Travellers
Travel with CAN$10,000 or more
If you have currency or monetary instruments equal to or greater than CAN$10,000 (or the equivalent in a foreign currency) in your possession when arriving in or departing from Canada, you must report this to the CBSA. Monetary instruments include items such as stocks, bonds, bank drafts, cheques, and travellers' cheques.
We remind all travellers that this regulation applies to currency and monetary instruments you have on your person, in your baggage and in your vehicle.
Upon your arrival in Canada with CAN$10,000 or more in your possession, it must be reported on the CBSA Declaration Card (if one was provided to you), or in the verbal declaration made to a border services officer.
When departing Canada by air with CAN$10,000 or more in your possession, you must report to the CBSA office within the airport, prior to clearing security or, if departing by land or boat, report your intent to export to the CBSA at one of our offices.
Crossing the border with $10,000 or more?
Money laundering and terrorist financing are international problems. Money laundering in Canada alone is estimated to be in the billions of dollars. To help fight these criminal activities, the Government of Canada introduced the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) in 2001. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is responsible for the administration and enforcement of Part 2 of the PCMLTFA which requires every person or entity to report to a CBSA officer the importation or exportation of currency or monetary instruments valued at CAN$10,000 or more.
Under the legislation, there are no restrictions on the amount of money that you can bring into or take out of Canada, nor is it illegal to do so. However, persons and entities must report all imports and exports of currency and monetary instruments equal to or greater than CAN$10,000. These reports must be made in writing, signed, and submitted without delay at the CBSA office located at the place of importation or exportation or the nearest CBSA office that is open for business at that time. This reporting requirement will assist the government in its efforts to:
Detect and deter money laundering and terrorist financing activities;
Facilitate the investigation and prosecution of related offences;.
Respond to the threat posed by organized crime;
Fulfill international commitments to fight transnational crime.
Report in person at a Canada Border Services Office
If you are entering or leaving Canada and are carrying CAN$10,000 or more, or its equivalent in a foreign currency including any combination of coins, domestic or foreign bank notes, and securities, such as travellers cheques, stocks and bonds, you have to complete Form E677, Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report – Individual. If the currency or monetary instruments that you are reporting are not your own, you will be required to complete Form E667, Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report – General. You must complete the reporting form, sign it, and hand it to a border services officer at the nearest CBSA office that is open at the time you are travelling.
Report by mail
If you are sending CAN$10,000 or more or its equivalent in a foreign currency to or from Canada by mail, you must affix a Universal Postal Convention (UPC) declaration form to the outside of the mail item and include a completed Form E667 currency report inside.
Additional postal requirements may exist when importing or exporting currency or monetary instruments by mail. Please contact Canada Post for further information.
Report by courier
If you are sending CAN$10,000 or more or its equivalent in a foreign currency to or from Canada by courier, the courier must have the person in charge of the conveyance complete Form E668, Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report made by Person in charge of conveyance, and attach it to Form E667, which you, the importer or exporter, will have completed. Both forms must be submitted to a CBSA office.
Failure to report
Currency and monetary instruments of a value equal to or greater than CAN$10,000, or its equivalent in a foreign currency which are not reported, may be subject to seizure and the assessment of penalties or forfeiture. Penalties range from $250 to $5,000.
What happens with the information you give us?
The completed forms are sent to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) in Ottawa for assessment and analysis. The information provided on the currency reporting forms is subject to the general provisions of the Privacy Act and is collected under the authority of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act.
To obtain additional information or a copy of the required forms, visit our Web site at cbsa.gc.ca or fintrac.gc.ca. You can also call us free of charge throughout Canada at 1-800-461-9999. If you are calling from outside of Canada, you can contact us at 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064.
