Canada Border Services Agency | Live In Winnipeg

Deciding what  to bring with you and what to send separately can be difficult. Visit the Canada Border Services Agency’s website (cbsaasfc.gc.ca) to ensure anything you decide to bring with you (either as a carry on or in a checked bag) is allowed. There are several restrictions on what you can bring(e.g. animal products), so make sure you learn what these restrictions are before making decisions.

If you are arriving by plane, you will be asked to fill out a Declaration Form. Make sure you answer truthfully and declare everything you are bringing with you. Please remember to label/mark all the items that you have sent or shipped separately as “personal,” in addition to declaring them when you arrive.  It is also helpful to have a list/inventory in English or French with all the items you have shipped to provide to the customs agent when you arrive in case they ask.

Lastly, in order to avoid any unexpected fees, make sure you check your airline’s baggage limits and specifications.

Bringing medication into Canada

If you have a prescription for medicine you need to take regularly, it is a good idea to bring at least a six-month supply as you might have to wait a while before you receive your Manitoba Health card. If you do bring medicine with you, you must also bring the prescription, ideally a translated version as well, in case the customs agent does not speak your language.

Once you have your Manitoba Health card, bring your prescription to a Canadian doctor to discuss getting a new prescription.

Bringing Money Through Customs

All travelers must be identified on a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Declaration Card. You may list up to four people living at the same address on one card. Each traveler is responsible for their own declaration. Additionally, each traveler is responsible for reporting currency and/or monetary instruments totalling CAN$10,000 or greater that are in their actual possession or baggage.

Under the law, failure to properly declare goods, currency and/or monetary instruments brought into Canada may result in seizure action, monetary penalties and/or criminal prosecution. Information from this declaration will be used for CBSA control purposes, and may be shared with other government departments to enforce Canadian laws.

Note: There are no penalties or limits for monetary instruments over CAN $10,000, but be sure to declare the full amount to avoid penalties or seizing of your money.

For more information visit CBSA’s website at cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.