Visitors Guide to What You Can Bring to Canada
Visitors entering Canada can declare certain food items and goods intended for their personal use as part of their permitted personal baggage.
Bringing food into Canada for personal use
While you are allowed to bring packaged snacks including tobacco products and alcohol, you are required to declare these items to Canadian customs. Visitors to Canada are legally required to declare all food items they bring into Great White North. This category encompasses agricultural products, animal products, and food items, including their derivatives. If a particular food item is found to be unsafe, it will be seized.
Food Items You Can Bring into Canada
Although travelers are permitted to bring packaged snacks, alcohol, and tobacco products into Canada, these items must be declared to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) upon arrival.
Allowable imports include commercially pre-packaged or canned food items, such as those typically found in grocery stores, and pre-cooked bakery goods and commercially produced sandwiches.
Permissible limits of some common food items
- Dairy Products: up to 20 kgs.
- Spices, Tea, Coffee: Permitted - 20kg
- Eggs and Processed Egg products: 5 dozen eggs
What about Alcohol and Tobacco
Alcohol: 1 and half liters of wine or couple of 750-milliliter bottles. In case of beer, 8.5 liters (around 24 cans ) or one large standard bottle of liquor which is usuall 40 ounces.
Tobacco: You are allowed 200 cigarettes or upto 50 cigars. Unlike the United States, Canada allows Cuban cigars by travelers for personal use.
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To ensure a smooth arrival, understanding entry requirements is crucial. Citizens of certain visa-exempt countries can obtain an eTA online. For some nationalities, a traditional visa is required for entry and in a very limited number of cases travelers can enter Canada solely with a valid passport (without a visa or eTA).
Bring Pets into Canada
Planning to travel to Canada with your furry friend? Here's what you need to know:
Rabies Vaccination Certificate: All dogs and cats entering Canada must have a signed, dated certificate from a licensed veterinarian stating they have been vaccinated against rabies within the last three years. This certificate is mandatory.
Puppies and Kittens: An exception applies to pets under three months of age. For these young animals, a rabies vaccination certificate is not required.
Items You Cannot Bring into Canada
Food
Fresh vegetables, fruits, fish or animal products.
Weapons
Firearms of all kinds, ammunition, fireworks, and mace or pepper spray are strictly prohibited from entering Canada. An exception exists for travelers bringing firearms for registered hunting or sporting events. In such cases, you must declare your firearms to customs officials upon arrival at the border.
Illegal drugs
The import of any illegal drugs into Canada is strictly prohibited and carries severe penalties.
Cannabis
You cannot bring marijuana into Canada even though you may possess a prescription for medical cannabis (from the U.S., Canada, or another country). While cannabis is legal for recreational use in both Canada and Washington State, it is illegal to transport cannabis products across the international border between the United States and Canada. This applies to all forms of cannabis, including CBD oil and other cannabis products.
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Passengers must fill out a customs and immigration declaration before entering Canada. This is necessary to pass through Canadian border control. This used to require completing a paper form. You may now complete the Canada Advance CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) Declaration online to save time.
