Moving between the US and Canada

Cross-border corridors

Snowbird volume sits on Ontario and Quebec to Florida, and on British Columbia and Alberta to California and Arizona. Miles are road miles, not the customs line.

• Toronto to Miami

  1,380 mi · about 22 hours

  The snowbird lane: Ontario to Florida, usually via Buffalo or Niagara and I-95. Goods entering the US use CBP Form 3299 when they travel unaccompanied. The carrier needs authority to cross. Customs brokerage is extra to the moving bill.

• Toronto to Fort Lauderdale

  1,350 mi · about 21.5 hours

  Same corridor as Toronto to Miami, ending about 30 miles north. Condos in Broward want the elevator booked. Unaccompanied household goods still clear on CBP Form 3299.

• Montreal to New York City

  375 mi · about 6.5 hours

  A6 to the Champlain or the I-87 crossing, then south. A one-day cross-border job if the paperwork is ready. Form 3299 for goods into the US. A New York walk-up can add a shuttle after customs.

• Vancouver to Los Angeles

  1,270 mi · about 19 hours

  I-5 through Washington, Oregon, and California. The Peace Arch or Pacific Highway crossing. Two days plus customs. A Los Angeles shuttle is common after the linehaul.

• Calgary to Phoenix

  1,530 mi · about 23 hours

  South through Montana or via Sweetgrass, then I-15. An Alberta-to-Arizona snowbird lane. Winter passes and the border wait both belong in the delivery window. Form 3299 if the goods are unaccompanied.

• Vancouver to Seattle

  140 mi · about 2.5 hours

  I-5. The short cross-border lane. The clock is the border, not the miles. Have the inventory and Form 3299 ready or the two-hour drive becomes an afternoon.

• Toronto to New York City

  490 mi · about 8 hours

  QEW to the Niagara or Queenston crossing, then I-90 and I-87 or I-81. A long day if customs is quick. Manhattan delivery is a second problem after the border.

• Montreal to Miami

  1,540 mi · about 24 hours

  A Quebec-to-Florida snowbird run, two overnights. Goods into the US clear on Form 3299. Book the Miami dock for the day after the window, not the morning the truck hits I-95.

All routes · Moving in Canada · US to Canada overview

Questions people ask before they book

Which form do household goods use at the US border?

Unaccompanied household goods entering the United States use CBP Form 3299, Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles. The mover or broker asks for it with the inventory. Haulest does not file it.

Which form do settlers' effects use entering Canada?

Goods entering Canada as settlers' effects use CBSA Form BSF186, the personal effects accounting document that replaced the old B4. You list goods you owned and used before the move. Duty and tax depend on that list and on your status in Canada.

Can I drive my US car into Canada and keep it?

Most vehicles from the US that will stay in Canada go through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles, plus a recall clearance from the manufacturer. Duty can apply. A car you drive across for a temporary stay is a different case from a car you import. Confirm both with CBSA before the truck is booked.

Can I import a Canadian vehicle into the United States?

US Customs, the EPA, and US DOT all have a say. A vehicle that was not built to US standards is often expensive or impossible to import. Ask a customs broker before you ship the car with the furniture.

Do snowbird moves use the same forms?

A seasonal stay is not the same as settling. Goods that go south for the winter and come back are still a customs declaration. Ontario and Quebec to Florida, and British Columbia or Alberta to California or Arizona, are the busy lanes. The moving bill does not include brokerage.