Customs Documents for Moving from Canada to the USA

Prefer a quick overview? Watch this short video explaining the customs documents required when moving from Canada to the United States.

 

Relocating from Canada to the United States involves more than packing boxes – it requires getting your paperwork right before anything crosses the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has specific documentation requirements for household goods shipments, and missing even one form can delay your entire move. As international movers who handle cross-border relocations regularly, we've put together this guide to walk you through exactly what you need and why. 

The Essential Checklist: Required Documents for US Customs

Before your shipment reaches the border, you'll need a specific set of documents ready. CBP officers review these at the port of entry – having them complete and organized is the difference between a smooth clearance and a shipment sitting in a bonded warehouse.

Here's what every Canadian relocating to the U.S. must have:

Valid Passport & ID

Your passport is the foundation of your customs package. CBP needs to confirm your identity and that you are the same person named on your immigration documents and your household goods declaration.

A Canadian passport is standard, but a permanent resident card (PR card) or an enhanced driver's licence (EDL) issued by certain Canadian provinces may also be accepted at land border crossings. For air or sea shipments, a valid passport is strongly recommended.

Make sure your passport is valid for the duration of your move – ideally with at least six months remaining. Bring both the original and a photocopy.

Visa, Green Card, or U.S. Passport

Your immigration status determines how your household goods are classified and whether they qualify for duty-free entry.

CBP will want to see one of the following:

Without valid proof of immigrant status, your goods cannot be cleared as a personal duty-free importation. This document is non-negotiable and must be in your possession – not just emailed or scanned.

Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)

Form I-94 is the official CBP record of your entry into the United States. It documents your admission class and the authorized length of your stay – both of which are referenced when processing your household goods.

Since April 2013, CBP has issued I-94 records electronically for most air and sea arrivals. You can retrieve your most recent I-94 at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. For land border crossings, a paper I-94 may still be issued in certain cases.

Print a copy and include it with your customs package. If your I-94 isn't available yet because you haven't entered the U.S. yet, your mover will coordinate timing so the household goods shipment clears after your official entry.

Detailed Inventory / Packing List

Every item in your shipment needs to be accounted for on a written inventory. This isn't a rough estimate – CBP expects a specific, itemized list organized by box or category.

Your packing list should include:

Vague entries like "miscellaneous household goods" are a common reason CBP flags shipments for secondary inspection. The more specific your list, the faster your clearance.

As your movers, we prepare a professional packing inventory on your behalf – but you'll need to review and sign it before the shipment departs.

Of all the paperwork involved in a cross-border move, Form 3299 is the one that carries the most weight. It is the official U.S. Customs declaration for unaccompanied personal and household effects – meaning any goods that travel separately from you, which is how virtually all professional moving shipments work.

Getting this form right is critical. Errors or omissions on Form 3299 are one of the most common reasons household goods shipments are held at the border.

What is Form 3299 and Why is it Required

Form 3299 – officially titled Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles – is the document that tells CBP who you are, what you're importing, and why your goods qualify for duty-free entry.

Under U.S. customs law, most personal and household goods owned and used abroad can enter the United States duty-free, but only if you declare them properly. Form 3299 is how you make that declaration. Without it, CBP has no legal basis to release your shipment – it will be held until the form is filed, which adds cost and delays to your move.

The form applies to everyone relocating to the U.S. with household goods, whether you're a returning U.S. citizen, a new green card holder, or arriving on an immigrant visa for the first time.

Official Download Link

Form 3299 is a free, publicly available document issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

You can download the current version directly from the CBP website here:

CBP Form 3299 – Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles

Always use the most recent version from the CBP website. Outdated versions of this form are sometimes rejected at the border. If you are working with us as your moving company, we will confirm you have the correct version before your shipment departs.

How to Fill Out Form 3299 Step by Step

Form 3299 is two pages and mostly straightforward – but a few sections trip people up. Here is what each part is asking for and how to complete it correctly.

Block 1 – Port of Entry Enter the U.S. city or port where your shipment will first arrive. For truck shipments from Canada, this is typically the border crossing point (e.g., Buffalo, NY or Blaine, WA). Your moving company will confirm this address.

Block 2 – Owner/Importer Information Fill in your full legal name exactly as it appears on your passport. Include your new U.S. address – this must be a physical address, not a P.O. box. If you haven't moved in yet, use your confirmed destination address. 

Block 3 – Immigration Status Indicate your current U.S. immigration category. Common options include immigrant visa holder, lawful permanent resident (green card), or U.S. citizen. This determines which duty-free exemption applies to your shipment.

Block 4 – Articles Accompanying Owner Check "No" if your household goods are traveling separately from you via a moving company – which is the standard case for professional moves from Canada.

Block 5 – Reason for Importation Select the option that describes your situation. For most people relocating from Canada, this will be "returning to or establishing residence in the U.S." Choose the option that matches your immigration status.

Block 6 – Detailed List of Articles This is where many people make mistakes. You must list all the household goods you are importing, along with the approximate value of each item or category. Do not write "see attached" and leave the block blank – either complete it directly or attach a signed, itemized inventory and reference it clearly in this block (e.g., "See attached inventory, pages 1–4"). 

Block 7 – Signature and Date Sign and date the form in ink. The signature must be yours – CBP does not accept forms signed by a moving company or third party on your behalf. If your shipment is entering before you do, contact us to discuss the correct procedure for pre-arrival filing.

A few things to avoid:

Once completed, you will sign the form and hand it to us. We submit it to CBP along with your packing list and supporting immigration documents when your shipment arrives at the border.

U.S. Customs Rules for Household Goods

Knowing the rules before your shipment leaves Canada saves you from surprises at the border. CBP applies specific conditions to duty-free importation of household goods, and there are certain items they will not allow through under any circumstances.

Our advice: if you have recently purchased big-ticket items, discuss them with your move coordinator before packing. In some cases it makes more financial sense to sell them in Canada and repurchase in the U.S. rather than pay import duties.

Restricted and Prohibited Items

Not everything in your Canadian home can legally enter the United States – at least not without additional permits, inspections, or declarations. Some items are outright prohibited. Others require advance paperwork that can take weeks to obtain.

Prohibited items – these cannot enter the U.S. under any circumstances:

Restricted items – these can enter but require special permits or inspections:

A note on CBD and cannabis products: Cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance under U.S. federal law. Even if you are moving from a Canadian province where it is legal, cannabis in any form – including CBD products derived from marijuana – cannot cross the U.S. border. Do not pack it.

If you are unsure whether a specific item in your home is restricted or prohibited, ask us before your shipment is loaded. It is far easier to remove an item in Canada than to deal with a CBP hold at the border.

The Customs Clearance Process at the Border

Understanding what happens when your shipment reaches the U.S. border removes a lot of uncertainty from the moving process. Clearance is not random – it follows a predictable sequence, and when your documents are in order, it moves quickly.

Step-by-Step Border Clearance

Here is exactly what happens from the moment your moving truck approaches the U.S. port of entry to the moment your goods are released.

Step 1 – Pre-Arrival Filing Before your shipment reaches the border, your moving company submits your customs documents to CBP electronically. This includes your completed Form 3299, your itemized packing list, and copies of your immigration documents. Pre-filing allows CBP to begin reviewing your case before the truck arrives, which significantly speeds up clearance.

Step 2 – Arrival at the Port of Entry Your shipment arrives at the designated U.S. border crossing. The truck driver presents the shipping documentation to the CBP officer on duty. At this point, your file is already in the CBP system from the pre-arrival filing.

Step 3 – Document Review A CBP officer reviews your Form 3299, packing inventory, and proof of immigration status. They are confirming three things: that your identity is verified, that your goods qualify for duty-free entry under the one-year rule, and that nothing on the manifest is prohibited or restricted.

Step 4 – Risk Assessment and Routing Based on the document review, CBP assigns your shipment one of two outcomes:

Step 5 – Physical Examination (if selected) If your shipment is selected for exam, CBP officers will open and inspect boxes – sometimes a random sample, sometimes the entire load. The truck may need to be unloaded at a CBP examination facility. You are not required to be present, but having a detailed, accurate packing list makes this step much faster.

Step 6 – Release and Delivery Once CBP issues a release, your shipment is cleared to enter the United States. Your moving company receives the release notification and coordinates final delivery to your new home.

How Long Does Clearance Usually Take

For a well-documented shipment with no complications, border clearance for household goods moving from Canada to the U.S. typically takes anywhere from a few hours to two business days.

Pre-filing documents in advance – which we do as standard practice – is the single biggest factor in reducing clearance time. When CBP has your paperwork before the truck arrives, much of the review is already done.

Physical exams add time. A partial exam can add one to three business days. A full exam, where the entire shipment is unloaded and inspected at a CBP facility, can take anywhere from three to seven business days depending on the port and CBP workload at the time.

Border crossing volume also matters. Major crossings like the Ambassador Bridge (Windsor–Detroit) or the Peace Bridge (Fort Erie–Buffalo) process high volumes of commercial freight daily. Clearance times at these ports can vary significantly depending on the day and season.

Common Problems & Reasons for Delays

Most customs delays are avoidable. In our experience handling cross-border moves, the same issues come up repeatedly.

Incomplete or missing Form 3299

A form that is unsigned, has blank fields, or uses an outdated version will be rejected outright. CBP will not process a shipment until a corrected form is submitted – and that process takes time.

Vague or inconsistent packing inventory

If your packing list says "miscellaneous items" across multiple boxes and your Form 3299 lists specific valuables, CBP will notice the discrepancy. A detailed, consistent inventory that matches your declaration is essential.

Immigration document issues

If your visa has not yet been formally issued, your I-94 is not yet in the system, or your green card application is still pending, CBP may not be able to confirm your eligibility for duty-free entry at the time of arrival. Timing your shipment correctly relative to your immigration status is something we help you plan.

Restricted or undeclared items on the manifest Firearms, certain food products, or items that trigger an agricultural hold will stop a shipment immediately. If a restricted item appears on the packing list and was not pre-cleared, expect a significant delay while CBP determines how to handle it.

New or high-value items without supporting documentation If you are including items that are new or high-value – electronics, jewelry, musical instruments, artwork – CBP may request proof of ownership, purchase receipts, or appraisals. Having these documents ready before the shipment departs avoids delays at the border.

Shipment arriving before the owner Your household goods generally cannot be released by CBP until you have officially entered the United States. If your shipment arrives before you cross the border, it will be held until your I-94 entry record is in the system. We coordinate shipment timing to prevent this.

How Easy Moving Handles Your Customs Paperwork

Cross-border customs paperwork is one of the most stressful parts of an international move – not because it is impossibly complicated, but because the margin for error is small and the consequences of mistakes are felt on moving day, not before.

We handle the customs documentation process for every client moving from Canada to the United States. Here is what that looks like in practice.

We start the paperwork conversation early. The moment you book your move with us, your coordinator reviews your immigration status and move timeline. We identify which documents you will need, flag any potential complications – such as restricted items or timing issues with your visa – and give you a clear checklist of what to prepare. 

We prepare your Form 3299 with you. Rather than handing you a blank form and wishing you luck, we walk you through it. Your coordinator reviews each block with you, confirms the correct immigration category, and checks that your entries are consistent with the rest of your customs package before you sign.

We build your packing inventory to CBP standards. Our crews document every item in your shipment with the level of detail CBP expects. Each box is logged by category and approximate value. The final inventory is cross-referenced against your Form 3299 before anything leaves Canada.

We file your documents electronically before your shipment reaches the border. Pre-arrival filing is standard on every move we handle. By the time your shipment arrives at the port of entry, CBP already has your paperwork in their system. This is the most effective way to reduce clearance time and avoid holds.

We coordinate the timing of your shipment with your entry into the U.S. One of the most common – and most avoidable – customs delays happens when a shipment arrives at the border before the owner has officially entered the country. We schedule your shipment departure and arrival window to align with your own travel plans, so your I-94 entry record is in the CBP system when your goods arrive.

We stay in contact throughout clearance. You will know the status of your shipment at every stage. If CBP requests additional documentation or selects your shipment for an exam, we handle the communication directly and keep you informed in plain language – no customs jargon, no surprises.

We have done this before – many times. Cross-border moves between Canada and the U.S. are not a side service for us. We understand how CBP processes household goods shipments, which ports tend to move faster, and how to structure your documentation package to minimize the chance of delays. That experience is what you are getting when you move with us.

If you are planning a move from Canada to the United States and want to understand exactly what your customs process will look like, contact us for a free consultation. We will review your situation and give you a clear picture of what to expect before anything is packed.