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Visa & Passports
Bringing Gifts, Alcohol & Other Goods into Canada
Prohibited & Restricted Items by Canada Customs
Duty-free Limits for U.S. and International Visitors Returning Home
Customs Offices
For complete information on visa and passport requirements for visitors to Canada, visit the Visas and Passports section
Gifts
Gifts valued at $60 or less each may be brought into Canada duty free and tax free.
If you bring in gifts worth more than $60, they will be subject to duty on the excess amount. Alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and advertising materials do not qualify as gifts.
Alcohol and tobacco products
You can bring in limited quantities of alcohol if you meet the minimum age requirements of the province or territory where you enter Canada (see below). These items must accompany you on your arrival.
Minimum ages for the importation of alcoholic beverages are 18 years for Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec and 19 years for Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador.
You can import only one of the following amounts of alcohol free of duty and taxes:
1.5 l of wine; 1.14 l of liquor; a total of 1.14 l of wine and liquor; or 24 x 355 ml cans or bottles (a maximum of 8.5 l) of beer or ale.
You are allowed to bring into Canada duty free: 200 cigarettes; 50 cigars or cigarillos; 200 g of manufactured tobacco; or 200 tobacco sticks.
For more information on bringing in alcohol and tobacco to Canada, please visit the Canada Border Services Agency website.
Pets
All animals are subject to veterinary inspection on arrival in Canada, and information about this procedure is available through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. If evidence or suspicion of disease is found, the animals may be refused entry.
U.S. visitors – pets: All pets must be accompanied by their owners when entering Canada. You must bring a certificate issued by a licenced American or Canadian veterinarian clearly identifying the pet and certifying that it has been vaccinated against rabies sometime during the previous 36 months. Kittens and puppies younger than three months are exempt from rabies certification. Seeing-eye dogs face no restrictions.
For the most current information on bringing in pets and other kinds of animals from the U.S., visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.
International visitors – pets: Visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for information on regulations and requirements.
Firearms
U.S. visitors to Canada – firearms
Canada has strict laws governing the cross-border movement, possession and use of firearms. However, you may bring a non-restricted firearm such as a hunting rifle or shotgun if it is being used for in-season hunting, competition purposes, in-transit movement or as protection against wildlife in remote areas of Canada. Visitors cannot, under any circumstances, bring in prohibited firearms such as handguns and weapons, including mace and pepper spray. Visit the Canada Border Service Agency website for more details about the import of firearms and ammunition.
International visitors to Canada (not U.S. residents) – firearms
Contact your nearest Canadian embassy or consulate for complete information. Contact information for Canadian embassies around the world can be found at the Foreign Affairs Canada website.
For more information on bringing goods into Canada, visit the Canada Border Services Agency website.
Many agricultural items are restricted or prohibited entry to Canada. Canadian law requires that you declare all agricultural products you bring into Canada to customs officers when you arrive, whether it is by land, water or air. Permission is required to import plants to Canada, with the exception of houseplants from the United States. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency provides more information.
Handguns and weapons, such as mace and pepper spray, are prohibited from entering Canada. In addition, some fruits, vegetables, eggs, meats, dairy products and plants from other countries cannot be brought into Canada. For more information, please consult the Canada Border Services Agency website.
U.S. visitors – duty-free limits for returning U.S. residents
U.S. residents returning to the United States after 48 hours can take back US$800 worth of merchandise, duty free, every 30 days. This may include 1 l of alcohol (provided the resident is 21 years or over), 200 cigarettes or 100 cigars, not of Cuban origin. If you're traveling as a family, you may combine your personal exemptions for visits over 48 hours.
If your stay is less than 48 hours, or if the US$800 allowance or part of it has been used within the previous 30 days, an exemption of US$200 is allowed, including 150 ml of alcohol, 150 ml of perfume and no more than 50 cigarettes or 10 cigars, not of Cuban origin.
If you plan to bring back articles as part of an exemption, they must be for personal or household use. These articles must be carried with you and declared. Duty charged varies according to the country the article was made in and the type of article. No prohibited or restricted items are permitted across the border.
For more information on U.S. border crossing and duty requirements and limits, please visit the U.S. Customs website.
International Visitors (not U.S. residents) – duty-free limits for all other visitors
International visitors outside the United States should consult with customs officials in their home countries to determine their duty-free limits.
You can locate the nearest customs office by visiting the Canada Border Services Agency website, or by calling the Border Information Service (BIS). Call toll free in Canada: 1-800-461-9999. Outside Canada, call 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064 (long-distance charges apply).
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