Moving to Canada 🇨🇦

Introduction

When arriving in Canada, you will inevitably have to go through customs and this procedure can scare you. It should not. Our professional team can handle custom clearance for you if you want and will prepare it all so that the procedure is as simple as possible.

1.1 Customs process

For relocations, the customs procedure in Canada should not be too complicated. The documentation required can be impressive, but the procedure is not. It only aims to ensure the safety of Canada.

Here are the documents needed:

• A copy of your passport
• A detailed inventory in English or in French
• Another detailed inventory in English but valued
• Ownership, possession and proof of use
• Receipts for any new item in your shipment
• Previous airport declaration papers
• Visa (if applicable)
• Work permit (if applicable)

*There are several taxes to which your belongings can be subject.

First, the import duties. Not all goods are dutiable. In particular, goods made in the NAFTA zone (USA, Mexico, Canada) are not.

But the most important here is that for immigrants, personal effects and household goods are free of import duties if they were used and owned by the importer for a minimum of 6 months before the importation. If the item is brand new, you will probably pay a duty on it.

As for a student or someone under a work visa, all items imported are duty-free if they are for personal use during the stay. They must be exported when the importer’s visa/status expires.

The second tax is the GST: the Goods and Services Tax. At importation, most goods are subject to a 5% Federal GST. The rate can vary according to the goods, but it should not vary too much for a relocation.

PST is a sort of GST which is different according to the provinces of Canada.

*Now, let’s have a look at the procedure at the arrival (air)port.

First, you will follow the signs to the first Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) checkpoint (primary inspection). There, you will give some documents, including the Declaration Card filled in onboard to a border officer. He may also ask you some questions in order to determine your status in Canada and if your goods are subject to duties. This conversation with the office also is the moment when you declare your dutiable goods like recent purchases, food, plants, or animals for instance. If you don’t declare these goods, they can be seized at any moment of your stay in Canada.

After the primary inspection, you need to pick up your luggage and head to the second CBSA checkpoint, where you will need your Declaration Card. The officer can choose to direct you to a secondary inspection area where your luggage is likely to be examined.

*After that, keep following the officer’s instructions but the process should be over.

1.2 Taxes exemption

As mentioned above, in the case of a relocation, you should not pay any taxes as the Canadian customs exempt household goods and personal effects from duty if they are for personal use and if they were already yours the 6 months preceding the importation.

For returning Canadians, the goods need to have been used for 6 months before importation, but you also have to have lived abroad for at least 12 months.

Other goods are exempted from duty like goods crafted in the NAFTA area but generally, this information is more relevant for commercial importations.

1.3 Vehicle importation

Importing a vehicle from outside the U.S. into Canada often is complicated and long.

It is a criminal offense to import a vehicle that does not meet the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act so you should better have a precise look at your car’s information and at the Canadian regulations.

First, your vehicle can not be younger than 15 years old (based on the date of its manufacture). It must be classified in one of the categories of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act or be imported as a non-regulated vehicle.

Canada is one of the only countries where a modified car (even if it has been modified to comply with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act) can not be imported.

Here is a list of taxes you will have to pay to import your vehicle:

• Import duty is applied at 6.1% of the value for non-NAFTA area made vehicle. Else, no duties are payable.
• GST of 5% is payable on any imported vehicle as well as on any vehicle purchased in Canada.
• PST when you register your car in your province.
• Air conditioning tax of 100 CAN$ if your car has an air conditioning system
• Excess weight tax if your vehicle weighs more than 2,007 kilograms.
• Gaz guzzler tax according to your car’s fuel consumption (if above 13 liters per kilometers). From CAN$ 1,000 to CAN$ 4,000.

1.4 What duties and taxes will I pay for my personal effects?

Customs process

Drug Contreband

Explosives

Biohazard

Chemicals

Corrosive

Counterfeit

Ivory

Batteries

Flammable

Firearms

Drugs

Counterfeit notes

Poison

Pornography

Knife

Tobacco

Gambling

Hazardous

From Thailand, you don’t have a large choice to join Canada. You have to choose between air or sea freight.

Sea freight rates

It is hard to anticipate a sea freight rate because they are sensitive to many matters. For instance, the price can vary a lot according to the departure and arrival ports, the current price of oil or the volume of your shipment.

We generally propose to choose a FCL (Full Container) if you ship more than 15 cubic meters and a LCL (Consolidation) if less. Our experts will obviously guide you in this choice.

*According to your budget, we can adapt our solution (with or without a packaging and/or loading service) which could have huge influence on the quotation. 

Why choose us?

For many years, SIAM Relocation has been providing a dedicated service to respond to the specific needs of our clients. Our moving consultants build a special relationship with you to accompany you through your project.

Air freight rates

Air freight prices are very inclined to vary because many factors have influence on it. The most important for you to remember is the volume. The volume and weight of your shipment will determine a big part of the final price. Of course, the destination, the service delay or the nature of your shipment can also alter the price.

Why choose us?

Since we started in business, we have accumulated a lot of experience and credit among other freight forwarders and national customs agents which make us legitimate to handle your shipment.

Let’s see together how air freight are calculated. The most important aspect that you have to understand is the difference between actual weight and volumetric weight. Once you get it, you can understand your air freight quotations.

*If the volumetric weight is higher than the actual weight of your box, the carrier will quote based on this weight. You can use online chargeable weight calculators to make it easier, now that you understand how it works.

Analysing our experiences with our customers, we figured out that the more services we propose, the better the clients feel about their shipment. That’s why today, we have a developed range of offers to fit your needs.

3.1 Moving insurance

When your goods are transported from a point A to a point B, they will always be submitted to a potential risk. This risk is inevitable. Which does not mean that it will happen but that we can’t predict it as it can be a weather incident for instance.

That’s why insurances exist. In freight domain, we call them marine insurance, cargo insurance or freight insurance. They usually cover basic damages like weather issues, bad storage and fumigation services. But each insurance has its specificities. Some will cover piracy, other won’t, etc.

To subscribe an insurance, we can help you. Or you can go to your personal bank, to a specialized insurance broker or a general insurance company.

*Our consultants will guide you in this choice. Don’t hesitate to contact them.

3.2 Moving with your pet to Canada

If you try to bring your pet into Canada, you will have to be very cautious about the procedure. Indeed, the Government of Canada can refuse the entry of any animal that does not meet the national import requirements.

First, any animal must be inspected by a Thailand’s government veterinary before leaving Thailand. Thus, precisely three days before the day of your departure, you must head to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and then look for the Custom and Animal Quarantine Office. Your pet must have all its vaccinations up to date. During this inspection, the vet or an officer will ask you to produce several documents:

• The (English written) rabies certificate, with the complete contact details of the veterinary who made it. The pet also needs to have passed a blood serology test in order to check for rabies antibody levels minimum 30 days after the date of the rabies vaccination. The test results must be a minimum of 0.5 IU/mL.
• A copy of your passport
• Your flight information
• Your pet’s microchip number (if your animal is chipped)

Afterward, you will need to fill in an export request form once at the office.

After he conducts the health check, the government veterinary will hand you the document needed for your travel and charge you about 50 Baht for each pet. Finally, you must remember to bring the following documents when you get in your plane: the export permit, the vet certificate from the airport, and your own original pet health certificate.

*Now, let’s see what the Canadian laws and requisites regarding pet importation are.

Actually, the procedure followed in Thailand simplifies the task in Canada.

If your dog or cat is younger than 3 months, it will not be submitted to any requirement from Canada.

From Thailand, it is very important that you have a rabies certificate to produce at any moment during the procedure. More, all dogs should be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. These vaccinations must have been done after the 6 first weeks of the dog.

When arriving at the airport, an inspection will be led on your dog. It will cost $30.00USD for the first animal and $5USD for each additional pet.

*Be careful, in Ontario and Winnipeg, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier are banned breeds. Their crosses are banned too.

3.3 Packing service

For an international relocation, most of the goods have to be packed to be protected during transit. It is essential to the security of the logistic process.

We can help you pack and provide the materials.

The first, basic, material is packing boxes. Made out of cardboard, they assure a rudimentary but often sufficient protection. They can be highly resistant if the cardboard used is of good quality.

Bubble wrap paper is used to pack fragile items like glasses or crockery for instance. It is easy to wrap around any item that you want to protect better.

Wooden boxes can be used when a large packing size is needed and are more resistant than cardboard boxes. For this reason, wooden crates can be handled by machines and are useful in the storage process. They also resist humidity better.

3.4 Warehousing service

In some situations, a warehousing service can be of great help for a shipper. It allows you to leave before your shipment or arrive a few days later for instance. It is very helpful in any case of setback or emergency.

3.5 Office moves

Please take note that we also have a department specialized in commercial moving for companies, associations and government agencies.

As is said in the previous part, our experience with our customers conducted us to create packaged offers to better fit your needs.

5.1 Visa & Business

Visa

For long term residence in the country, here are the relevant visas:

• Federal Skilled Workers Program.
• Provincial Nomination Program
• Quebec-Selected Skilled Workers Program.

*Obviously, for a durable relocation, a working visa or a family visa are the most suitable.

Business

Canada is the 10^th biggest GDP in the world and as in any western country, the economy is dominated by the service industry. There are a lot of business opportunities in the country thanks to the proximity (both cultural and geographical) with the US and the development of some sectors.

5.2 Living in Canada

Overview

What defines Canada must be its size. This is the second largest country in the world and it presents very different climates and seasons. Diversity also is a key point in Canada where some regions speak French and some cities are well known for being very cosmopolitan (Vancouver and Toronto). 67% of the Canadian population is Christian.

Cost of life

Globally, consumer prices are 35% higher in Canada than in Bangkok, depending on where you live.

Here are some stats for Montréal.

Below, our table compares Canada and Thailand costs of basic needs and leisure based on September 2018 data:

• Consumer Prices in Montreal are 24.23% higher than in Bangkok
• Consumer Prices Including Rent in Montreal are 16.33% higher than in Bangkok
• Rent Prices in Montreal are 1.60% lower than in Bangkok
• Restaurant Prices in Montreal are 105.02% higher than in Bangkok
• Groceries Prices in Montreal are 19.77% higher than in Bangkok
• Local Purchasing Power in Montreal is 154.71% higher than in Bangkok

5.3 Local contacts