One border, two different moves
A move from Montreal to Boston and a move from Boston to Montreal cover the same road, but they are not the same job. Each country decides what may enter it, who may bring it in duty-free and what paperwork it wants — and the two sets of rules have little in common. That is why this section has two pages:
- Moving to the USA — for people leaving Canada to live, work or study in the United States. The central document is CBP Form 3299, and the key rule is how long you have owned and used your belongings.
- Moving to Canada from the USA — for Canadians coming home and newcomers settling here. The central document is the CBSA’s BSF186 with its list of goods to follow, and the key moment is your first arrival at the border.
This page covers what both directions share: how the move is organized, how it is priced and how to plan it.
What a cross-border move involves
A household move across the border is the physical move — packing, loading, transport, delivery — plus a declaration to the customs service of the country you are entering. The declaration is yours: you are the owner of the goods and you sign it. Our part is to make it easy to get right. Before loading, we build a numbered inventory that describes every box and piece of furniture clearly, we go through restricted items with you, and we prepare the forms with you so that the documents, the inventory and what is actually in the truck all match. A shipment is rarely held at the border because of the goods themselves; it is held because the paperwork does not describe them.
Where the moves go
From Montreal, the shortest road south is Autoroute 15 to the Lacolle–Champlain crossing and Interstate 87, which leads to New York State and New England. Other destinations use other crossings when they are shorter.
| Montreal to | Distance by road | Typical door-to-door time |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington, VT | about 150 km (95 mi) | 1–2 days |
| Albany, NY | about 350 km (220 mi) | 1–2 days |
| Boston, MA | about 500 km (310 mi) | 2–3 days |
| New York, NY | about 600 km (370 mi) | 2–3 days |
| Philadelphia, PA | about 740 km (460 mi) | 2–4 days |
| Miami, FL | about 2,700 km (1,680 mi) | 5–7 days |
Times assume a dedicated shipment and normal customs processing. We move between Canada and the United States only — not between two addresses inside the US.
Dedicated or shared
A dedicated shipment carries only your belongings, on your dates, and is the most predictable. A shared shipment travels with other households going the same way: it costs less, and delivery falls inside a wider window. For a few pieces of furniture and some boxes, ask about a small shipment.
How the price is set
Cross-border moves are quoted as one fixed price in writing after a survey, by video call or in person. The price covers packing if you want it, loading, transport to your new address, unloading and reassembly. Your written quote also names who carries the shipment across the border. Two things are never part of our price because we do not set them: duties or taxes, if any apply to your goods, and a customs broker’s fee, if you choose to use one.
Planning timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 months before | Survey and quote; confirm your immigration or residency status with the right advisers |
| 6–8 weeks before | Fix the loading date; start sorting — restricted items stay behind |
| 3–4 weeks before | Gather passports, visas or permits and proof of your new address |
| 2 weeks before | Finalize the numbered inventory with us and prepare the forms |
| Loading day | Sign the final inventory; keep your copies of every document |
| Crossing | Stay reachable by phone in case customs has a question |
| Delivery | Unloading, reassembly and placement room by room |
What we do and what we do not
We survey, pack, crate fragile pieces, inventory, load, deliver and reassemble, and we prepare the customs paperwork with you. We do not give immigration or tax advice, and we do not act as your customs broker. If your situation involves a business, a vehicle, firearms or a large collection, a licensed customs broker is worth the fee — we work with the broker you choose.
