This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by

Bringing things into Canada

Duty-free allowance
  • 200 cigarettes
  • 1.14 L of spirits
  • CAD 800 of other goods
Cash to declare
CAD 10,000 or more

The threshold covers cash and equivalents carried by one traveller. Not declaring it is what causes the money to be seized, not the amount itself.

The alcohol allowance is a choice, not a sum: 1.14 litres of spirits or 1.5 litres of wine or 8.5 litres of beer. Both it and the CAD 800 goods exemption need you to have been away 48 hours; a day trip across the border allows CAD 200 and no alcohol or tobacco at all.

Canada's allowance depends on how long you were away, and cannabis may not cross the border in either direction despite being legal on both sides of some of it.

  • Cannabis may not be taken across the border. It is legal in Canada and in several neighbouring US states, and carrying it between them is still a federal offence on both sides. This is the single most common mistake at the land crossings.
  • The exemption depends on time away: CAD 800 of goods after 48 hours, CAD 200 after 24, and nothing on a same-day trip.
  • Alcohol is a choice, not a sum - 1.14 litres of spirits or 1.5 litres of wine or 8.5 litres of beer - and only after 48 hours away. Tobacco is 200 cigarettes on the same condition.
  • CAD 10,000 or more must be reported, in any currency, and it is the group total rather than the individual one.
  • Firearms must be declared in writing, and handguns are effectively barred to visitors.
  • Food, plants and firewood are restricted, and the declaration card asks about all three.

Comments

No comments yet. Share the first one.

Sources (1)

What this guide was checked against. Rules and prices change — follow the official link before you rely on a detail.