Tips for Cross Border Travelling

If you’re reading this page, congratulations, Tip #1 is being put to use! By being proactive, you can take care of most requirements before you ever reach the border, making border crossing a breeze. The individual tips listed below can be used as a checklist of what documents and information items you may need at the border crossing.

You’ll need a valid passport with an expiration date extending past your return date in order to cross the United States / Canada border. If this is the first time you have used your passport, make sure you have signed the signature page in advance. Each member of your group must have their own passport. Children cannot travel under their parent’s passport. If you’re travelling by commercial airline, you’ll most likely be asked for your passport at the airline desk or when you pass through security section/customs.

If you’re travelling with minor children, it is recommended that you have a letter from their other parent (or a parent if you are not their parent) which authorizes you to take the child out of country with their permission. This is often called a Travel Consent Letter.

Be prepared to provide any information requested by the Canada Border Service agents. They have the right to search all your accompanying belongings and vehicles, so don’t hide anything. Penalties for violating any regulations or providing false/misleading statements can include refusal to enter Canada, confiscation of items, suspension of hunting privileges or even being detained.

If you’re travelling across the border with large sums of money, you must declare anything greater than $10,000 equivalent in Canadian currency. If you’re bringing cash to pay for outfitting services or gratuities for your guides, most will accept U.S. currency, so there’s no need to convert to Canadian dollars.

If you’re not the primary contact with the outfitter for your hunting or fishing group, make sure you still have all the details, including a contact name for the outfitter, the name of the outfitting company or fishing lodge, the physical address and telephone number of the outfitter, as well as the location where you will be staying during your visit (if other than on the outfitter’s property). When crossing the border, you may be asked these questions separately from other members of your hunting/fishing group, so it’s good to have them handy. You can also expect to be asked how long you’ll be visiting, so know your return date.

See Bringing Guns Across the Border for more information on bringing firearms into Canada for hunting. The short version is that you can bring eligible firearms and ammunition with you into Canada, provided you have the proper documentation. Some restrictions apply, such as types of firearms and who may transport them. You can find the official reference for non-restricted, restricted and prohibited firearms on the Canadian Firearms Program website at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms.

We recommend you complete and submit any forms at least two months in advance of your travel dates, in case any special circumstances need to be addressed.

Your hunting license is your permit to export your game (within legal limits) back across the border after your hunt. The limits and requirements differ by species—consult Transfer of Game Meat and Hunting Trophies Cross Border. The most basic requirement is that it must be possible to identify the sex, species and quantity of game being transported.

Transport of most live bait across the Canadian border is prohibited. Nightcrawlers or worms can be transported if properly packed, but other live bait (leaches, minnows, smelts, etc.) are not allowed. Most recommend purchasing your bait at your fishing lodge destination.