Travelling for Victoria Day or U.S. Memorial Day? See the CBSA’s tips for a smoother trip

Travelling for the Victoria Day or U.S. Memorial Day long weekends? The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has some travel tips for that.

The agency says its actively plans for busy travel periods, such as long weekends and the summer season.

To help people prepare and travel with ease, the CBSA offers these tips for planning ahead:

Driving into Canada? Check border wait times to plan your route. “Early mornings are the best time to cross the border to avoid wait times,” the agency says. “The Monday of holiday long weekends tend 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 you are 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,” the agency says.

Have your travel documents handy. “This will speed up processing times at the border,” the agency says.

Be prepared to declare. “Declare everything you have with you upon entry into Canada,” the agency says. “If arriving by land, you are responsible for everything inside your vehicle.”

Goods purchased abroad: If you are a resident of Canada, 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,” the agency says.

Surtaxes on certain U.S. goods. If you've purchased goods in the U.S. and are bringing them into Canada, you may have to pay a 25 per cent surtax in addition to regular duties and taxes. For residents of Canada, this surtax applies only to goods exceeding your personal exemptions limit. Consult the lists of products surtaxed: complete lists of goods subject to the surtax. Visit the CBSA website for more details on how these surtaxes apply at the border.

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.

When travelling with children, who are 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. “We are always watching for missing children, and in the absence of the letter, officers may ask additional questions,” the agency says.

Know before you go: review the restricted and prohibited goods to avoid the possibility of penalties, including fines, seizure or prosecution. “Make sure you have the information you need before attempting to bring items into Canada,” the agency says.

Also, leave behind the obvious: firearms, weapons, narcotics, and cannabis. See more travel tips here. 

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.