Packing for Your Move to Canada: What to Bring and What to Leave Behind

When moving to Canada, packing isn’t as simple as preparing for a vacation. It requires careful planning and smart decision-making to ensure you’re ready for life in a new country. Let’s talk about what to bring, what to leave behind, and how to pack efficiently for your move to Canada.

What to Bring:

Essential Documents

Your documents are your top priority when moving to Canada. Without the right paperwork, you risk unnecessary delays and complications. We have created a full list of documents to bring here, you can download it and use as your checklist.

The absolute essentials are:

• Passport with visa, work permit / study permit, or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)
• Customs Declaration Form: Required if bringing alcohol, tobacco, expensive gifts, or more than C$10,000 in cash.
• Proof of Funds: Bring printed bank statements for the past six months and proof of employment if you’re on a work visa.
• Travel Insurance: Essential for provinces like Quebec, BC, and Ontario, where there’s a three-month waiting period for public healthcare.
• Additional Documents:
  • Birth certificate
  • Educational credentials and children’s school records
  • Marriage or divorce certificate, custody papers
  • Vaccination records, medical history, prescriptions
  • Driving records and license

💡 Pro Tip: Organize all documents in folders, translate them into English (or French), and have certified or notarized copies. Keep both physical and digital copies in a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox. This way you can quickly find what you need.

Electronics

Canada uses Type A and Type B power sockets (120 volts, 60Hz), different from Europe and many parts of Asia. To avoid damaged devices, check your electronics for voltage compatibility (look for “100-240V” on labels and power bricks).

Bring travel adapters for power sockets and minimum amount of electronics:

• laptop / tablet
• phone
• power bank
• e-book
• camera
• power cables

Leave behind devices incompatible with Canadian voltage, save space and weight in your luggage and purchase replacements once you are in Canada. Electronics cost in Canada is reasonable and you can find anything you need.

Medications and medical records

Canada’s strict regulations mean many medications require prescriptions.

Stock up on your regular medications for at least three months and bring a translated copy of your prescriptions. This will speed up the process of getting local medication you need.

Note, that pharmacies in Canada may not carry the exact brand you’re used to, so look into medical components of your medication to find an alternative brand in Canada.

Don’t forget all you medical records, vaccination certificates, imaging, eye glasses prescription and medical devices you use. Having all that will help you bring your new family doctor up-to-speed faster and discuss your ongoing treatments easier.

Clothing Basics

Your clothing needs will depend on the season you’re moving in:

• Winter: Bring a warm coat, gloves, winter boots, warm hat, scarf, pants and sweaters. Depending on the city you’re moving to, winters can be harsh, don’t take it easy. Winter clothing is better purchased in Canada if unavailable in your home country.
• Summer: Lightweight clothing, a sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Be careful, getting sunburnt in Canada is a real thing and Canadian summers are surprisingly hot.
• Spring/Fall: Pack sweaters, a raincoat, a light jacket, and a sturdy umbrella. Cities on the East Coast and West Coast experience lots of rainy days.

If you’re moving in a warmer season, prioritize essentials and plan to buy winter clothing later or have it mailed to you before winter season starts. This will help you save space and weight in your luggage.

Pack clothing for each occasion, for example casual clothing, for going to the gym and to a job interview.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t worry if your choice of clothing is not ideal, there are lots of end of season sales in Canada, so you can find and buy any clothing item without breaking the bank.

Special Items

• If you are moving with children, bring kids’ books in your mother tongue. It’s a great way to keep your culture alive while they adapt to their new environment. Plus those books can be expensive or hard to find here in Canada.
• Pack a keyboard in your language if your alphabet isn’t the standard QWERTY. Alternatively, you can buy stickers with letters and symbols for your Canadian keyboard or even have it engraved in your native language. This will save you so much frustration, unless you are comfortable in blind typing.
• Don’t forget things with emotional value. Pictures of loved ones or little keepsakes can help you feel at home faster. Moving to a new place can be stressful, so bring things that make you smile and warm your heart. You may not even think it’s important now, but when a few months or even years passed, and you’re feeling nostalgic about your home or friendships, you will be happy that you made that decision.

What Not to Bring

Bulky Items

Avoid shipping furniture, beddings, towels or large kitchenware unless it’s of significant value. Canada has affordable options through IKEA, Walmart, and second-hand platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. Just be careful when shopping for second-hand online. Once you are in Canada, you can ask your friends, community, colleagues, condo building group if anyone is getting rid of any household items. This way you can even find some items for free. Also, keep an eye on garage sales, as those can have a lot to offer for a low price.

• However, if you have items of a great value, like an old beautiful Swiss clock, or Italian luxurious furniture, or Austrian exquisitely crafted grand piano - then of course, consider bringing or shipping it here, as it would most likely cost more to buy those things here - if at all existent here. If these are expensive or luxury items, you will have to make sure to include them in your Packing list of items (or Goods to Follow list if you ship them later). If you have receipts, it will help show their value.

Prohibited Items

Canada has strict customs rules. Avoid bringing:

• Weapons and explosives (e.g. fireworks)
• Certain medications
• Meat, seeds, or plants
• Excessive amounts of alcohol or tobacco

Check Canada’s border services website for a complete list of restricted items.

How to Pack

Now, let’s talk strategy. Airlines charge a fortune for overweight luggage and additional suitcases, so pack smart:

• Use Space-Saving Bags:
  • I used these vacuum-sealed bags for clothes and it saved me a ton of space. If you’re bringing winter jackets, sweaters, these bags compress the air out and shrink the volume significantly. This means you can fit more into your suitcase without taking up valuable space. Obviously, these bags will not reduce weight of your items, so don’t forget about potential overweight.
• Another pro tip - Roll, Don’t Fold:
  • Rolling your clothes not only saves room but keeps things organized. It’s one of the best packing hacks out there. When you fold clothes, they stack on top of each other, which not only wastes space but also causes wrinkles. Rolling them tightly helps you save room while also keeping them organized. Plus, you’ll be able to see all your clothes at a glance when you open your bag.
• Survival Bag:
  • Pack a carry-on with things that are important like your ID and travel documents. it can also be things you don’t want to check-in and a change of clothes, toiletries, chargers, power banks and snacks in case your luggage gets delayed, which unfortunately does happen. You can also use a fanny pack for your documents, money, medications, ear buds, and other small items.

Last but not least, pack a few entertainment items, such as a book, magazine, or downloaded movies on your phone/tablet, to keep you occupied while you wait.

Final Thoughts

Moving to Canada doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Focus on bringing the essentials, plan for the season, and remember that Canada has everything you need to settle in comfortably. If you come from the country with weak currency, once you start working in Canada and earning Canadian salary, you will notice that things are pretty affordable to buy here. And people are always willing to help.

Safe travels and welcome to Canada!

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