Flying back to Canada from the US? Your duty-free exemption depends almost entirely on how long you were gone: nothing under 24 hours, up to CAD $200 for 24–48 hours, and up to CAD $800 for 48 hours or more — not on how much you spent. Get the timing wrong and even a modest haul of shopping can trigger duty and tax on the whole amount, not just the excess.
✓ Fact-checked · Nov 2026
How much can I bring back duty-free after a US trip?
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) sets your personal exemption by how long you were outside Canada, not by trip cost or destination:
| Time away | Exemption | Alcohol allowed | Tobacco allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 24 hours | No personal exemption | None | None |
| 24 to 48 hours | Up to CAD $200 | Not included | Not included |
| 48 hours or more | Up to CAD $800 | 1.5 L wine, or 1.14 L liquor, or 8.5 L beer | 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 g manufactured tobacco, 200 tobacco sticks |
| 7 days or more | Up to CAD $800 | Same as 48-hour tier | Same as 48-hour tier |
What counts toward the $800 exemption?
Everything you’re bringing back — clothing, electronics, gifts, souvenirs — counts toward your dollar limit, valued at what you actually paid (in Canadian dollars). For the 24-hour and 48-hour tiers, your goods generally need to be with you when you cross back into Canada. Under the 7-day-or-more tier, most goods can follow later as “goods to follow” (useful if you shipped something home), but alcohol and tobacco must still be physically with you at the border.
What happens if I go over my exemption?
This is the part that catches people out: on the 24-to-48-hour tier, if your total goes even one dollar over CAD $200, the exemption doesn’t apply at all — you owe duty and tax on the full amount, not just the portion above $200. On the 48-hour-plus and 7-day tiers, only the amount above your CAD $800 exemption gets assessed, at regular duty, tax and any applicable provincial or territorial rates. There’s also a 25% surtax that currently applies to certain US-origin goods under federal trade measures — worth checking before a big-ticket purchase, since it isn’t included in CBSA’s general exemption and can apply on top of regular duty.
Alcohol and tobacco limits in detail
Alcohol and tobacco are excluded entirely from the under-48-hour tiers — you need to have been away 48 hours or more to bring any back duty-free. Once you clear that threshold, the allowance is one of: 1.5 litres of wine, 1.14 litres of liquor, or 8.5 litres of beer (roughly a case). Tobacco without a “DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ” stamp may only get a partial exemption and attract a special duty, so duty-free airport tobacco purchased on the way out doesn’t automatically avoid this on the way back in.
Do I need to declare anything if I’m under my exemption?
Yes — you still have to declare what you’re bringing back to a CBSA officer, even comfortably under your exemption. Declaring isn’t the same as owing money; it’s simply telling the officer what you have. Under-declaring, even unintentionally, is treated far more seriously than openly declaring goods that happen to exceed your limit.
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Does the $800 exemption reset every trip, no matter how often I cross the border?
Yes, as long as you meet the minimum time-away requirement (48 hours or more) on each individual trip. There’s no monthly or annual cap on how many times you can use your personal exemption — it resets on every qualifying trip.
Can my family combine exemptions when crossing together?
Family members can combine their purchases, but each person’s exemption is calculated individually based on their own time away — you can’t pool amounts to let one person claim a combined exemption on everyone’s behalf. Declare accurately per traveller.
Do duty-free purchases at the US airport still count toward my CBSA exemption?
Yes. “Duty-free” at the point of purchase only means you didn’t pay US tax or duty buying it — it still counts as goods you’re bringing into Canada and applies toward your CBSA personal exemption like anything else.
What if I’m not sure whether something is over the line — should I still declare it?
Always declare it. Worst case on a borderline item is you pay duty on the amount above your exemption; the risk of not declaring and being found to have under-declared is a much bigger problem than a few dollars of duty.