How much Cut/loose tobacco can I bring into Canada?
Restricted
You can bring Cut/loose tobacco into Canada only within the stated limits.
What you need to know
- 200 gram (7.05 oz)
- Channels: Carried with the traveler
Important
This allowance applies per person, not per family or group.
Official sources
- Memorandum D2-1-1: Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances by Non-Residents Canada Border Services Agency
Questions about Cut/loose tobacco in Canada
- How much cut/loose tobacco can I bring into Canada?
- Canada allows 200 grams of cut/loose tobacco per traveller. Above that the goods are treated as an import and duty becomes payable. The allowance is per traveller and cannot be pooled between people.
- Do I have to declare cut/loose tobacco at Canada customs?
- Only above the allowance. Up to 200 grams of cut/loose tobacco there is nothing to declare; beyond it you take the goods through the red channel and pay the duty.
- What happens if I do not declare cut/loose tobacco in Canada?
- Under Customs Act, section 117, if the goods are found without being declared: the goods are confiscated. Under Customs Act, section 109.2: duty is charged at 2 times the normal rate and the goods are released once it is paid.
- Do duty-free purchases count toward the Canada allowance for cut/loose tobacco?
- Yes. What you buy in an arrival duty-free shop comes out of the same allowance, so the shop does not add to what you may already be carrying.
- Can I post or ship cut/loose tobacco to Canada instead of carrying it?
- Not under this allowance. It covers goods a traveller carries; a parcel is an import and is assessed under the postal rules instead. Baggage sent before or after you travels under the same allowance.
- Is there a minimum age for the cut/loose tobacco allowance in Canada?
- Yes — 18 years. A traveller under that age gets no allowance for cut/loose tobacco at all, not a smaller one.
- Can I take cut/loose tobacco out of Canada?
- Canada publishes no separate rule for taking cut/loose tobacco out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the Canada limit for cut/loose tobacco apply per person or per family?
- Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.
- Where does this rule come from?
- Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) states it in Memorandum D2-1-1: Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances by Non-Residents. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-19.
- How does Canada compare with other countries on cut/loose tobacco?
- Of the 20 countries covered here, 0 prohibit cut/loose tobacco, 11 limit it and 9 let it through. Canada is among the ones that set a limit.
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Memorandum D2-1-1: Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances by Non-Residents · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Memorandum D2-1-1: Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances by Non-Residents · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Customs Act · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Postal Imports Remission Order (SI/85-181) · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Postal Imports Remission Order (SI/85-181) · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Memorandum D2-3-1, Personal Exemptions for Residents Returning to Canada · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Memorandum D2-1-1: Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances by Non-Residents · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Memorandum D2-1-1: Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances by Non-Residents · verified 2026-09-19