This document provides guidelines on what goods Canadian residents can bring back from trips abroad. It states that each person can claim up to $800 worth of goods if the trip was over 7 days. It outlines quantity limits for various items like baked goods, cheese, dried/canned fruits and vegetables, meat, alcohol, and tobacco that can be brought back per person. Certain restricted items like weapons, explosives, and fresh produce are prohibited.

1. CUSTOMS
What Can I Bring Back to
Canada?
M Riddell – February 2019

2. We’ll be gone for more
than 7 days which means
you can each claim $800
worth of goods.

3. Baked goods and candies
 NO goods containing meat
 Up to 20 kg per person

4. Cheese
 Up to 20 kg per person
 However, more than $20 worth is subject to duty
 No milk, whey, cream, butter and so on

5. Dried Fruits and
Vegetables
 Up to 20 kg per person
 No fresh fruit or vegetables

6. Canned or Frozen Fruits
and Vegetables
 Up to 20 kg per person

7. Herbs, spices, teas and
coffees

8. Meat
 A maximum of 20 kg or cooked, commercially
sterile, and shelf-stable (i.e. safe at room
temperature) in hermetically sealed packaging may
be imported per person.
 Packages must be sealed (including glass or cans)
and indicate country of origin
 No fresh, dried or cured meat.
 Not from Greece but okay from Italy

9. Sea Shells and Sand
 Items made from sea shells
 Small qualities of sand from salt-water beaches

10. Leather Goods
 Only fully tanned hides

11. Wooden items
 Must be free of bark, insects and evidence of insect
activity

12. Weapons are NOT allowed
 Switch blades, belt buckle, flick, butterfly or gravity knives
 Nunchaku sticks
 Throwing stars and fighting chains
 Finger rings with blades, spiked wrist bands
 Crossbows
 Blowguns
 Brass knuckles
 Explosives, fireworks, ammunition

13. Alcohol
 Adults (19 and older) can bring back one of the
following: Wine (up to 1.5 L)
Hard Liquor (up to 1.14 L)
Beer (up to 8.5 L)
 Be aware that when we come through customs in
Toronto we no longer have access to our suitcases
and we must go through security (< 100 ml of
liquids) after clearing customs, so bringing back
duty-free alcohol is difficult

14. Tobacco
 Adults (18 years of age and older) may bring in:
Cigarettes (200)
Cigars (50)
Tobacco (20 grams)
 It is illegal to transport Cannabis across the
Canadian border

15. While you travel:
 Keep a list of your purchases and what they cost
 Save your receipts
 Each night do an update on your phone or in a
notebook
 On the plane you will fill out a customs declaration
 Be truthful