Importing Used Household Furniture into Canada
Used household furniture can normally be imported into Canada free of duty and tax when you're moving there, provided you owned, possessed and used it before you arrive and it's for your own personal use. These rules are administered by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and cover the usual household furniture — sofas, tables, chairs, beds, wardrobes and cabinets.
To clear an unaccompanied furniture shipment you'll normally complete form BSF186 (Personal Effects Accounting Document), supported by a detailed inventory as your "goods to follow" list, your passport, and your immigration or residency document.
We prepare the shipping documentation and our Canadian agent coordinates clearance at the port of arrival in Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver.
Do I pay duty on new furniture?
Used furniture you owned, possessed and used before you moved to Canada is normally duty- and tax-free as settler's effects. New furniture, or anything you didn't own and use before you arrived, doesn't qualify for the personal-effects exemption and is usually subject to GST and possibly duty. Keep purchase invoices for any recent buys so they can be declared correctly. Antiques over 100 years old are generally exempt.
If you're a former Canadian resident returning after living abroad, slightly different conditions apply — including a requirement to have owned and used the goods for at least six months before returning.
What documents will I need?
A copy of your passport, a detailed inventory of your furniture (your "goods to follow" list), and your immigration or residency document - work permit, study permit or permanent resident visa.
Clearance is completed on form BSF186 at a CBSA office, and our Canadian agent helps you through it. If your furniture arrives after you, list it as goods to follow on your BSF186 when you first enter Canada — it can then clear duty-free when it arrives, even weeks later.
Customs inspections
CBSA may inspect shipments for prohibited or restricted goods. For furniture, the main checks are on untreated or raw wood and anything carrying soil or plant material, under Canada's plant-protection rules — so garden and outdoor items should be clean. Clean, finished indoor furniture rarely causes any issue. Firearms, food, plants and seeds must not be included in your shipment.
