Shipping Household Goods to Canada from the USA

Cross-border road freight typically takes 7–10 days door-to-door for most US-to-Canada routes. Air freight is 7–10 days for urgent items. Ocean freight (mainly used for west-coast destinations) takes 4–7 weeks door-to-door. We recommend starting 3–5 weeks before your move for road freight, and 6–8 weeks for ocean.

No — as long as you qualify as a new settler or returning resident under the CBSA Personal Effects Accounting Document (BSF186) process, your used personal and household effects come in duty-free and GST-free. City Post Express prepares the BSF186 and BSF186A paperwork for you as part of our standard service.

Costs depend on volume, origin, and destination. Small moves via cross-border road freight are the most cost-effective option for under-a-bedroom shipments; full 1–2 bedroom households go by dedicated road freight or LCL ocean; full container moves to the west coast via ocean are quoted individually. All our quotes are flat-rate, all-in — pickup, customs, and delivery included. No surprise brokerage fees. Contact us with your exact volume and route for a firm quote.

Yes, but it is a separate process from household goods. Vehicles must be imported through Transport Canada's Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) programme, which involves confirming the car is admissible, paying RIV fees, and passing a federal inspection within 45 days of import. We do not ship vehicles directly but can recommend specialist cross-border auto transporters and help coordinate the timing with your household shipment.

We deliver to every Canadian province and territory. From downtown Toronto and Vancouver to rural Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, or the Yukon, our local delivery partners handle the last mile. Remote addresses may add a couple of days to the door-to-door timeline but no destination is off-limits.

Yes. Many clients send essentials first and follow with a larger shipment. This is exactly what the BSF186A 'goods to follow' form is designed for — you declare the full list at your first border crossing, and subsequent shipments are cleared against that manifest. All goods should arrive within a reasonable period after your entry.

You must be physically in Canada to present yourself at CBSA and have your BSF186 forms stamped — that usually happens at your first border crossing. Once your forms are stamped and we have your authorisation, your shipment can clear and be delivered even if you are not at the address. We coordinate timing so there are no delays.

For personal effects and household goods, cross-border road freight with a cross-border specialist like City Post Express is almost always the cheapest option. Parcel carriers (UPS, FedEx) charge per box and add brokerage fees that stack up quickly. Our flat-rate cross-border service bundles pickup, customs, and delivery — typically 40–60% cheaper than shipping boxes individually through parcel services.

For anything more than a few boxes, a dedicated cross-border moving service is the best option — not parcel carriers. City Post Express handles cross-border road freight for the bulk of shipments, air freight for urgent items, and ocean freight for west-coast or large-volume moves. Crucially, we prepare the CBSA BSF186 paperwork, coordinate clearance, and deliver to your door. No other parcel service does all three.

This one is usually simpler than most destinations. Canadian homes are sized similarly to American ones, 120V electronics work, and the border crossing is quick — so shipping furniture is often cost-effective. We recommend shipping anything with sentimental value, high-quality pieces, and most standard household furniture. Consider replacing bulky low-value items (cheap IKEA assembly pieces, old mattresses) rather than shipping them.

When you cross into Canada as a new resident, CBSA expects you to declare everything you are bringing — including items that will arrive later. Form BSF186A is the 'goods to follow' list: a separate itemised inventory for items arriving after you do. The officer stamps it at your first entry, and we clear those shipments later against that stamped form. This is how almost all household shipments are handled, since few people cross the border in the same vehicle as their furniture.

Yes, but firearms are regulated separately from household goods. You need a Canadian Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL), and firearms must be declared and registered at the border — they cannot simply be packed in with your personal effects. Certain firearm types are prohibited outright. We do not handle firearm shipment; you must bring them with you across the border and declare in person.