Canadian customs: Secondary inspections

At any point during your interactions with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at a port of entry, you may be referred to a secondary area for further processing or for a detailed inspection of your conveyance (vehicle, boat or mode of transport) or the goods you are carrying with you.

Secondary inspections are a normal part of the process when anyone crosses the border, including Canadian citizens, permanent residents and visitors.

On this page

• Reasons for secondary inspections
• What to expect from a secondary inspection
• What we ask of you during a secondary inspection
• Our legal authorities
• Share your feedback
• Related links

Reasons for secondary inspections

There are many reasons why a border services officer may determine that you, or the goods you are carrying with you, require further processing or inspection. For example, an officer may need to:

• verify your declaration and travel documents
• ask you to answer more in-depth questions about yourself
• determine your admissibility to Canada (whether you are allowed to enter Canada)
• have you undergo a random inspection
• inspect and determine the admissibility of the goods you are bringing with you across the border, including your conveyance (examples: vehicle, vessel, aircraft, trailer) as well as food, plants or animal products.
• process paperwork if you report currency, cheques or monetary instruments equal to or greater than CAN$10,000
• process the payment of duty and taxes owed on goods you are bringing into Canada
• complete or process paperwork to support your entry or the entry of your goods you are bringing into Canada.

Officers do not refer travellers for secondary inspections on the basis of race, nationality, religion, age or gender.

What to expect from a secondary inspection

If you are referred for a more detailed inspection, an officer may:

• ask you to provide detailed information about your plans while visiting Canada, or the time you spent abroad
• make further enquiries, check records, or conduct research to verify your declaration
• confirm the guardianship of children travelling with you
• inspect your luggage, purse or wallet, personal digital devices, your conveyance and any additional goods you are transporting
• conduct a visual examination of your pet or any animals travelling with you
• ask you to produce evidence of the money you have available to fund your visit to Canada
• request that you produce receipts to account for expenses you incurred or purchases made abroad
• count your cash or travellers cheques, in your presence

While the majority of travellers we inspect comply with Canadian laws and regulations, we do encounter individuals with criminal intentions. For this reason, an officer may not always answer specific questions during a secondary inspection.

What we ask of you during a secondary inspection

Canadian law requires you to present yourself to an officer, respond truthfully to all questions, accurately report your goods, and, if requested, present your goods for examination. This may include unpacking and repacking the contents of your luggage or vehicle.

To help us get you on your way as quickly as possible, we ask that you:

• treat our employees in a fair, courteous and respectful manner
• recognize that all travellers and goods are subject to review and examination
• be aware of and comply with the legislation and regulations we administer

Our legal authorities

We administer more than 90 acts, regulations and international agreements, many on behalf of other federal departments and agencies, the provinces and the territories. These include the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Customs Act, and food, plant and animal regulations.

Our officers are authorized by these laws and regulations to conduct secondary inspections, including the inspection of travellers and goods, at Canadian ports of entry. While we appreciate that in some cases a secondary inspection may appear intrusive, it enables us to ensure we are complying with Canada's laws and regulations.

Share your feedback

Your feedback is important to us. It directly impacts the development and review of our policies and programs. Please ask to speak with the supervisor on duty if:

• you have questions
• would like clarification
• have feedback about the service you received at the border

For other options visit Feedback.

Related links

• Travelling with CAN$10,000 or more? Sending it by mail or courier? Declare it
• Restricted and prohibited goods
• Travel documents and identification requirements