Movingmole Canadian Moving Guide
Migrating to Canada has become more popular recently, although still behind Australia, New Zealand and the USA in popularity the introduction of a new faster visa approval process has helped increase the interest.
All private shipments of personal household goods will require a customs B4E form to be completed prior to their arrival in Canada and accompanied with a photocopy of the passport photo pages and visas / work permits if applicable. Additional shipping paperwork will be provided / completed by your selected removal company, these include an inventory of effects and an Ocean Bill of Lading.
The shipper will have to be in Canada prior to arrival of the shipment, clearance of the goods must take place at the local CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) customs office and you will be required to attend.
Some containers may be selected for inspection by the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency). Among other things the inspections will be looking for items of agricultural / farm use & equipment, gardening tools or anything that could be carrying dirt, grass, plant life etc such as Wellington boots or other footwear. It is advisable to clean any of these items thoroughly prior to shipment.
Please note that cleaning prior to shipment does not guarantee automatic clearance, CFIA can still order further cleaning if in their opinion the items are still considered a risk.
Certain items will always attract customs duty and/or tax and these include:
- Alcohol - all types
- Tobacco - all types
- New furniture and household goods
- Motor vehicles
Motor vehicles other than current year of manufacture are generally prohibited for importation, there are some exceptions to this rule so please discuss with your removal company for clarification.
All the information given above is true to the best of our knowledge and is to be used as a guide only to assist you with your move to Canada, please ensure you discuss all your requirements with your chosen removal company.
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