Good Video on Canadian Customs

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Clearing Canadian Customs into BC by Boat – Slowboat

 

[Lou_tribal]

Best way to clear customs is to get Nexus certified. It is cheap 50$ for 5 years, and you clear the customs in us, canada and mexico by a phone call.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I agree as I have NEXUS. But there are those that like having only a passport....

 

[GFC]

I've thought about Nexus but most likely if my wife and I are headed to CA we'll have people who don't have the Nexus card so we'll still have to clear customs.


Besides, I'd rather put that $100 into my diesel tank!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I've thought about Nexus but most likely if my wife and I are headed to CA we'll have people who don't have the Nexus card so we'll still have to clear customs.


Besides, I'd rather put that $100 into my diesel tank!

You are correct that everyone on board has to have a NEXUS card. If just one person has just a passport, then you are required to report to a customs station regardless if it is U.S. or Canadian.

The cost of $100, consider this. If you and your crew has NEXUS cards which allows you to "call in" thus bypassing the requirement to report to a Customs Station. You save fuel and time. That $100 disappears really really quick, especially in Canada where fuel is expensive. The only exceptions are Prince Rupert and Ketchikan. There are no bypass here, all vessels must report in person to customs.

 

[Lou_tribal]

You are correct that everyone on board has to have a NEXUS card. If just one person has just a passport, then you are required to report to a customs station regardless if it is U.S. or Canadian.

The cost of $100, consider this. If you and your crew has NEXUS cards which allows you to "call in" thus bypassing the requirement to report to a Customs Station. You save fuel and time. That $100 disappears really really quick, especially in Canada where fuel is expensive. The only exceptions are Prince Rupert and Ketchikan. There are no bypass here, all vessels must report in person to customs.

And it can also be used when crossing border by car or plane. The Admiral and I are sooo happy to have it when we go on travel it save us so much time on departure to go through the airport security but also on arrival when going through customs. Considering that it take us no more than 10 minutes at each airport, the time we are saving worth far more than 100 bucks.

 

[menzies]

Does Global Entry cover NEXUS requirements when entering Canada?

 

[Lou_tribal]

In fact it is the opposite, nexus contains global entry. Global entry is the us program to speed up customs. In canada the similar program is canpass (which, don't ask me why, cost more than nexus). Nexus is the pogram that unify global entry and canpass. It can be used to enter us or to enter canada, and work also with mexico. One other interesting thing is that you are also elligible for TSA precheck so when you go through airport security you go to the dedicated lane and no need to wear off your shoes or put your laptop out of your bag. This is very convenient. I really not regret to went through the validation process to get it.

 

[drb1025]

Best way to clear customs is to get Nexus certified. It is cheap 50$ for 5 years, and you clear the customs in us, canada and mexico by a phone call.

Plus it includes 5years of TSA Precheck, that alone would cost $85 through Homeland Security.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Yeah getting the NEXUS is a pain and takes some of your time, but worth it for us.

 

[GFC]

I'd do it for the TSA Precheck alone if our local airport participated in the Precheck program. Their excuse for not doing it is "We don't have a separate lane for it."


Most airports don't have separate lanes, they run you through the regular lanes but you don't have to take your laptops out and don't have to take your shoes off.


Our closest NEXUS application site is in Seattle. It's a bit of a PITA to get scheduled and then travel to Seattle for the interview.


We may decide to do it regardless of the hassle though. It would be nice to have to bypass some of the TSA BS at other airports.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Up here in Montreal the main benefit is twofold. First when we depart for US territory we go through the customs at montreal airport so with NEXUS it is very easy and very fast. But even more than that, when we are back Montreal customs is a nightmare, too many people arriving at the same time and you need something like 2h to go through so with NEXUS, 10 minutes it is done and we are back home.
When you are in transit also it is very convenient if you have a short connection as you go through customs faster.

 

[sunchaser]

The only exceptions are Prince Rupert and Ketchikan. There are no bypass here, all vessels must report in person to customs.

Maybe we've just been lucky, but our Boater ID and NEXUS cards have been phone in only clearance in both these places the past few years.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Maybe we've just been lucky, but our Boater ID and NEXUS cards have been phone in only clearance in both these places the past few years.

Phone in for Ketch, but then wanted our slip number.

Prince Rupert this last summer was requiring everyone to report to the dock, which I don't mind if someone is going to be there. Little aggravated that I had to go 2 1/2 hours (round trip) to a dock when we all know there will not be anyone there.....

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Our closest NEXUS application site is in Seattle. It's a bit of a PITA to get scheduled and then travel to Seattle for the interview.

We had to go to Blaine WA. Took about 30 minutes. We just made it an overnight adventure.