Tobacco and Vaping Limits at the Canadian Border

Quick answerYou may bring 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 g of manufactured tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks, plus up to 120 mL or 120 g of vaping product in no more than 12 devices and containers, if the tobacco is stamped "duty paid Canada droit acquitté". The minimum age is 18. Returning residents need to have been away 48 hours or more.

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Duty-paid tobacco

Product	Limit
Cigarettes	200
Cigars	50
Manufactured tobacco	200 g (7 oz)
Tobacco sticks	200
Vaping products	Up to 120 mL (liquid) or 120 g (solid), in no more than 12 devices and immediate containers

Visitors have a minimum age of 18 as well. The CBSA visitor page words the limits as alternatives (200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 200 g of manufactured tobacco or 200 tobacco sticks or 12 vaping containers), so read the visitor guide if you are travelling to Canada.

Unstamped tobacco

Tobacco and vaping products without the "duty paid Canada droit acquitté" stamp are subject to a special duty rate. The limit is five units of tobacco and five units of vaping products, where one unit equals one of the amounts in the table above.

Who gets the allowance

Returning residents: only after a trip of 48 hours or more. Tobacco is not included in the 24-hour exemption. Tobacco, vaping products and alcohol do not qualify for the $60 gift exemption for visitors. More: personal exemptions.

If you bring more

Regular duty and taxes apply to the excess, plus any provincial or territorial levies, and a special excise duty may apply to certain tobacco products. Tobacco that is not properly declared is seized permanently.

Examples: is it within the limit?

What you bring	Result
One carton of cigarettes (10 packs of 20 = 200)	At the limit
One carton plus one extra pack (220)	20 over
40 cigars	Within the 50-cigar limit
3 bottles of vaping liquid at 30 mL each (90 mL)	Within the 120 mL limit
5 bottles of vaping liquid at 30 mL each (150 mL)	30 mL over
A returning resident after a 30-hour trip	No tobacco allowance: tobacco is not part of the 24-hour exemption

The stamp matters

The standard allowance applies to duty-paid products stamped "duty paid Canada droit acquitté". Products bought outside Canada are generally not stamped for the Canadian market, so check your pack. Unstamped tobacco and vaping products are subject to a special duty rate and a limit of five units of each, where one unit is one of the amounts in the table above.

FAQ

Do I need to be 18 or 19?

The minimum age for tobacco and vaping products is 18 anywhere in Canada.

Can I mix cigarettes and cigars?

The CBSA lists the amounts above. If you bring more than one product, ask a border services officer how the limits apply, because the page does not describe mixing rules.

Do vaping products have the same rules?

They appear in the same exemption: up to 120 mL or 120 g, across no more than 12 devices and containers, for duty-paid goods.

Do I lose the allowance if my cartons are not stamped?

The CBSA says unstamped products are subject to a special duty rate, with a limit of five units of tobacco and five units of vaping products. See the section above.

Official sources

Data checked against official sources: October 17, 2026. Rules change; confirm with the CBSA before you travel.