Declare when returning to Canada
Apart from alcohol and tobacco, you must declare the following items upon returning to Canada:
- Meat products.
- Dairy products.
- Plants, trees, cut flowers.
- Wood products.
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Pets, animals.
- Feathers and down.
- Seeds and nuts.
- Baby formula.
And amazingly, there are limits to groceries, for instance, 24 eggs, 20 kg of dairy products not worth more than $20 in value, 3 kg of margarine or butter substitutes, 20 kg of meat products, a maximum of one whole turkey or 10 kg of turkey products, maximum of 10 kg of chicken, maximum of 5 kg of edible meats, meat products from cattle, sheep, goat, bison, buffalo and a maximum of 250 g of caviar. Note that you cannot bring back any meat product from countries other than the US.
Under no circumstances can you bring in obscene materials, hate propaganda or child pornography.
Prepare before going abroad
If you have something valuable you want to bring with you on your trip, ask for a free identification service available at all CBSA offices [1]. This service is available for items that have serial numbers or other unique markings. For items that do not have such markings, the CBSA can apply a sticker to them so they can be identified for customs purposes as goods legally in Canada. You will be given a list of your valuables and their serial numbers on a wallet-sized card called Y38 form (Identification of Articles for Temporary Exportation) [2]. The CBSA warns that jewelry is often difficult to identify and therefore include on the Y38 form. You may want to consult a jeweller or insurance agent for an appraisal report. Carry a signed and dated photograph of your jewelry or certification documents to prove that you purchased the items in Canada.
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