Bringing goods to Canada, what you can bring with you when you emigrate
What you can bring with you
When you move to Canada from another country, you may bring your personal and household goods with you without paying duty. But you will have to pay duty on any item you bring that has not been used. A duty is a fee that the government charges on some goods when they enter Canada.
You do not have to pay duty on:
- Antiques
- Appliances, such as a stove or refrigerator
- Books
- Clothes
- Furniture
- Hobby tools and other hobby items
- Jewelry
- Linens
- Musical instruments
- Private collections of coins, stamps or art
- Silverware
- Gifts (worth CDN $60 or less each)
You do have to pay duty on:
- Items you have leased or rented. The Canada Border Service Agency does not consider that you own leased or rented items.
- Items you have bought on your way to Canada
- Vehicles you plan to use for business
- Farm equipment
- Equipment you plan to use in construction, contracting or manufacturing
If you are unsure about whether or not you have to pay duty on certain items, bring sales receipts and registration documents with you.
What you can bring with you:
1. Wedding gifts
If you get married within three months of coming to Canada or if you plan to marry no later than three months after you arrive here, you may bring your wedding gifts without paying duty. However, you must have owned them before you arrived in Canada. In these items the “use” requirement for the goods does not apply. These same conditions apply to household goods you bring in as wedding gifts.
2. Alcohol and tobacco
If you bring alcohol or tobacco, you may have to pay duty on it.
Learn more about rules regarding these products.
3. Vehicles
Vehicles brought into Canada for personal use are duty free. Some restrictions may apply. Cars must meet Canadian safety and pollution control standards.
Learn more about importing vehicles into Canada.
4. Restricted items
Learn about the restrictions on bringing firearms into Canada:
Also learn about restrictions on bringing endangered species, animals and plants into Canada.
5. Jewelry or precious ornaments
Officers may ask you questions about these items during your customs interview. Make sure you describe these items on your list of goods. To avoid delays at customs when you enter Canada:
- On your list of goods, use the wording from your insurance policy or jeweler’s appraisal.
- Have photographs of the items.
- Know how much you paid for the items or have a receipt showing how much you paid. You do not need to pay duty or tax on family heirlooms.
6. Gifts
You must declare all gifts to the Canada Border Services Agency. Gifts worth CDN $60 or less each may be brought into Canada duty-free and tax-free, but must be declared. For gifts worth more than CDN $60, you may have to pay duties and taxes on the excess amount. Tobacco and alcohol cannot be imported as gifts.
FREE MUCHMOR MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION BY JOINING OUR FACEBOOK PAGE CLICK HERE
