Travel Tips
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is responsible for border access, services and security. The Canada Border Services Agency website http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menueng.html details many answers to questions frequently asked by travellers. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency handles the rules concerning the temporary importing of pets such as dogs. For expected wait times crossing Canada/United States land borders visit http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html. When you enter Canada, a customs officer will ask to see your national passport and a valid visa, if one is necessary. Everyone from every country arriving in Canada by Air, Land or
Sea needs a valid passport, or equivalent travel documents.
Customs officer’s at all Canadian entry points are authorized to interview persons seeking entry to Canada to determine admissibility. Their goal is to facilitate the entry of legitimate travellers as quickly as possible.
As a visitor, you can bring certain goods into Canada for your own use as “personal baggage.” Personal baggage includes clothing, camping and sports equipment, cameras, tape recorders and personal computers. This also includes travelling in vehicles, vessels and aircrafts. First and foremost, as required by law, all goods must be declared at the time of your initial contact with Customs. Customs does conduct import/export examinations. For the most part, these are routine in nature, and serve to verify declarations.
Visitors to British Columbia are entitled to bring in a reasonable number of personal effects. Visitors aged 19 years or over may import up to 50 cigars, 200 cigarettes, 200g (7 oz.) of tobacco, 1.14 L (40 oz.) of spirits or 1.5 L (53 imperial oz.) of wine or 8.5 L (288 oz.) of beer or ale for personal consumption. Currency and monetary instruments equal to or greater than CAN $10,000 must be reported to Canadian Customs. All revolvers, pistols, fully automatic firearms and other weapons, and self-defence sprays such as pepper spray and mace are prohibited entry into Canada. All firearms (i.e. hunting rifles, shotguns) and personal protection devices (i.e. stun guns, mace, pepper spray) must be declared.
For more information on customs regulations call the Canada Border Services Agency at 1-800-461-9999 within Canada and 204-9833500 outside Canada or visit www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.