When you arrive in Montréal to settle in Canada, carry two detailed inventories: one for belongings arriving with you and one for goods that will arrive later. Declare currency and monetary instruments totaling CAN$10,000 or more, including the equivalent value in foreign currencies.
Prepare two copies of your accompanying-goods list
Your accompanying-goods list covers the personal belongings entering Canada with you. That includes items in your checked baggage, carry-on, and any boxes travelling on the same flight.
Prepare two printed copies before departure. Group ordinary belongings into practical categories such as clothing, books, kitchenware, and personal electronics. Add an estimated value in Canadian dollars for each item or grouped category.
List higher-value goods separately, with enough detail to identify them:
- Include the make, model, and serial number for laptops, cameras, phones, and other electronics.
- Describe jewellery carefully. Photographs, appraisals, or purchase receipts can help establish identity and value.
- Record vehicles with their make, model, year, and vehicle identification number.
- Keep receipts or valuations for unusually expensive possessions when available.
The Canada Border Services Agency may use form BSF186, Personal Effects Accounting Document, to record your goods. You can prepare the information in advance and bring your own typed inventory, but an officer may still ask you to complete or sign the official form.
Keep the lists in your hand luggage. A perfect spreadsheet buried inside a checked suitcase will not help at the inspection desk.
Make a separate goods-to-follow list
Anything arriving after you needs a second inventory. This “goods to follow” list might include furniture shipped by sea, boxes sent by courier, or personal items that a family member will bring later.
Prepare two copies and include descriptions, quantities, and estimated Canadian-dollar values. Form BSF186A can serve as a continuation sheet when you need more space.
This list matters because eligible settlers can generally bring declared personal and household effects into Canada later without paying duties and taxes. The border officer needs to document those goods when you first arrive to settle. If an item is missing from the goods-to-follow list, you may have difficulty claiming that treatment when it reaches Canada.
Be specific enough to match the later shipment. “Household goods” gives an officer little to compare. “Six boxes of books, used dining table with four chairs, cookware, bedding, and two framed prints” is much easier to verify.
You do not need every sock itemized. Group ordinary used belongings sensibly, then identify valuable or traceable items one by one.
Present both lists at your first arrival
Tell the border officer that you are entering Canada to settle and have goods accompanying you plus goods to follow. Present both inventories when requested.
The officer may review the lists, ask about particular items, complete or stamp the relevant paperwork, and return a copy. Keep that returned copy somewhere safe. You may need it when the later shipment clears customs.
Do not wait until your boxes reach a Montréal warehouse to create the second list. By then, the key opportunity to declare them as goods to follow may have passed.
Your immigration documents and customs inventories serve different purposes, so keep both ready. A tidy arrival folder can contain:
- Your passport and immigration documents
- Two copies of the accompanying-goods inventory
- Two copies of the goods-to-follow inventory
- Receipts, photographs, or appraisals for valuable items
- Shipping documents, if your carrier has already issued them
- A record of serial numbers stored separately as a backup
This is the same practical lesson behind The Missing Copy Mateo Needed, and the Morning It Almost Cost Him: one accessible copy can prevent a small paperwork problem from becoming an expensive delay.
Declare CAN$10,000 or more in cash and equivalents
Canada requires you to declare currency and monetary instruments worth CAN$10,000 or more when entering the country. The threshold applies to the combined Canadian-dollar value, including foreign currencies.
The declaration can cover more than banknotes. Monetary instruments may include items such as bank drafts, cheques, traveller’s cheques, money orders, and certain securities in bearer form.
There is no general prohibition on carrying CAN$10,000 or more. You must declare it and answer the officer’s questions truthfully. The officer may ask where the funds came from and what you plan to use them for, so carry supporting records when appropriate, such as a bank withdrawal receipt or proof of sale.
Check the exchange rate before travelling if you are carrying several currencies. If the combined amount is close to the threshold, declaring it is the safer course. Failing to declare can lead to seizure and penalties.
Money held in a normal bank account and accessed later by card or transfer is different from currency or monetary instruments physically crossing the border with you.
Keep other declarations separate
Your goods lists do not replace declarations for controlled or restricted items. Food, plants, animal products, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, and certain commercial goods may require separate answers or documentation.
Do not place a restricted item on a household inventory and assume that finishes the process. Declare it directly when asked. If you are unsure, tell the officer what you have.
New purchases can also receive different treatment from used personal belongings. Keep purchase receipts and avoid assuming that every item qualifies for duty-free entry simply because it is part of your move.
Complete this task before packing day
Open a document today and create two headings: “Goods accompanying” and “Goods to follow.” Add categories, estimated values in Canadian dollars, and identifying details for valuable items. Print two copies of each list, save a digital backup, and place the paper set beside your passport.
