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What visitors can bring into Canada

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Personal goods

You can bring certain goods with you for your own use. Personal goods include:

You do not need to pay duty or taxes on personal goods as long as you declare all of your goods when you arrive, and take them back with you when you leave Canada. Personal goods cannot be:

If you are bringing in goods for any of the reasons above, you must declare this intention and may be required to pay duty or tax on them.

Food, plants and animals

You must declare all food, plant and animal products when you arrive. This includes any pets you may be travelling with. If you do not declare your pets or food, plant and animals products, border services officers may seize (take away) them, and you may have to pay a penalty of up to $1,300.

More information:

Alcohol, tobacco and vaping products

Non-residents and temporary residents must declare all alcohol, tobacco and vaping products they have with them when they enter Canada.

If you are a non-resident or temporary resident declaring these products at the border, you must:

You may also have to pay duties and taxes on these products.

Minimum age requirements

Alcohol:

Tobacco and vaping products: 18 years of age anywhere you enter Canada

Paying duties and taxes

The border services officer will ask you why you are visiting Canada and how long you plan to stay.

Be prepared to pay duties and taxes on any quantity of alcohol, tobacco and vaping products you declare.

Quantity limits

Duties and taxes could apply to limited quantities of alcohol, tobacco and vaping products. You may also need a permit from the provincial or territorial authority for amounts over these limits.

Alcohol

Tobacco and vaping products

More information:

Gifts

Note: All currency references are in Canadian dollars

You can bring gifts to Canada but they must be declared. If each gift is under $60, you will not have to pay duties or taxes (the gifts cannot be tobacco products, vaping products, alcoholic beverages or advertising matter). If the gift is worth more than $60, you will have to pay any applicable duty and/or taxes on any amount over $60. For example, if the gift is worth $200, you must pay any applicable duty and taxes on $140.

Do not wrap your gifts in case border services officers need to inspect the contents.

More information:

Memorandum D2-1-4: Casual Donations

Temporary admission permit

An officer may ask you to leave a security deposit for the goods you declare. In exchange for the deposit, the officer will issue you a “temporary admission permit.” We will keep a copy and give you one for your records. When you leave Canada, bring your goods and your copy of the permit to the port of entry. You will get a receipt and your security deposit will be refunded by mail.

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