Moving to Canada from the US

How much does moving to Canada cost?

The cost of moving to Canada from the US depends on the size of your shipment, where the load starts and where it ends up. No single rate covers all of Canada. The price is worked out as for our other moves, after a survey, with only the route logistics changing, and goes into a written estimate.

What goes into a Canada moving quote?

• Volume. The survey measures it in cubic feet.
• Starting point. A load leaving Seattle and a load leaving Atlanta make two different US road legs.
• Destination. A drive to a land crossing is one kind of route. And a community reached only by sea is another.
• Packing at pickup, if you'd rather not pack yourself (packing and unpacking).

Which car fees do Canadian agencies charge?

A car brings charges of its own, separate from any moving estimate. For a car under 15 years old, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles charges CAN$325.00 plus GST/HST (GST and QST in Quebec) for the Vehicle Import Form declaration. CBSA's vehicle memorandum lists a CAN$100 excise tax on imported vehicles with air conditioning. Then there's the 25% surtax on US-origin cars, new or used, in force since April 9, 2025 under Customs Notice 25-15. It doesn't reach goods entered under a Chapter 98 tariff item unless Schedule 2 lists that item, and the settlers' effects item, 9807.00.00, isn't on that list. For a vehicle entitled to CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement) treatment, the surtax is figured on 85% of the value for duty by default. And it's CBSA that classifies your car.

How do you book the survey?

Call (855) 822-2722, any day from 08:00 to 20:00. Once we've talked it through, we'll schedule the survey, and the estimate follows in writing. Moving from far inland in the US? Our long-distance moving page explains how that road leg runs.

Moving to Canada: what you should know

Canada's federal rules don't change with the province you pick. At entry, the Canada Border Services Agency rules on your household goods, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles on your car and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on your pets. But the provincial clocks start after that, and they vary widely.

Moving to Canada: a checklist in order

1. Check your status with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Everything below assumes you can live in Canada.
2. Write your goods list in two copies, goods to follow included.
3. File the car's US export papers at least 72 hours before it leaves.
4. Get rabies certificates for your dogs and cats.
5. Hand the list to the officer at your first point of entry.
6. Sign up with your province or territory for health coverage and a licence: the list below gives each deadline.

Who counts as a settler?

In CBSA's terms, a settler enters Canada intending to set up a residence there for the first time, for one year or more. The Definition of Settler Regulations leave out people coming for employment of 36 months or less, or to study. Their goods enter under other rules, so ask CBSA how yours will be treated. Settlers can bring personal and household goods in free of duty and taxes if the goods were owned, possessed and used before arrival. Leased goods don't pass that test. And an item sold or given away within 12 months of import loses the exemption, so the duty and taxes waived at the border come due.

Your goods list and Form BSF186

Before you cross, write up everything you're bringing, in two copies, giving each item's value and, where it applies, the make, model and serial number. That list goes to the border services officer at your first point of entry, even if your shipment hasn't caught up with you yet. The officer uses it to complete Form BSF186, the Personal Effects Accounting Document, and your copy later claims whatever arrives after you. CBSA says the form can be filled in before you travel to speed up clearance, and its moving to Canada page sets out the main rules.

What are goods to follow?

They're the belongings that reach Canada after you do, and they come in duty- and tax-free only if your first-entry list named them. The Customs Tariff sets no deadline for them, though CBSA can confirm the details. But alcohol, tobacco and vaping products don't wait for later: they count as settlers' effects only when they travel with you.

Which land crossings does CBSA list as busiest?

CBSA publishes wait times for what it calls 30 of Canada's busiest land crossings from the US, among them Pacific Highway into British Columbia, Coutts into Alberta, the Gordie Howe International Bridge into Ontario and Highway 15 at St-Bernard-de-Lacolle into Quebec. Four more on that list are Designated Commercial Offices, which in CBSA's definition clear commercial goods around the clock, seven days a week: Emerson into Manitoba, North Portal into Saskatchewan, and St Stephen 3rd Bridge and Woodstock Road into New Brunswick.

Settlers' effects on a commercial truck may clear at the first port of arrival or move in bond to a designated CBSA office, which CBSA's highway memorandum says should be contacted beforehand.

What's restricted at a Canadian border crossing?

• Alcohol. 1.5 litres of wine or 1.14 litres of other alcoholic drinks, and only if it comes with you. The minimum age is set where you enter Canada: 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, 19 everywhere else.
• Tobacco and vaping products. 50 cigars, 200 cigarettes, 200 tobacco sticks and 200 grams of manufactured tobacco, also only with you. CBSA's personal-exemption rules set 18 as the age for tobacco and vaping products.
• Firearms. Declare every one to a border services officer. Non-restricted firearms need a Possession and Acquisition Licence if you import them as a Canadian resident. But prohibited firearms, devices and weapons are another matter: CBSA bars visitors from bringing them in, without exception.
• Cannabis. Health Canada says taking it across the border is illegal, and that's true of medical cannabis too.
• Groceries, plants, firewood, soil. Declare food, plants and animal products. Firewood needs a permit, and goods caked in soil are usually refused.
• Cash. If you're carrying CAN$10,000 or more in currency or monetary instruments, report it on arrival.

Bringing a car from the US to Canada

Start on the American side, at least 72 hours before the car leaves: that's when US Customs and Border Protection must have the export documents (19 CFR 192.2). If the car is leased or carries a recorded lien, the leasing company or lienholder must also approve the export in writing. The car's Electronic Export Information is filed on the same schedule, and for a used car it's required whatever its value.

On the Canadian side, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles program takes a car under 15 years old on the date of import. It mustn't be flagged inadmissible on the Vehicle Import Compatibility List or carry outstanding safety recalls, and it needs its original US title. You declare it on Form 1, the Vehicle Import Form, and RIV sends a delinquency notice if the inspection isn't done within 45 days of import. CBSA treats a financed car as meeting the settler ownership test. But a leased one doesn't.

Rabies papers for a dog or cat

Rabies is the issue. The CFIA doesn't list the United States as rabies-free, so a cat needs a valid rabies vaccination certificate from 3 months of age and a dog once it's older than 3 months. And the dog's shot must have been given at 3 months or later. A dog under 8 months crossing without its owner needs a Veterinary Certificate of Health on top. Microchips and tattoos aren't required.

Do household goods pay the 2026 surtax?

Customs Notice 26-23 has added a 15%, 25% or 50% surtax on some US-origin goods since September 8, 2026. But it leaves Chapters 98 and 99 of the tariff alone unless Schedule 4 names the item, and Schedule 4 doesn't name 9807.00.00, the settlers' effects line. Classification is CBSA's call, so ask the agency about anything you're unsure of.

What changes from one province to the next?

Health Canada leaves each province and territory to decide who counts as a resident for its health plan. IRCC notes that in some provinces newcomers may wait up to 3 months for health coverage, and it advises private health insurance for that gap.

• Alberta. Health: AHCIP coverage may start from the date you establish residency, if you apply within 3 months. Licence: a US licence can be exchanged without more testing for the matching Alberta class, within 90 days of becoming a resident. Tax: 5% GST, no provincial sales tax.
• British Columbia. Health: MSP coverage may start three months after you arrive, with private health insurance recommended until then. Licence: 90 days to switch to a British Columbia licence. Tax: 5% GST plus 7% PST.
• Manitoba. Health: citizens and permanent residents arriving from outside Canada may apply for Manitoba Health coverage from the date of arrival. Licence: Manitoba Public Insurance expects a US licence to be exchanged within three months. Tax: 5% GST plus 7% PST.
• New Brunswick. Health: New Brunswick Medicare may cover a newcomer from another country from the first day, if the person meets the eligibility rules, has settled permanently in New Brunswick and won't keep permanent resident status elsewhere. Licence: due as soon as you take up residence, with exceptions for students and some temporary residents. Tax: 15% HST.
• Newfoundland and Labrador. Health: the provincial regulation entitles a newcomer arriving from outside the participating provinces to insured services from the date of arrival. Licence: the exchange is due within three months. Tax: 15% HST.
• Northwest Territories. Health: the published start date, the first day of the third month, is for moves from elsewhere in Canada, so confirm yours with the Health Services Administration Office. Licence: ask Driver and Vehicle Services whether a US licence can be transferred. Its page names no eligible countries, and without a transfer you take a knowledge test and a road test. Tax: 5% GST, no territorial sales tax.
• Nova Scotia. Health: Health Card coverage for a citizen or permanent resident arriving from outside Canada usually starts the day you become a resident. Licence: one from another jurisdiction may be usable for up to 180 days, subject to conditions. Tax: 14% HST.
• Nunavut. Health: the territory's application says coverage may become effective on the first day of the third month if all eligibility requirements are met, so confirm your date with the Health Insurance Programs Office. Licence: new residents apply for a Nunavut licence within 30 days of moving. Tax: 5% GST, no territorial sales tax.
• Ontario. Health: OHIP has no waiting period for eligible people. Licence: a valid US licence can be used for 60 days before you switch. Tax: 13% HST.
• Prince Edward Island. Health: a citizen or permanent resident arriving from outside Canada may get first-day coverage. Licence: one from another jurisdiction is transferred within 4 months. Tax: 15% HST.
• Quebec. Health: RAMQ coverage usually begins after a wait of up to 3 months, counted from registration, for newcomers 18 and over. Licence: a valid US licence works for the first 6 months. Tax: 5% GST plus 9.975% QST.
• Saskatchewan. Health: coverage may start on or before the first day of the third month after you arrive in Canada, for eligible groups such as permanent residents and some temporary workers. Licence: apply for a Class 5 licence within 90 days of becoming a resident, or before your old licence expires if that comes first. Tax: 5% GST plus 6% PST.
• Yukon. Health: new residents wait 3 months for coverage (confirm your start date with Insured Health Services), and the territory advises travel health insurance for the move. Licence: due within 120 days, or 30 with an air-brake endorsement. Tax: 5% GST, no territorial sales tax.

Is Canada a good place to live?

Whether Canada suits your family depends more on the province or territory you choose than on the country. Health plans, licensing rules and provincial sales taxes are set by each province or territory, while the 5% federal GST is the same everywhere. But health care itself is universal in Canada and paid for through taxes.

Who handles immigration to Canada?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It manages the selection, settlement and integration of newcomers, and a moving company has no part in it. IRCC defines a permanent resident as someone given that status by immigrating, who can then live, work or study in any province or territory. Its programs include Express Entry, family sponsorship and the Provincial Nominee Program, and a new permanent resident carries a Confirmation of Permanent Residence to the border. IRCC's Immigrate to Canada page is the place to start.

How does health care work in Canada?

IRCC says any citizen or permanent resident can apply for public health insurance. You'll apply to your province or territory for a health card, and each plan covers different services and products. Health Canada adds that the provinces and territories deliver the care and regulate the people who provide it. Because each plan is run locally, its start date for newcomers differs, as the province list shows.

Where do Canadians live?

Ontario alone had 16,262,121 people on July 1, 2026, by Statistics Canada's preliminary estimate, and Quebec 9,067,114. At the other end of the scale, Yukon had 50,356, the Northwest Territories 45,904 and Nunavut 43,091. The three territories lie mainly north of the 60th parallel and cover 40% of Canada's land mass. And they're governed differently too: provinces exercise constitutional powers, while territories use powers delegated by the federal government.

How do Canadian income taxes work?

The Canada Revenue Agency says provincial or territorial income tax applies on top of federal tax (Revenu Québec handles Quebec's), and your provincial or territorial rate for 2026 depends on where you live on December 31, 2026. Federal tax starts at 14% on the first CAN$58,523 of taxable income.

Ready to plan the move north? Call (855) 822-2722, and we'll book a survey and follow it with a written estimate. Our US road leg runs under USDOT #4176875 and MC #1607491, and for moves beyond North America, see our international moving page.