Question for CANADIANS regarding Customs

[twokids0204]

I am looking at an Alaska Cruise.

 

I know for customs purposes you can bring back $XX per person when you are out of the country for more that 48 hours.

 

The cruise I am looking at leaves Seattle, goes to Alaska, etc... but the last port is Vancouver, BC.

The next day we dock disembark in Seattle.

 

If I return home to Toronto right after the cruise, and the customs officer asks me how long I've been out of the country for, well... essentially I was in Canada yesterday.

 

Did I just lose my entitlement to bring goods in?

[Creepella]

I am going to say "No", because you didn't clear customs in Vancouver, and if you had, you would have had your entitlement.

[nbsjcruiser]

I am looking at an Alaska Cruise.

 

I know for customs purposes you can bring back $XX per person when you are out of the country for more that 48 hours.

 

The cruise I am looking at leaves Seattle, goes to Alaska, etc... but the last port is Vancouver, BC.

The next day we dock disembark in Seattle.

 

If I return home to Toronto right after the cruise, and the customs officer asks me how long I've been out of the country for, well... essentially I was in Canada yesterday.

 

Did I just lose my entitlement to bring goods in?

 

Interesting question. I'm wondering if you'll be asked in Vancouver to declare what you have?

[Host Jacquelyn]

Great question.

 

Best to call CBSA directly: 1-800-461-9999. Post back if you can and let us know what they say!

[Funbobby68]

I have done sailing like that before leave Seattle with a stop in Vancouver or Victoria , coming back to Seattle , your not clearing customs at those ports , I have never had a problem with bringing back my allotted dollar amount , with out question

 

 

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[TBone2K]

I am going to say "No", because you didn't clear customs in Vancouver, and if you had, you would have had your entitlement.

 

Well, actually you do clear customs. RC looks after it all for you. That's why when you are port but nobody can get off yet, you sometimes hear they are "waiting for the ship to clear customs".

 

Going to and from Seattle, we had a stop in Victoria. There was a little customs building at the port, but everybody just walked past it. When we got home I honestly never though about the fact we had stopped in Canada. So when they asked how long we were away, I just said seven days without thinking.

 

However the fact it worked for me does not mean it will for you. So if you would feel better calling CBSA, go ahead. Please let us know what they say.

[twokids0204]

So I called customs, and this is what I got (after being bounced around to 3 people - so there may be some grey area).

 

As mentioned earlier from a PP you do actually clear customs (although the ship takes care of that).

 

SO - when we re-eneter the USA just to turn around and re-enter Canada we technically have been gone for 24 hours. So we are only admissible to bring back whatever the 24 hour allotment is.

 

HOWEVER, here's the catch... when we entered British Columbia (although we didn't technically declare our goods ourselves) they have passed inspection, and now we have them in CANADA. So, when we re-enter Canada the next day we didn't actually buy anything (except for what was bought within the last 24 hours). So what you can do to ensure this, is you can ask for a Y38 customs form, before you leave Canada again. This form says you have GOODS (that legally belong to you in Canada) and you are bringing them into the US, so when you show up at the Toronto border, you've already declared it.

 

So in a nutshell - lets say you bought some jewelry for $800 in Alaska. You bring it into Vancouver (according to the Customs agent I spoke to that has been declared by the cruise line - how? No Clue).

Before you leave Vancouver, you speak with a customs agent at the cruise port, explain that you are going into US (Seattle) and will return to Toronto the next day and you want to fill out a Y38 for the $800 jewelry that you legally own in Canada.

When you get to Toronto, show the form declare that you took it OUT of the country (not into the country).

 

Of course there's also the play dumb method.... ;)

Edited July 29, 2014 by twokids0204

[Host Jacquelyn]

Can you get a Y38 form at the cruise port?

[twokids0204]

Can you get a Y38 form at the cruise port?

 

According to Customs, there is a Customs office at the cruise port, where they do have those forms.

[YoHoHo]

According to Customs, there is a Customs office at the cruise port, where they do have those forms.

This is a great thread. Good, useful, factual information on likely not unusual but overlooked situation.

 

I am sure very few CDN pax even consider this and wrongly declare. I would have unless I had a large purchase and so thought a little more about limits and declaring.

 

Not many would think to declare when asked, "I have been away 1 day" when returning to Vancouver from Seattle disembarkation from a 7 day cruise from Alaska. I'll bet it would even befuddle the agent.

 

it seems to me that the Y38 is a form that is used to prove to CDN Customs upon return to Canada that the goods were already owned by the pax and so not subject to duty. I've read of doing this on land trips when taking a new expensive camera on a trip to the USA so that there is no question on return to Canada of being charged duty.

 

I checked on-line at the CBP forms website and at first I thought it odd that out of the many forms this one is not available. I am guessing that is becasue it is really for an Officer to sign when they visually inspect that you do indeed already, before leaving Canada, have the goods declared.

 

So if that is true then as a pax would you take the article with you when you leave the ship in Vancouver, because the goods are now your having been 'cleared' by the ship, and head straight to Customs to declare and have the form completed.

 

I hope twokids0204 that you come back and report on your experience. I am sure those who want to do it right would like to know the correct way (other than playing dumb which probably would work in this case :). I once was sternly corrected by US agent for not declaring a packet of hard candy for the plane trip as food. They have a lot of discretion so if bringing in something of value it's better to play by their rules

 

This thread would be great posted on other boards as well such as in Ports of Call

 

Thanks for starting this discussion

[P.E.I.cruiser]

Just came back on this same itinerary and had no problems clearing customs. You have to fill a customs form out when you go to Victoria, but RC looks after that. When you get off the ship they said to us welcome home since we were Canadians. No problems. Then when we got to customs in Toronto after leaving Seattle, we had no problem bringing back what we bought. Great cruise

 

 

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[gi_pam]

When we did our Alaska cruise, we left Canada by car, flew from Syracuse, NY to Seattle. 3 days in Seattle, cruised from there to Alaska. Took the White River excursion, re-entering Canada (but without any stuff). By this point we had probably been out of Canada for 7 days. Back to Alaska, 2 or 3 more days on the ship and we stopped in Victoria. We didn't get off the ship (not sure if that counts, since I guess NCL cleared us through customs). Docked the next day back in Seattle. We drove to Vancouver, cleared Canadian customs with our "stuff" and visited relatives for a few days. Drove back to Seattle, straight to the airport, and took the red eye back to Syracuse (in the US for about 24 hrs) before driving home (clearing Canadian customs for the 4th time this trip).

 

Total time away from home? 2 weeks. With 3 trips back to Canada, though. Total time in Canada out of those 2 weeks was less than 4 days.

 

We didn't buy a lot, but my concern was alcohol. We bought 2 bottles on the ship, left one with our relatives in Vancouver but brought the other home. You have to be away 48 hrs to bring back alcohol (without paying duty)...so what was the status of those bottles? When we took them into Canada (the day we got off the ship) we had only been back in the US for less than a day, but we didn't have them to "declare" in Victoria.

 

We were honest, but left out the details, TBH. "How long have you been in the US?" "We left home on xxx."

 

Letter of the law? We likely didn't adhere to it. Spirit? Yes. We were gone on a 2-week trip. 10 days of which was in the US.

 

 

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[willing292]

This is a great thread. Good, useful, factual information on likely not unusual but overlooked situation.

 

I am sure very few CDN pax even consider this and wrongly declare. I would have unless I had a large purchase and so thought a little more about limits and declaring.

 

Not many would think to declare when asked, "I have been away 1 day" when returning to Vancouver from Seattle disembarkation from a 7 day cruise from Alaska. I'll bet it would even befuddle the agent.

 

it seems to me that the Y38 is a form that is used to prove to CDN Customs upon return to Canada that the goods were already owned by the pax and so not subject to duty. I've read of doing this on land trips when taking a new expensive camera on a trip to the USA so that there is no question on return to Canada of being charged duty.

 

I checked on-line at the CBP forms website and at first I thought it odd that out of the many forms this one is not available. I am guessing that is becasue it is really for an Officer to sign when they visually inspect that you do indeed already, before leaving Canada, have the goods declared.

 

So if that is true then as a pax would you take the article with you when you leave the ship in Vancouver, because the goods are now your having been 'cleared' by the ship, and head straight to Customs to declare and have the form completed.

 

I hope twokids0204 that you come back and report on your experience. I am sure those who want to do it right would like to know the correct way (other than playing dumb which probably would work in this case :). I once was sternly corrected by US agent for not declaring a packet of hard candy for the plane trip as food. They have a lot of discretion so if bringing in something of value it's better to play by their rules

 

This thread would be great posted on other boards as well such as in Ports of Call

 

Thanks for starting this discussion

 

 

You said that you checked the CBP website for the form Y38. The Y38 won't be there because it is a Canadian form. If available online, it would be at the CBSA website.

 

 

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[twokids0204]

You said that you checked the CBP website for the form Y38. The Y38 won't be there because it is a Canadian form. If available online, it would be at the CBSA website.

 

 

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Correct...

 

Here's info on the form, as well as a link to the PDF...

[twokids0204]

 

I hope twokids0204 that you come back and report on your experience.

 

I haven't even booked the cruise yet... :D

 

Looking to go August 2015... But I will try to remember to come back and post my experience.

[YoHoHo]

You said that you checked the CBP website for the form Y38. The Y38 won't be there because it is a Canadian form. If available online, it would be at the CBSA website.

 

 

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I stand corrected, I should have written the Y38 is not on the CBSA's forms page. The subject is indeed CDN customs and not that of the USA. I looked here: http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/menu-eng.html

 

Thanks though for correcting my use of CBP vs CBSA. I should have supplied the URI as reference. Other than that did you find out anything?

[willing292]

I stand corrected, I should have written the Y38 is not on the CBSA's forms page. The subject is indeed CDN customs and not that of the USA. I looked here: http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/menu-eng.html

 

 

 

Thanks though for correcting my use of CBP vs CBSA. I should have supplied the URI as reference. Other than that did you find out anything?

 

 

other than using a Y38 (which was designed to identify Canadian goods before they leave Canada), i have declared my items to the CBSA officer and asked them to stamp my receipts for these goods. Then when I arrive at my ultimate Canadian destination, I can show this as proof of previous report. I live in Canada, but usually fly from a US airport, so frequently crossing the border frequently in one day, is a frequent occurrence. I always have a copy of my itinerary handy to show as well.

 

 

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app