that you acquired after March 31, 1977, that is worth more than CAN$10,000 on the date you import it is subject to applicable duty and taxes on the amount that is over CAN$10,000.

Ownership, possession and use requirements

If you have lived outside Canada for at least one year but less than five years, you must have owned, possessed and used your personal and household effects abroad for at least six months before you return to Canada to resume residence. If you have bills of sale and registration documents, they can help you prove that you meet these requirements.

It is important that you meet the three requirements of ownership, possession and use. For example, if you owned and possessed the goods without using them, the goods would be subject to duty and taxes. Please note that leased goods are subject to duty and taxes, as the CBSA does not consider that you own them.

Even if your goods meet the ownership, possession and use requirements, they must still meet other government departments' requirements. For information on other departments' restrictions and/or requirements for goods being imported into Canada, see the section called “Restrictions.”

Exceptions to ownership, possession and use requirements

The six-month stipulation will be waived if you have been absent from Canada for five years or more. You only need to have owned, possessed and used your personal and household effects (for a period of time) before you return.

Replacement goods

Replacement goods are also exempt from the six-month requirement. However, you must own, possess and use them abroad before you return to Canada to resume residence. To qualify for the exemption, the goods must be replacements for goods that would have met the six-month ownership, possession and use requirements, except for the fact that they were lost or destroyed as a result of a fire, a theft, an accident or another unforeseen circumstance.

In addition, replacement goods must be of a similar class and about the same value as the goods they are replacing. You will need to show proof of this. If you intend to claim replacement goods, to ensure that the goods qualify, call BIS at one of the numbers listed in the section called “Additional information.”

Wedding gifts

If you are recently married or a bride-to-be whose anticipated wedding is to take place within three months of your return to Canada, the use and six-month possession requirements are waived on a bride's trousseau, as well as on the wedding gifts that were owned by and in the possession of both spouses before their return to reside in Canada. You may import these items duty- and tax-free. These same conditions apply to household goods you import as part of a bride's trousseau.

Public health

If you are suffering from a communicable disease upon your return to Canada, or if you have been in close contact with someone with a communicable disease, you are obligated to inform a border services officer or a quarantine officer, who can determine if you require further assessment. If you've been ill while travelling or become ill after your return to Canada, inform a Canadian doctor that you've been abroad, where you were and what, if any treatment or medical care you've received (e.g. medications, blood transfusions, injections, dental care or surgery) before arriving in Canada.

Items you can import duty- and tax-free

Personal and household effects

Personal and household effects include the following:

• clothing and linen
• furniture
• furnishings
• appliances
• silverware
• jewellery
• antiques
• family heirlooms
• private collections of coins, stamps or art
• personal computers
• books
• musical instruments
• hobby tools and other hobby items
• personal vehicles
• pleasure boats and the trailers to carry them (trailers are subject to Transport Canada requirements)
• mobile trailers not exceeding 2.6 metres (9 feet) in width, which the owner is capable of moving personally
• utility trailers
• motor homes
• private aircraft
• tool sheds or garages (not attached to or that form part of a dwelling)

However, a house, a large trailer you use as a residence, and any goods you use or will use commercially are not eligible as personal or household effects. These goods are subject to regular duty and taxes.

Additional personal exemptions

When you return to resume residence in Canada, you are entitled to claim a duty- and tax-free personal exemption of a maximum value of CAN$750 for goods you acquired abroad or while in transit. You do not have to own, possess or use these goods before you return to Canada to resume residence.

Alcoholic beverages

If you meet the minimum age requirements of the province or territory where you enter Canada, you can include limited quantities of alcoholic beverages in your personal exemption. These items must accompany you upon your arrival.

Minimum ages for the importation of alcoholic beverages, as prescribed by provincial or territorial authorities, are as follows:

• 18 years for Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec; and
• 19 years for Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

You are allowed to import only one of the following amounts of alcohol free of duty and taxes:

• 1.5 litres (53 imperial ounces) of wine;
• 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of alcohol;
• a total of 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of wine and liquor; or
• 24 x 355 millilitre (12 ounces) cans or bottles (maximum of 8.5 litres) of beer or ale.

Tobacco products

You are allowed to bring in all of the following amounts of tobacco into Canada free of duty and taxes:

• 200 cigarettes;
• 50 cigars or cigarillos;
• 200 grams (7 ounces) of manufactured tobacco; and
• 200 tobacco sticks.

Currency and monetary instruments

If you are importing or exporting monetary instruments equal to or greater than CAN$10,000 (or the equivalent in a foreign currency), whether in cash or other monetary instruments, you must report this to the CBSA when you arrive in or before you leave Canada. For more information, please refer to the publication called Crossing the Border With $10,000 or More? that is available on the CBSA's Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca under “Publications and forms.”

Disposing of goods you imported duty- and tax-free

If you import goods duty- and tax-free and sell or give them away within the first year, you will have to immediately pay all duty and taxes that normally apply. If you divert the goods for commercial use, the same condition applies. However, after you have kept your goods in Canada for one year, you are free to dispose of them any way you like.

Restrictions

The goods for which use is restricted in Canada are indicated below. Make sure you have the information you require before attempting to import these items.

You can obtain further information by calling BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or from the CBSA's Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca.

Firearms and weapons

Canada's firearms legislation helps make the country safer for both residents and visitors. Before you attempt to import a firearm or weapon, contact the Canada Firearms Centre for information.

The following requirements apply to the importation of firearms and weapons:

• you must be at least 18 years of age;
• you can import non-restricted and restricted firearms provided all documentation and other requirements are met; and
• you generally cannot import prohibited firearms or any type of prohibited weapons or devices, including silencers, replica firearms, switchblades, pepper spray and other weapons.

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

For more detailed information on importing a firearm into Canada, please refer to the publication called Importing a Firearm or Weapon Into Canada, or call BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information.”

For information about applying for a Canadian firearms licence, a firearms registration certificate or to obtain an application for an Authorization to Transport Restricted Firearms and Prohibited Firearms (Form CAFC 679) in advance please contact:

Canada Firearms Centre
Ottawa ON K1A 0R2

Telephone: 1-800-731-4000 (toll-free in Canada and the United States)
506-624-5380 (from all other countries)
E-mail: cfc-cafc@cfc-cafc.gc.ca
Web site: www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca

Explosives, fireworks and ammunition

You are required to have written authorization and permits to bring explosives, fireworks and certain types of ammunition into Canada. For more information, contact Natural Resources Canada at:

Explosives Regulatory Division
Natural Resources Canada
1431 Merivale Road
Ottawa ON K1A 0G1

Telephone: 613-948-5200
Web site: www.nrcan.gc.ca

Vehicles

Personal effects may include all kinds of pleasure vehicles, such as passenger cars, pickup trucks, camper trucks, vans, jeeps, chassis cabs, motorcycles, snowmobiles and motor homes, as long as you use them for non-commercial purposes. However, you should be aware that the vehicles must meet the requirements of the CBSA, Transport Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) before they can be imported.

Transport Canada defines a vehicle as any vehicle that is capable of being driven or drawn on roads, by any means other than muscular power exclusively, but not including a vehicle designed to run exclusively on rails. Trailers such as recreational, boat, camping, horse and stock trailers are considered vehicles, as are wood chippers, generators or any other equipment mounted on rims and tires.

Import restrictions

Import restrictions apply to most used or secondhand vehicles that are not manufactured in the current year and are imported from a country other than the United States.

Transport Canada requirements

Transport Canada's requirements apply to vehicles that are less than 15 years old, and to buses built on or after January 1, 1971. If you are considering importing such a vehicle, be sure that it meets Transport Canada's import requirements, or that it can be modified to meet these requirements after you import it. Not all vehicles from the United States can be imported into Canada.

If you have purchased or acquired a vehicle from the United States, you must contact the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) before you import your vehicle to ensure that it is admissible for importation and can be modified to meet Canadian standards after you import it.

The RIV is an agency contracted by Transport Canada to administer a national program to ensure that imported vehicles are brought into compliance with Canada's safety standards. For more information, contact:

Registrar of Imported Vehicles

Telephone: 1-888-848-8240 (toll-free within North America)
Web site: www.riv.ca

If your vehicle does not meet Canadian safety standards but qualifies for importation, a border services officer will register your vehicle in the RIV program at the port of entry upon your arrival in Canada. The program registration fee is CAN$195 plus the goods and services tax (GST) in all provinces except Quebec, where it is CAN$195 plus GST and the Quebec sales tax. You will then have 45 days to bring your vehicle into compliance with Canadian safety standards and have it inspected.

You cannot license or sell your vehicle in Canada until it is modified and passes federal inspection under the RIV program.

Vehicles originally manufactured to meet the safety standards of countries other than the United States or Canada are not allowed into Canada unless they are 15 years of age or older, are buses manufactured before January 1, 1971, or are entering Canada temporarily. Before importing this type of vehicle, you must contact Transport Canada at:

Telephone: 1-800-333-0371 (toll-free in Canada)
613-998-8616 (from all other countries)
Web site: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety

In addition, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requires that you wash any sand, soil, earth and plant residue from your passenger and recreational vehicles, including the undercarriage, before you import them. For more information, call the CFIA at one of the telephone numbers listed under the section called “Food products, plants and animals.”

Finally, if your vehicle meets both CBSA and Transport Canada requirements, it will also be subject to provincial or territorial taxes. For more information, contact the motor vehicle authority in your province or territory.

Other considerations

Before you export your vehicle to Canada, inquire with the customs authority of the country from which you will be exporting it if there are any requirements you must meet.

For more information, see the publication called Importing a Vehicle Into Canada. You can obtain a copy by calling BIS at one of the numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or from the CBSA's Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca.

Restrictions on temporary importing

If you buy, lease, rent or borrow a vehicle while outside Canada, Transport Canada and customs legislation do not allow you to bring it into Canada for your personal use, even temporarily, unless it meets all Transport Canada requirements and you pay any applicable duty and taxes. For exceptions, please consult Memorandum D2-4-1, Temporary Importation of Conveyances by Residents of Canada, and Memorandum D8-1-1, Temporary Importation (Tariff Item No. 9993.00.00) Regulations, which are available on the CBSA's Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca under “Publications and forms.” You can also call BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information.” The duty and taxes, as well as the RIV fee, are not refunded when the vehicle leaves Canada.

Goods subject to import controls

To monitor the effects of imports on Canadian manufacturers, there are import controls on items such as clothing, handbags and textiles. These controls are outlined in the Export and Import Permits Act. Depending on the value, quantity or type of goods you intend to import, you may need an import permit even if you qualify for a personal exemption.

For more information, call BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or contact Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada at:

Export and Import Controls Bureau
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Tower C, 4th Floor
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa ON K1A 0G2

Web site: www.international.gc.ca

Prohibited consumer products

The Hazardous Products Act prohibits the importation of consumer products that could pose a danger to the public, e.g. baby walkers, and jequirity beans (often found in art or beadwork). Former residents should be aware of consumer products that have safety requirements in Canada. Many of these safety requirements are stricter than the requirements for other countries. For more information about prohibited and restricted products, contact Health Canada:

Telephone: 1-866-662-0666 (toll-free in Canada)
613-952-1014 (from all other countries)
Web site: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/cps

Food products, plants and animals

The CFIA has a mandate to safeguard Canada's food supply, and the plants and animals upon which safe, high-quality food depends. The CBSA performs inspection functions of food, plant and animal products on behalf of the CFIA at all ports of entry into Canada. The controls, restrictions and prohibitions on the entry of plants, animals and their products, including food, mean you will need certificates or permits to import some of these goods.

Many products do not require a mandatory inspection, but if the goods you are importing need to be inspected, or if other actions are required, you may have to pay a fee.

Other Government of Canada departments and agencies, such as Environment Canada, as well as some provinces have special requirements for the importation of food products, plants and animals. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) alone has import and export requirements for some 30,000 wild animals (including fish), plant species and their products.

Without the proper documentation, the CBSA may confiscate, dispose of or order the removal of some food products, plants or animals. Other imports may require treatment before they can stay in Canada. Importers and travellers are responsible for all costs related to disposal, quarantine or treatment.

For more information, call BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or visit the CBSA's Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca. You can also call a CFIA Import Service Centre toll-free at the following numbers:

Eastern Canada:	1-877-493-0468
Central Canada:	1-800-835-4486
Western Canada:	1-888-732-6222

For information on Environment Canada's import requirements, refer to the CITES Web site at www.cites.ec.gc.ca.

Food products

Canada has complex requirements, restrictions and limits on the importation of meat, eggs, dairy products, honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other food from around the world. For example, the importation of root crops may be regulated and that of potatoes is prohibited. You can avoid problems by not bringing these kinds of goods into Canada.

You can import certain meat and dairy products from certain states in the United States. Before entering Canada with these products, contact BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or refer to the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) on the CFIA's Web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

The CFIA and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have set limits on the quantity and/or dollar value of certain food products you can bring into Canada duty-free or that you can include in your personal exemption. Unless you have an import permit from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada for quantities over and above the established limits, you will have to pay duty based on a rate ranging from 150% to 300% of the value of the goods.

The following are some examples of the limits that apply to personal importations of food products from the United States:

• 2 dozen eggs;
• 20 kilograms of dairy products not exceeding $20 in value (e.g. cheese and butter);
• 3 kilograms of margarine or butter substitutes; and
• 20 kilograms of edible meats and meat products, including turkey and chicken.

Within this limit, more CFIA and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada restrictions apply as follows:

• a maximum of one whole turkey or 10 kilograms of turkey products;
• a maximum of 10 kilograms of chicken; and
• a maximum of 5 kilograms of edible meats and meat products from cattle, sheep, goat, bison and buffalo.

Plants

Plants are potential carriers of insects and disease. For this reason, border services officers help the CFIA control the entry into Canada of plants, including houseplants, and the earth, soil, sand or other related matter in which they are planted or packed.

Houseplants are defined as plants commonly known and recognized as such, which are grown or intended to be grown indoors. Bonsai plants are not considered to be houseplants. If you are importing houseplants from the continental United States as part of your baggage or household effects, you do not need phytosanitary certificates or import permits. For all other plants from the United States, you may require a phytosanitary certificate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and an import permit from the CFIA.

To import plants from other parts of the world, you may require an import permit from the CFIA in advance. You may also require a phytosanitary certificate issued by the phytosanitary authorities of the country of origin (e.g. plant protection or quarantine authorities).

You need permits to import orchids and cacti controlled by CITES. For more information, contact the CITES office at one of the numbers listed in the section called “Endangered species.”

Before entering Canada with these products, contact BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or refer to the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) on the CFIA Web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

Animals

Since animals may harbour pests or diseases that are harmful to people, other animals, crops and forests, the CBSA assists the CFIA and other government departments and agencies in controlling the entry of animals into Canada.

You may import puppies and kittens younger than three months old from any country and ferrets younger than three months old from the United States without submitting any documentation; however, these animals must be examined by a CFIA-authorized veterinarian if they appear unhealthy. Although there are no documentation requirements, you may wish to carry proof of birth to verify the age of the animal. If you use an assistance dog that is certified as a guide, hearing or other service dog, you can import it without any restrictions as long as you are accompanying the dog to Canada.

You may import cats and dogs from any country and ferrets from the United States that are older than three months, if you provide a certificate signed and dated by a licensed veterinarian for each pet. The certificate must clearly identify the animal by breed, age, sex, colouring and any distinguishing marks. It must also show that the animal has been vaccinated against rabies within the last three years. Animal tags are not accepted in lieu of certificates. Ferrets of any age from any country other than the United States require an import permit issued by the CFIA. Unaccompanied dogs between the ages of three and eight months from any country have specific documentation requirements. These requirements can be found by visiting the CFIA's Web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

You need permits to import certain animals controlled by CITES, such as butterflies. If you plan to import animals other than cats, dogs and ferrets from the United States, or animals of any kind from other countries, contact BIS at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Additional information,” or refer to the AIRS section on the CFIA's Web site at www.inspection.gc.ca. Also, consult the CITES Web site or contact the CITES office at one of the telephone numbers listed in the section called “Endangered species.”

Endangered species

Canada signed CITES, an international agreement to protect wild animals and plants and their parts or derivatives from over-exploitation in international trade. CITES operates through a system of import and export permits. However, you can import certain goods controlled under CITES without a CITES permit. The following exceptions apply for non-commercial purposes only:

• tourist souvenirs;
• personal effects;
• household effects; and
• certain hunting trophies.

The items listed above must not be alive and must not be sold or disposed of within 90 days of the date of import. Canadian threatened or endangered species are not included in these exemptions; they require all of the necessary CITES permits.

In all cases, it is best to contact the CITES office to find out about import requirements.

Telephone: 1-800-668-6767 (toll-free in Canada)
819-997-1840 (local calls and from all other countries)
Fax: 819-953-6283
Web site: www.cites.ec.gc.ca

Prohibited goods

You cannot import prohibited goods such as obscenity, hate propaganda and child pornography into Canada.

Used or second-hand mattresses

You cannot import used or second-hand mattresses into Canada unless you have a certificate verifying that the mattresses have been cleaned and fumigated in the country of export. A letter, or any other document that clearly demonstrates that this requirement has been met, is acceptable if it is signed by a person qualified in cleaning and fumigating.

Health products (drugs)

In Canada, health products may be regulated differently than they are in other countries, for example, what is available without a prescription in one country may require a prescription in Canada. Canada, like many other countries, has restrictions on the quantities and types of health products that can be brought into the country. For more information regarding health products and their importation into Canada please consult Health Canada's Web site at www.hc-sc.gc.ca.

Cultural property

Certain antiquities or cultural objects considered to have historical significance to their country of origin cannot be brought into Canada without the appropriate export permits. Before you import such items, contact:

Movable Cultural Property
Canadian Heritage
15 Eddy Street, 3rd floor
Gatineau QC K1A 0M5

Telephone: 819-997-7761
Fax: 819-997-7757
Web site: www.pch.gc.ca

Items imported for commercial use

If you import goods that you use or will use in a trade, such as vehicles, farm equipment or other capital equipment for use in construction, contracting or manufacturing, you may have to meet several government requirements, and must pay the GST, as well as, any applicable duty on these items.

Additional information

If you have any questions, contact the Border Information Service (BIS) line. This is a 24-hour telephone service that automatically answers all incoming calls and provides general border services information.

You can access BIS free of charge throughout Canada by calling 1-800-461-9999. If you are calling from outside Canada, you can access BIS by calling 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064 (long-distance charges will apply). If you call during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday, except holidays), you can speak directly to an agent by pressing “0” at any time during the recording.

You can also visit the CBSA's Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca.