Guides
Border crossing guides
20 plain-language guides on documents, duty-free limits, declarations and the rules that catch travellers out, each citing the official CBP and CBSA pages it came from with the date we read them.
Entering the United States
- Travel documents for entering the US by land: WHTI, EDL, REAL ID and I-94What CBP accepts at US land crossings: passport, passport card, EDL, NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST cards, children's rules, Ready Lanes, I-94 and REAL…
- US personal exemptions and duty-free shops when returning from CanadaCBP exemptions as published: $800 when abroad 48 hours, $200 fallback, one liter of alcohol, 30-day rule and duty-free shop limits. Dated…
- What to declare when you enter the United States by landCBP says declare agricultural items, over $10,000 in currency, medications and goods; ready-lane tips list alcohol and tobacco amounts.…
Entering Canada
- Canada's counter-tariffs on certain US goods: what travellers pay at the borderHow Canada's 15%, 25% or 50% counter-tariffs on certain US-origin goods apply to returning residents and visitors from 2026-09-08. Dated…
- Returning to Canada: personal exemptions by length of absenceCBSA personal exemptions for returning residents: none under 24 hours, CAN$200 at 24-48 hours, CAN$800 at 48 hours or more, 7-day rule.…
- Travel documents for entering Canada: citizens, US travellers, visitors and eTACBSA document rules: Canadian passports, US citizens' proof of identity, green card holders, NEXUS cards, and who needs an eTA or visa.…
- Alcohol, tobacco, vaping and gift limits for visitors to CanadaCBSA limits for non-residents entering Canada: age minimums, litres of alcohol, tobacco and vaping quantities, and the CAN$60 gift rule.…
- What to declare when you enter Canada by landWhat the CBSA says to declare at the Canadian border: goods, gifts, food, money over CAN$10,000, firearms and cannabis. Sourced, dated…
Both directions
- How border wait times are reported: what CBP and CBSA publish and what the values meanWhat the CBP and CBSA wait-time feeds measure, how often they update, what No Delay, N/A, Update Pending and Closed mean, and what they…
- Cannabis at the Canada-US border: what CBSA and CBP sayCBSA and CBP statements on cannabis and CBD at the border: declaring, Health Canada permits, penalties up to $2,000 CAD, US federal law.…
- Carrying $10,000 or more across the Canada-US border: what CBSA and CBP sayCurrency reporting at the Canada-US border: CAN$10,000 or more to CBSA, more than $10,000 to CBP, forms, penalties and NEXUS. Dated…
- Children crossing the Canada-US border with one parent or another adultConsent letters, custody papers and children's documents at the Canada-US border: what the Government of Canada, CBSA and CBP say. Dated…
- Commercial trucks at the Canada-US border: eManifest, ACE, FAST and CDRPWhat CBSA and CBP publish for truck crossings: eManifest/ACI in Canada, ACE in the US, FAST fees and lanes, and the ended CDRP. Dated…
- Duty-free shops and visitor sales tax refunds: what the official pages sayCBP and CBSA statements on duty-free shop purchases, the DUTY PAID CANADA stamp, and CRA's note that the Visitor Rebate Program was…
- Firearms and weapons at the Canada-US border: basics from CBSA and CBPCBSA rules for visitors bringing firearms into Canada (declare, RCMP 5589, C$25, ATT, 60 days) and CBP notes on exporting firearms. Dated…
- Food, plants and agricultural items at the Canada-US borderWhat CBSA and CBP say about declaring food, plants and soil: Canada's AIRS and limits, the US agricultural declaration and listed penalties.
- NEXUS, Global Entry, SENTRI and FAST: fees, validity and where they workOfficial fees, 5-year validity, lanes and interview rules for NEXUS, Global Entry, SENTRI and FAST, as published by CBSA and CBP. Dated…
- Travelling with pets across the Canada-US border: CBSA, CFIA, CDC and CBPDeclaring pets, dog rabies and microchip rules for entering the US (CDC form), Canadian dog rules, NEXUS lanes and service animals. Dated…
- Travelling with prescription medication across the Canada-US borderHealth Canada and CBP statements on carrying prescription medicines: 90-day supply, original packaging, controlled substances, declaring.…
- Secondary inspection and device searches: what CBSA and CBP describeWhat CBSA and CBP say about secondary inspection, search authority, random referrals and phone or laptop examination. Dated 2026-10-20.