🇨🇦 Canada Customs Guide
What customs allows you to bring into Canada — duty-free caps, banned and restricted goods, and medication rules, from official sources.
Fully verified · Authority: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) / CATSA · Last verified
Every section below carries verbatim quotes from official customs sources captured on the verification date.
Two different questions. Airport security screening (TSA/CATSA — can it go through the checkpoint?) is separate from customs (may it enter the country at all?). This page covers customs after arrival in Canada; for checkpoint rules, see the item guides.
Duty-free allowances
Absence of 48 hours or more: CAN $800 personal exemption (includes up to 1.5 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or 8.5 L of beer, plus 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 g tobacco). Absence 24–48 hours: CAN $200 (no alcohol or tobacco). Absence under 24 hours: no personal exemption. Visitors to Canada may bring gifts valued up to CAN $60 each duty-free.
“After 48 hours abroad, claim up to CAN $800 of goods with alcohol (up to 1.5L wine or 1.14L spirits) and tobacco (200 cigarettes) included in personal exemption.”
“You can bring in up to 1.5 litres of wine or 1.14 litres of alcoholic beverages or up to 8.5 litres of beer or ale as part of your personal exemption if you meet the legal drinking age of the province.”
Prohibited & restricted goods
CANNABIS WARNING: While legal domestically within Canada, transporting cannabis or cannabis products across the Canadian border in either direction (inbound or outbound) without a Health Canada permit is a serious federal criminal offence under the Cannabis Act. Prohibited: firearms/weapons without authorization, radar detectors (in specific provinces), hate propaganda, child exploitation material, and unauthorized food/plant/animal products.
“Taking cannabis across the Canadian border is illegal. It does not matter if you are entering or leaving Canada, or how much cannabis you have with you.”
“All food, plant, and animal products must be declared upon arrival to prevent foreign pests and invasive species from entering Canada.”
Medication & prescription drugs
Prescription drugs permitted in original pharmacy containers for personal use, limited to a single course of treatment or a 90-day supply (whichever is less). Must be labeled with patient name and dispensing details. Controlled prescription drugs require supporting physician documentation.
“Visitors may bring a single course of treatment or a 90-day supply of prescription medication in hospital or pharmacy-dispensed packaging.”
“Always declare all health products and medications to border services officers when entering Canada.”
International Travel & Border Protection
Traveling abroad? Ensure hassle-free transit with international travel coverage, customs-compliant gear, and traveler perks.
Canada customs FAQs
What is the duty-free allowance for कनाडा?
Absence of 48 hours or more: CAN $800 personal exemption (includes up to 1.5 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or 8.5 L of beer, plus 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 g tobacco). Absence 24–48 hours: CAN $200 (no alcohol or tobacco). Absence under 24 hours: no personal exemption. Visitors to Canada may bring gifts valued up to CAN $60 each duty-free.
What items are prohibited or restricted at कनाडा customs?
CANNABIS WARNING: While legal domestically within Canada, transporting cannabis or cannabis products across the Canadian border in either direction (inbound or outbound) without a Health Canada permit is a serious federal criminal offence under the Cannabis Act. Prohibited: firearms/weapons without authorization, radar detectors (in specific provinces), hate propaganda, child exploitation material, and unauthorized food/plant/animal products.
Can I bring medication into कनाडा?
Prescription drugs permitted in original pharmacy containers for personal use, limited to a single course of treatment or a 90-day supply (whichever is less). Must be labeled with patient name and dispensing details. Controlled prescription drugs require supporting physician documentation.
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