Canada Entry Requirements With a Travel Trailer

[Ex-Calif]

I'm heading north in a few weeks.

My brother is near Montreal and he asked me about coming up.

Whar are the requirements/process for crossing with a TT/RV?

I do have the option to leave the TT in the south and just take the truck.

1. Insurance?
2. Customs / bond?
3. Paperwork / documents?
4. I presume personally all I need is my passport.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

I'm curious to know if you speak French.

 

[Robert K1]

Passport and if you have a dog their paperwork.
When we crossed 6 times on our Alaska trip that was all they ask for.

 

[bigbAZ]

If you plan on having any firearms look up the specific rules on what is and isn't allowed.

 

[Joezeppy]

US-based Personal Auto insurance covers you in Canada so no worries there. Just make sure you have an up-to-date insurance ID card. We've crossed a dozen or so times with various trailers - has always been a smooth process. One time coming back we had to drive through a huge x-ray type machine that scanned the trailer. That was kind of cool. That was either at the Peace Bridge (Buffalo) or Rt 81 at Wellesley Island - can't remember which.

 

[UTTransplant]

Always ask your own insurance provider about the international usage of your policies, both vehicle and personal health. Ours covered us, but I am not sure all do. Check with your cell phone provider, TV streaming services, etc. if those matter to you. Just before you arrive, check the Canadian import restrictions list for food; it changes based on current threats. For crossing, it is straightforward. Passport, driver’s license, proof of insurance. They may shuttle you to an inspection station and go through your pantry and refrigerator, or they may just ask you about food stuffs. If you have pets, make sure their vaccination records are up to date and available, and that their food is in original packaging and doesn’t contain prohibited items. I think lamb/mutton was disallowed for a while IIRC. Now this is the process from before the current US/Canadian hostilities, so they might be a lot more rigorous than they used to be. We found re-entering the U.S. to be more of a hassle with inspections of every RV.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Passport and if you have a dog their paperwork.
When we crossed 6 times on our Alaska trip that was all they ask for.

I'm an idiot regarding the dog. He had all his puppy shots and rabies(?) I think. But nothing since then other than getting neutered.

Am I amiss on something? S'pose I could go see the vet but it's weird taking a healthy dog in.

 

[Wasillaguy]

No tazers either. We forfeited ours last time we crossed. Now we carry wasp spray instead.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I'm curious to know if you speak French.

Je ne parle pas francais.

Funny story. I was "placed" in beginner French when I transferred from Australia as a software.

I lasted one class and asked to be moved to German. I was completely baffled by French.

Took 3 years of German. Never used it. Stupid me. Growing up in SoCal I wish I had taken Spanish...

My brother OTOH is fluent. Married to a French Canadian going on 50 years.

 

[Jackiemac]

I think they charge if you have more than 1 litre of alcohol...

 

[JudyJB]

You will definitely need proof of rabies vaccination for your pets.

The requirements for food change fairly often depending on where you came from and what is happening there. For example, I had the border people check my refrigerator and lost some lemons and eggs. The eggs were because of bird flu in the specific place I had purchased them.

Just be polite and cooperative to the border people on both sides, and you will have no problems.

 

[SMR]

I'm an idiot regarding the dog. He had all his puppy shots and rabies(?) I think. But nothing since then other than getting neutered.

Am I amiss on something? S'pose I could go see the vet but it's weird taking a healthy dog in.

Find out what shots are required and see if one of Tractor Supply vet clinics will work. We used them for our dogs.

 

[bigbAZ]

I think they charge if you have more than 1 litre of alcohol...

When I was a kid we were entering Arizona with some oranges and they said we couldn't bring them in so my frugal Dad pulled over and we ate them. I wonder if they'd let you do that with the extra booze?

 

[msw3113]

Last year we found entry to Canada quite easy.
Re-entry to US, not so much. Suggest you bring NO foodstuffs back to the border. We were fined $300 for possession of an air plant, a potato, and a garlic clove. What could have been an opportunity for education turned into something far less pleasant.

 

[UTTransplant]

I'm an idiot regarding the dog. He had all his puppy shots and rabies(?) I think. But nothing since then other than getting neutered.

Am I amiss on something? S'pose I could go see the vet but it's weird taking a healthy dog in.

Yes, your dog should be seeing a vet regularly. A person who doesn’t regularly see the doctor will eventually use words to describe being sick and get themselves to a clinic. Your pet can’t do that, and they rely on someone with vet knowledge to look them over regularly. The rabies shots are truly non-negotiable. You wouldn’t even know if a rabid animal nipped the dog until it bit you or someone else. This is SERIOUS! Shots can be had at a farm store clinic or humane society clinic, sometimes at pet store clinics. But beyond the rabies, your dog need to get a worm check every year. Your dog goes all over the country, and there are nasties out there. The dog should be on a heartworm preventative too. I have seen dogs with heartworms - the treatment is pretty much the same as old fashioned chemo, trying to kill the heartworms before you kill the dog with the same meds. It can cause permanent lung damage too. There are other shots the dog should get if you go to places like dog parks or where he/she plays with other dogs.

 

[Jackiemac]

When I was a kid we were entering Arizona with some oranges and they said we couldn't bring them in so my frugal Dad pulled over and we ate them. I wonder if they'd let you do that with the extra booze?

We'd be in a serious situation

 

[Chef Duane]

Je ne parle pas francais.

Funny story. I was "placed" in beginner French when I transferred from Australia as a software.

I lasted one class and asked to be moved to German. I was completely baffled by French.

Took 3 years of German. Never used it. Stupid me. Growing up in SoCal I wish I had taken Spanish...

My brother OTOH is fluent. Married to a French Canadian going on 50 years.

Hablo espanol fluentemente. Same experience growing up in SoCal but I did take four years of Spanish in high school. And here in Dallas kitchens for the past 30 years unless you speak some conversational Spanish you will be lost. Did have to take Culinary French for the culinary degree tho.

 

[TonyL]

We'd be in a serious situation

Now that's the understatement of the year

 

[Rene T]

Now if you’ve ever been convicted of a DWI, in the past they may not let you in. I worked for a company and we had a job to do in Canada. Got to the border and one of the guys had a DWI conviction way back about 50 years earlier and he was not able to get in. If this would apply to you you might want to address it now.

 

[TonyL]

As with any international border crossing, the officers don't make the rules but are responsible for their country's border security.
Politeness and honesty never hurts.