Travelling this Labour Day weekend? See CBSA’s top tips for a smooth trip

Do you have clients travelling this Labour Day weekend? The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has some tips to help them prepare.  

The border can be extra busy during the long weekend. It's a time of year when Canada welcomes many international students, returning residents as well as travellers enjoying the last days of summer.

To ensure and smooth and safe flow of travellers at land ports of entry and international airports, the CBSA has compiled the following travel tips to help people plan:

• Check border wait times and expect delays. 
• Early mornings are the best time to cross the border to avoid wait times.
• The Monday of the holiday long weekend tends to be the busiest.
• Consider an alternative port of entry with shorter wait times or less traffic.
• Check the port of entry's hours of operation on the official CBSA Directory of Offices and Services. 
• If using a GPS application (such as Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze) to direct you to a port of entry, consider checking different navigation options (such as fastest and shortest routes) to determine the preferred route of travel.
• Have travel documents handy. This will speed up processing times at the border. 
• Be prepared to declare. "Declare everything you have with you upon entry into Canada," says the agency. 

Kids, pets & Advanced Declaration 

Travelling with children? When travelling with a child who is not your own or for whom you don't have full legal custody, the CBSA recommends you have a consent letter from the parent or legal guardian authorizing you to travel with the child.

Travelling with pets? Pets must meet specific requirements to enter Canada. Review Importing and travelling with pets before leaving here.

Will you be going to the U.S. with a dog? As of August 1, 2024, there are updated documentation requirements for all dogs entering the U.S. from Canada. For more information, click here. 

Flying into Canada? Use Advance Declaration and make your customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours in advance of your arrival into Canada at participating airports.

Entering Canada by boat? You must report to the CBSA without delay. Review reporting requirements for private boaters here.

Goods purchased abroad: If you are a Canadian resident, personal exemptions allow you to bring goods, including alcohol and tobacco (up to a certain value), back to Canada without paying regular duty and taxes. 

"Make sure you know how much you are bringing back in Canadian dollars and have your receipts readily available for the officer," says the CBSA.

Use the CBSA duty and taxes estimator to help estimate the amounts owed on goods purchased abroad. 

Restricted & prohibited goods

The CBSA advises to review all necessary information before attempting to bring certain items into Canada. "If not, you risk having your goods seized or facing fines and prosecution," the agency says. 

As for carrying cannabis, the CBSA says “don't bring it in. Don't take it out.”

“While cannabis is legal in Canada, bringing it across the border in any form, including oils containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD), without a permit or exemption authorized by Health Canada is a serious criminal offence subject to arrest and prosecution,” the agency noted. 

A medical prescription from a doctor does not count as Health Canada authorization, the agency notes. 

Not sure? Ask a CBSA officer. “The best way to save time is to be open and honest with the border services officer,” says the agency. 

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