ESSENTIALS - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 763

tp://travel.state.gov . For current entry requirements to Canada, check the Citizenship and
Immigration Canada website ( www.cic.gc.ca ).
All other foreign visitors entering Canada must have a valid passport and may need a
visitor permit or Temporary Resident Visa depending on their country of residence and the
vagaries of international politics. At present, visas are not required for citizens of the Brit-
ish Commonwealth or Western Europe. The standard entry permit is for six months, and
you may be asked to show onward tickets or proof of sufficient funds to last you through
your intended stay. Extensions are available from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada
office in Vancouver. This department's website ( www.cic.gc.ca ) is the best source of the
latest entry requirements.
Clearing Customs
You can take the following into Canada duty-free: reasonable quantities of clothes and per-
sonal effects, 50 cigars and 200 cigarettes, 200 grams of tobacco, 1.14 liters of spirits or
wine, food for personal use, and gas (normal tank capacity). Pets from the United States
can generally be brought into Canada, with certain caveats. Dogs and cats must be more
than three months old and have a rabies certificate showing date of vaccination. Birds can
be brought in only if they have not been mixing with other birds, and parrots need an export
permit because they're on the endangered species list.
Handguns, automatic and semiautomatic weapons, and sawn-off rifles and shotguns are
not allowed into Canada. Visitors with firearms must declare them at the border; restricted
weapons will be held by Customs and can be picked up on exit from the country. Those
not declared will be seized and charges may be laid. It is illegal to possess any firearm in a
national park unless it is dismantled or carried in an enclosed case. Up to 5,000 rounds of
ammunition may be imported but should be declared on entry.
On reentering the United States, if you've been in Canada more than 48 hours you can
bring back up to US$400 worth of household and personal items, excluding alcohol and to-
bacco, duty-free. If you've been in Canada fewer than 48 hours, you may bring in only up
to US$200 worth of such items duty-free.
For further information on all customs regulations contact Canada Border Services
Agency (204/983-3500 or 800/461-9999, www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca ).
LIQUOR LAWS
Liquor laws in Canada are enacted on a provincial level. The minimum age for alcohol con-
sumption in British Columbia is 19.