Victoria BC Tourism

Lesson 1: Before You Leave Home

Bringing Goods To/From British Columbia

Bringing Goods In

If you are age 19 or older, you can bring in alcohol. It can be either 1.5 litres (52.8 ounces) of wine, 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of liquor, or 24 355-millilitre containers (12 ounces) each, or their equivalent, of beer or ale. More will be subject to duties, provincial fees and taxes

Each visitor may bring gifts worth up to Can $60 duty-free

Pets must be accompanied by their owners. Cats and dogs from the U.S. are required to have a signed and dated (within the last 36 months) veterinarian vaccination certificate for rabies. For cats and dogs from other countries, check in advance with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Cats and dogs under three months do not require certification but must be in good health. Seeing-eye dogs have no restrictions. Canadian law also guarantees that anyone using seeing-eye dogs may bring them into restaurants, hotels and other businesses

Food, fruits and vegetables are either prohibited or require an import permit to bring into Canada from the U.S. Please contact one of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Import Service Centres to determine the requirements at: Eastern ISC (Montreal) 1 800 246-3889 Central ISC (Toronto) 1 800 835-4486 Western ISC (Vancouver) 1 888 732-6222

International visitors must contact your nearest Canadian consulate or embassy to learn what restrictions apply to food, fruit and vegetables.

International travelers who wish to find out about Canadian customs regulations should visit the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency website.

Bringing Goods Out

U.S. residents who spend more than 48 hours in Canada are allowed to take goods purchased in Canada worth up to US$400 back into the U.S. You may take advantage of this exemption only once every 30 days. (If you have already used this exemption, the US$200 exemption applies.) Members of a single family, travelling together and living in the same residence, are allowed to pool their exemptions to cover their combined purchases. If you visit Canada for less than 48 hours, you are allowed to take goods purchased in Canada worth up to US$200, 5.1 ounces of alcohol, 10 cigars or 50 cigarettes.

U.S. citizens are allowed one litre of alcohol, 100 cigars or one carton of 200 cigarettes within one exemption. Note: Cuban cigars are available in Canada but may not be brought back into the United States.

As of January 1998, there is no longer any duty charged on items made in Canada or the United States worth less than US$1,400. Goods valued more than US$1,400 are still liable for various taxes

U.S. visitors should contact the U.S. Customs for current information on duty rates and levels, before you travel.

International travelers should check with the customs authorities in their home country before travelling to determine what goods or money they will be allowed to bring back with them.

All visitors must be aware that Canada has restrictions in place to keep objects that are of historical, cultural or scientific significance in Canada. If you wish to take objects that are more than 50 years old-such as fossils, archaeological artifacts, fine and decorative art, technological objects, or books and archival material-out of the country, you should first contact the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board.

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