Your first arrival matters—even when the moving shipment is still overseas.
A homecoming is different from a holiday
CBSA has a specific framework for former residents returning to resume residence. Eligibility depends on the circumstances of your absence and your belongings; do not substitute a holiday traveller’s allowance for the returning-resident process. Review the former-resident guidance before finalizing your shipment.
For your moving plan, note your return date, when your goods will be collected and who will receive them. Tell the moving team if family members are travelling separately or the shipment is split. Do not assume that every person or consignment will be handled identically.
Prepare the goods-to-follow list before travelling
CBSA asks you to prepare two copies of your belongings list, separated into accompanying goods and goods to follow. Include values and identifying information where applicable. Present the list at your first point of entry even if you have no goods with you. Goods arriving later must be on the original list to qualify under your entitlement.
The officer completes BSF186 and gives you a copy needed for subsequent clearance. You can prepare the form in advance. Keep the official receipt with your travel records and provide the clearance representative with the information they request through an agreed secure channel.
Make your private inventory usable
Number cartons and link them to a simple room-by-room inventory. Describe unusual or valuable items clearly enough to distinguish them. Keep photographs and purchase records where helpful. A list created while packing is usually more reliable than reconstructing a household after everything has left.
Mark items that have not yet been collected, including belongings at another address. Ask the representative how additions or a changed shipment should be handled before relying on an amended spreadsheet. An updated packing list is not automatically an updated customs record.
Check special goods separately
CBSA’s former-resident form generally addresses at least one year abroad and six months of ownership, possession and use for household effects, subject to applicable exceptions. Vehicles and restricted goods need separate attention. A household shipment label does not remove their requirements.
Ask specific questions about any vehicle, collection or regulated item before including it. Keep those discussions separate from ordinary cartons so a single unresolved item does not surprise you at collection. The customs authority determines entitlement; a moving estimate cannot promise tax treatment.
Coordinate release with a real delivery address
Give the team a delivery contact, building access arrangements and your availability after arrival. If you will stay in temporary accommodation, ask about storage and the lead time for redelivery. Make sure the person arranging the move knows when you expect to have keys.
Kratos can help coordinate the moving plan for your return. Share the origin, destination, timing and shipment size, then identify the customs and storage questions that need to be resolved before dispatch.
BEFORE YOU GO
Your move, one check at a time.
- Identify the correct returning-resident process
- Separate accompanying goods from goods to follow
- Prepare paperwork before first arrival
- Keep the issued customs documents
- Confirm storage if your home is not ready
Official sources & further reading
Customs guidance checked 29 September 2026. Requirements depend on your circumstances and can change. Confirm the current process with the relevant authority before shipping.