The first thing you will notice when you arrive in Canada and meet our Customs officers is that they are responsible not only for customs matters but also – to some degree – for immigration, agricultural and health requirements.

By the way, it would be a good idea to check with your own customs authorities before you leave home, to find out what you may or may not bring back from your trip to Canada.

If you are planning to visit Canada, you may find additional information by visiting the Government of Canada’s web site at: www.ccra-adrc-.gc.ca

Identification

From parts of the world other than the U.S.A., passports are essential, though visas are seldom required. If in doubt about visas, check with the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate.

For U.S. visitors, something more ‘formal’ than a driving license is required. If you are U.S. born, you should bring your birth or baptismal certificate. Otherwise, bring your naturalization certificate or alien registration card.

Motor Vehicles

Current U.S. driving licenses are valid in Canada. Visitors from other countries should obtain an International Driving Permit (of the type agreed upon by the 1949 convention on road traffic).

Your own insurance company or automobile club may help you obtain auto insurance that will cover you in Canada, but failing that you should approach one of the insurance companies that has international affiliations. This is one arrangement that cannot be handled quickly and satisfactorily after you have arrived in Canada! ALWAYS carry proof of insurance with you.

If you are driving a rented vehicle, be sure to carry a copy of the rental contract with you and if the vehicle was rented outside Canada, be sure that the contract specifies that it may be driven in Canada.

Duty-Free Goods

Besides personal luggage, you may bring in certain goods free of duty and taxes.

Hunting

If the purpose of your visit is to hunt, you should write in advance to the provincial or territorial capital to obtain a non-resident hunting license and a current set of game regulations. From the same source, you can find out whether an EXPORT PERMIT will be needed, to remove from Canada the game you have killed.

If such a permit is required, be sure to show it to Canadian Customs when you leave the country.

Hunters may bring in 200 shells duty-free.

Note that all provinces and territories require that five-shot pump or semi-automatic shotguns used for hunting be ‘plugged’ so that at no time can there be more than one shell in the breech and two in the chamber.

Major Airports

Major Canadian international airports are located in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal (Dorval), Québec City, Saint John, Halifax, Gander, and Goose Bay.