Moving from the UK to Canada
Canada is the long-haul destination with the friendliest customs regime for British movers — and the one with a single paperwork trap that catches people every year. Your household goods enter duty- and tax-free as settler's effects, but only if you declare them at the border on the day you first land as a resident, even though the container is weeks behind you. Miss that declaration and the relief is far harder to claim.
This guide covers what a UK to Canada household move costs door to door, how the east and west of the country differ, how long it takes, and how the BSF186 process works.
How Much Does It Cost to Move from the UK to Canada?
International removals are priced on cubic metres, and on this route on which side of the country you are heading to.
| Home size | Typical volume | Shared container (groupage) | Sole-use container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed | 10 – 20 m³ | £2,200 – £4,200 | — |
| 2-bed | 20 – 32 m³ | £3,500 – £6,000 | £4,800 – £7,800 (20ft) |
| 3-bed | 32 – 50 m³ | £5,500 – £8,500 | £6,500 – £10,500 (20ft / 40ft) |
| 4+ bed | 50 – 65 m³ | — | £8,000 – £13,000 (40ft) |
Indicative 2026 door-to-door figures from a UK mainland address to Eastern Canada (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax), including export packing, sea freight, Canadian customs clearance and delivery to room.
Vancouver and British Columbia typically cost £1,000–£2,500 more for a full container: the ship either transits the Panama Canal or the container travels by rail from Montreal or Halifax. Calgary, Edmonton and the Prairies add rail haulage from either coast and sit between the two. Winter deliveries to inland addresses can also carry weather delays.
Get quotes for your move to Canada from removal companies that run this route.
What the Price Should Include
Confirm every quote is door to door and covers:
- Export packing in the UK by the mover's crew
- Sea freight, UK port charges and the shipping line's surcharges
- Canadian terminal handling and port fees, billed in Canadian dollars
- Customs clearance by a licensed Canadian customs broker
- Delivery to room, with unpacking and debris removal if wanted
Budget separately for marine insurance (2.5–3.5% of declared value), any CBSA examination ordered on arrival (the cost of the exam and resulting storage is passed to you, typically CAD $300–$1,200), storage at either end, and duty and tax on anything that does not qualify as settler's effects.
How Long Does Shipping to Canada Take?
| Destination | Sole-use container | Shared container |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax / Montreal | 4 – 6 weeks door to door | 6 – 9 weeks |
| Toronto / Ottawa | 5 – 7 weeks | 7 – 10 weeks |
| Calgary / Edmonton / Winnipeg | 6 – 9 weeks | 8 – 12 weeks |
| Vancouver | 7 – 10 weeks | 9 – 13 weeks |
The Atlantic crossing to Halifax or Montreal is 8–12 days; the rest is port dwell, customs, rail and the wait for a shared container to fill. The St Lawrence Seaway to Montreal can be affected by ice in deep winter, when ships divert to Halifax. Air freight for a few essential boxes arrives in one to two weeks.
Customs: Settler's Effects and the BSF186
If you are moving to Canada to live for the first time — as a permanent resident, or on a work or study permit of at least a year — your household goods and personal belongings qualify as settler's effects and enter free of duty and taxes, provided you owned, possessed and used them before arrival. There is no minimum ownership period, unlike Australia or the US, but goods bought on the way or still in their retail packaging are dutiable.
The process has two halves, and the first is the one people miss:
- On the day you first land as a resident, present two copies of a list of everything you are bringing — both the goods with you and the goods to follow in your container — to the CBSA officer at the airport. The officer completes Form BSF186 (Personal Effects Accounting Document) and stamps your goods-to-follow list. Keep it safe.
- When the container arrives, your mover's customs broker presents the stamped BSF186 to clear the shipment duty-free. You may need to attend the CBSA office in person; ask your mover.
The goods-to-follow list does not need to be a carton-by-carton inventory — a room-by-room summary with approximate values is enough — but anything not on it when you land loses the relief. If you enter Canada before your move to look for housing, do not declare goods to follow on that trip; wait for the entry on which you take up residence.
Returning Canadians who have lived abroad for at least a year follow a similar process as former residents.
What You Cannot (or Should Not) Import
- Alcohol is controlled by each province. A modest quantity is usually admissible but pays provincial mark-up and federal duty regardless of ownership, and the paperwork varies by province. Declare every bottle.
- Tobacco above the personal allowance is dutiable.
- Firearms need a Canadian licence and a declaration at the border, and most household movers will not carry them.
- Plants, soil, seeds and most food are restricted by the CFIA.
- Wooden items and outdoor furniture should be clean and free of bark and soil to avoid inspection.
Cars, Pets and Electrical Goods
Cars are the item most people regret shipping. A UK vehicle must meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards unless it is 15 years old or more. Most UK-market cars under 15 years cannot be imported permanently, and the ones that can need modification, inspection and registration through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles. For an ordinary car, sell in the UK.
Pets from the UK need a current rabies vaccination certificate for dogs and cats over three months old. There is no quarantine for pets meeting the rules.
Electrical goods run on 120V / 60Hz in Canada. Anything with a motor or a heating element — kettles, washing machines, most kitchen appliances — will not work properly. Laptops, phones and most TVs are dual voltage and only need a plug adapter.
Saving Money on This Route
- Ship to the east if you can. Vancouver adds £1,000–£2,500 to a full container.
- Share a container under 25 m³. The saving typically outweighs a few weeks' delay.
- Leave the white goods and the car — neither works in Canada and both cost hundreds of pounds per cubic metre to ship.
- Prepare your goods-to-follow list before you fly. Losing settler's effects relief on a 40ft container is the most expensive paperwork mistake on this route.
- Get three like-for-like quotes. Prices for identical inventories vary by 30–40% between movers using different shipping lines and Canadian agents.
Next Steps
Get quotes for your move to Canada from international movers who run this route, or read our international moving costs guide for how container pricing works in general.