New increased duty-free limits came into effect on June 1, 2012
Good news cross-border shoppers! As of June 1, 2012 some of the limits for how much tax-exempt goods you can bring back into Canada increased.
Personal exemption limits: What changed?
According to the Canada Border Services Agency your personal exemption limits are now:
| Length of stay | New personal exemption limit |
| 24 hours or more | $200 (up from $50) |
| 48 hours or more | $800 (up from $400) |
Personal exemption limits: What didn't change?
Limits for stays of less than 24 hours and stays of 7 or more days remain what they were prior to June 1, 2012:
| Length of stay | New personal exemption limit |
| Less than 24 hours | $0 |
| 7 days or more | $800 |
Although the higher personal exemption limit for stays of 7 days or longer remains the same, qualifying travellers are now allowed to include goods to follow in their exemption; for example, by courier, mail, or delivery agency. This was not previously available to shoppers.
Planning to take advantage of the new higher personal exemption limits?
It's hard to resist the temptation to take advantage of the new higher limits, especially when combined with a relatively strong Canadian dollar these past few years.
- Do you have what it takes to get into the United States? Gone are the days when all you needed to drive across the border was your birth certificate (or citizenship card) and a piece of government-issued photo ID like your driver's licence.
- Wherever you go, know where the closest Canadian Government office can be found-they'll be able to help you if you're ever in a bind.
- Packed and ready to go? Visit Canada Border Services Agency to see a listing of border crossings and wait times.
- Get travel insurance even if you're only going for a day or two. Medical expenses for emergency treatment outside of Canada can be costly and your provincial health plan may only cover a small portion of them leaving you left to pay the remainder.
Looking for more travel information, travel statistics and travel insurance?
