India to Canada Relocation — Declare at Landing, Ship with Confidence

Canada rewards people who plan the customs step before the packing step. New residents can bring their owned and used household goods in free of duty and tax — but only if those goods appear on the personal-effects declaration you make when you first land in Canada, even if the container is still weeks away at sea. REHOUSING PACKERS PVT LTD structures the India-to-Canada move so the inventory you carry to the airport matches the inventory in the container. For the general shape of our international service, see the international relocation overview.

The goods-to-follow list: the one thing you must not skip

When you arrive at your first Canadian port of entry, the Canada Border Services Agency records your personal and household effects on Form BSF186 (Personal Effects Accounting Document), with BSF186A as the itemised list. The form has two parts: goods accompanying you, and goods to follow — everything that will arrive later by sea or air. CBSA stamps it and gives you a file reference. Your customs broker uses that stamped form to clear the shipment duty- and tax-free when it lands.

Two rules matter:

• If an item is not on the goods-to-follow list at landing, it will not qualify for relief later. There is no deadline for the listed goods to arrive, but there is no adding to the list afterwards.
• You must not sell or dispose of relief goods within twelve months of import; doing so triggers repayment of the waived duty and tax.

Which tariff category applies depends on your status: settlers establishing residence for the first time (tariff item 9807.00.00) generally have no minimum ownership period — the goods must simply have been owned, possessed and used abroad before arrival. Former residents returning to Canada (9805.00.00) face different conditions including a holding period on goods. We prepare your BSF186A from the survey inventory, valued in Canadian dollars by category, so you carry a complete list to the airport. Complete it in advance — CBSA encourages this and it shortens the landing queue.

Choosing the lane: Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary

• British Columbia (Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby): containers from Nhava Sheva or Mundra cross the Pacific to Vancouver or Prince Rupert. Local delivery in Metro Vancouver is short once the container clears.
• Ontario (Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, Ottawa) and Quebec (Montreal): shipments usually arrive on the Atlantic side — Montreal or Halifax — or via a US East Coast port with inland rail to Toronto. Toronto-bound cargo may also route through Vancouver by rail. The forwarder picks the routing available at booking; door-to-door for the Greater Toronto Area often runs six to nine weeks.
• Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton) and the Prairies: inland from either coast by rail, adding one to two weeks and an inland leg to the quote.

We give you a dated estimate once the vessel and inland routing are confirmed. Winter arrivals (November–March) can see snow-day delays on final delivery and require a heated warehouse hold if your address is not ready; ask us to price that possibility if you are landing in winter.

What to ship from India — and the 120 V question

Canada runs on 120 V, 60 Hz. Indian mixers, grinders, microwaves and irons will not work without a large step-down transformer, so we generally advise against shipping appliances. Laptops, phones and camera chargers are dual-voltage and fine.

Most new PR families start in a rented unit — often a basement apartment or a condo — and Canadian second-hand furniture is cheap and plentiful. Our surveyors will tell you which pieces justify the freight: solid wood dining or bedroom sets, a sofa you had custom-made, heirloom items. Flat-pack furniture rarely does. Bring bedding, kitchen essentials for Indian cooking (pressure cookers, tawas, steel utensils are worth it), books, framed photos, and winter clothing you already own; the rest is cheaper to buy in Canada.

Food: small quantities of sealed, labelled dry spices are usually acceptable when declared; fresh produce, seeds, pickles and dairy are not. Everything must be on the inventory.

LCL, air, or both

A typical India-to-Canada household ships as LCL (shared container, priced per cubic metre) with an optional air consignment of 100–250 kg for the first weeks — winter jackets if you land in December, kitchen basics, school things, documents. A full 20 ft FCL container suits a large family home and gives a sealed door-to-door box; we quote both when volumes are close.

Insurance on a two-ocean lane

India-to-Canada is among the longest routes we ship, sometimes involving two ports and a rail leg. All shipments carry complementary transit cover up to ₹50,000. Full declared-value cover is available at 3% of the declared value and is strongly recommended on this lane. Values on your BSF186A and on the insurance inventory should match — one honest list serves both.

Book your Canada survey

Send your origin city, Canadian destination, landing date and status (PR, study permit, work permit) to +91 87005 74566 by call or WhatsApp, or use the contact page. We schedule a video survey, prepare the goods-to-follow inventory alongside the quote, and hold goods in India if your landing date and shipping date are far apart — storage is priced on our charges page.