🇨🇦 Moving from the US to Canada: Logistics, Customs & Relocation Guide.
Canada is the simplest border in our network: goods enter duty-free on CBSA Form BSF186 with a complete itemised list, and most moves arrive within a week by truck or rail.
Average shipping cost
from $2,500
Door-to-door, 20ft FCL entry point
Transit timeline
1–3 weeks
Cross-border trucking or intermodal rail, 1–5 days
Major ports of entry
Surface crossings (Buffalo, Detroit, Blaine)
Surface crossings (Buffalo, Detroit, Blaine) · Vancouver · Montreal · Halifax
Canada customs & Transfer of Residence: step by step
Required registration: CBSA Form BSF186 (Personal Effects Accounting Document)
- 1
Prepare BSF186 before you reach the border
List everything in two columns — goods accompanying you and goods to follow. Items missing from the list are taxable when they arrive later.
- 2
Value each item honestly
CBSA wants replacement values, not purchase prices. Serial numbers for electronics and appliances speed up the desk review.
- 3
Screen restricted goods early
Firearms, food, plants and soil are seized at the border rather than returned. Declare anything borderline in advance.
- 4
Plan vehicles separately
RIV clearance runs on its own timeline. Do not load a car in the household trailer unless your moving company has confirmed admissibility.
Import VAT avoided with relief
5%
Filed with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) via Form BSF186 — itemised list of goods to follow and goods accompanying.
Primary visa pathways
- • Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker)
- • Provincial Nominee Program
- • Intra-Company Transfer
- • Family Sponsorship
Fastest lane from the US, no language barrier, shared standards for appliances and vehicles.
Importing a vehicle into Canada
Vehicles must clear the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) programme, pass a federal inspection and meet Transport Canada admissibility before provincial plating.
Calculate landed vehicle taxesPopular expat destinations in Canada
| City | Profile | Cost index |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Finance and tech, condo elevator bookings required | $$$$ |
| Vancouver | Pacific gateway, mild climate, tight housing supply | $$$$ |
| Montreal | French-language province, best value of the major cities | $$ |
| Calgary | Energy sector, larger homes, straightforward truck access | $$ |