Getting equipment in and out of Canada

B

Brad Neal

Well-known member
I have a shoot coming up in Main this fall and I am going to take my wife with me and drive up from Illinois.

I thought that it would be nice to take a detour and head up through Canada and stop at Niagara Falls and then back down into the states. The problem is, I will have a van loaded with pro video equipment.

Has anyone else done this, and will I get hassled by customs wanting to know why I am bringing pro gear into Canada without a working visa?

Thanks,
Brad
 
What is the pro gear.
If its a large ENG camera with tripod, crane, dolly. You might have some problems.
If it's an HVX/EX with a tripod you should be fine as a tourist. Trips to Maui have taught me that amateur tourists with money have way better gear than most pros.
 
thekreative said:
What is the pro gear.
If its a large ENG camera with tripod, crane, dolly. You might have some problems.
If it's an HVX/EX with a tripod you should be fine as a tourist. Trips to Maui have taught me that amateur tourists with money have way better gear than most pros.
Click to expand...

It will be 2-HPX500's tripods, lights, and all the other goodies. Essentially, a mobile production rig jammed into a van.
 
I use a Carnet when traveling to other countries and Canada does participate... do the paperwork, check in at US Customs when leaving, check in when you arrive in Canada... check in when you leave Canada and when you arrive back in the US... it's like a passport for your equipment.... not sure about a work permit if you are not working for anybody there.... they are more concerned about import/export taxes on equipment.
 
I had a shoot in Canada and did get hassled, and was held up at customs for not having a work visa (client was supposed to have all of this taken care of... long story) anyway, with a whole van of gear like you describe, I would expect to get hassled, if not sent back. Why do you need to take all of that gear into Canada anyway?
 
My shoot is actually in Maine. I was just going to drive up to Niagara Falls as I will have my wife with me on this trip and we will have to drive through Buffalo NY on the way home. I won't be working in Canada. But if it's going to cost me $300 to drive through, we'll hit the falls on the next trip...
 
Yeah, $300 is lame to just be passing through. Perhaps you can bring this up to your client and see if they will throw in the cost of it?
 
My trip to Canada would be noting more than a joy ride. I wouldn't feel right asking the client to offset those costs.
 
I have had some negative experiences with Canada and am not allowed to shoot there anymore (was stopped in airport Customs with gear and sent back to the States). I had played dumb, knowing full well I needed very hard to get permission from their Employment department explaining why a Canadian DP could not do the shoot (so much for NAFTA). Now I hire a local with gear and he becomes my soundman while I shoot with his package. So here's my two cents:

IF your van looks like a civilian vehicle, rather than a production truck, have your wife in the driver's seat and there's a very good chance you'll just be waved through, like for Mexico. In the event you're stopped have regular suitcases on TOP of all the production gear. They have asked me one or two generic questions, if I was stopped at all.

The SAFEST WAY: leave the 500s at your last hotel with their security department, park your van under a strong light in the parking lot, closest to the front desk, blankets over the gear and rent a car for your tour. A big danger is that you may be stopped coming BACK by US Customs and if you don't have some paperwork proving you had the gear before you left then you could have it all confiscated until everything is sorted out.

The poor man's way of doing it, and I have done it maybe a dozen times, is go to Customs at your nearest international airport with ALL the gear that's worth anything that you will be taking, have two copies listing the serial and model numbers of the expensive pieces and they will stamp one and give it to you. When you return from Canada and are stopped you show them that list and shazam, they let you back in with the gear. Otherwise they assume you are smuggling gear into the states and are avoiding taxes.

One last note: I have been robbed several times including a break in in Quebec City where they stole several cases (Holiday Inn underground parking lot). It is extremely important that you get something in writing from your insurance agent that your gear is covered in Canada. Insurance companies will do anything to weasel out of a claim once it gets fairly high. And you may be covered in Canada BUT not from theft from an "unattended vehicle", or a vehicle break in with "No visible signs of entry".

Best of luck,

Ned Miller
 
Wow! I had no idea this would be such a hassle. I think I'll just stay in the good ol' U.S. of A.!!!

Thanks for all the helpful information.

-Brad
 
Interesting thread...

As a Canadian, I experience all the same problems when trying to shoot in The Good 'Ole US of A.
Hassles at US customs, agents who don't know what Visa is required, agents who question the work visa given by their own government. Questions about gear, and why I need so much of it, hassles over the Carnet and whether this document is all I need. Constant questions about why a US citizen can't do the job (shooting news for a Canadian broadcaster).
Even down to proving that with 70 - $80,000 worth of gear I will have money to leave the US when the job is done.
Strictly speaking a carnet (and it's expense) isn't needed, you just need a rock solid manifest, and take the risk that the border guard (Canada or US, or wherever for that matter) can and sometimes will want to look at every cable, knob, button. Most won't bother when faced with 10 or 12 pelican cases.

In the end I get it - Canada and the US are sovereign nations with their own rules and regulations. It just seems that the people on the ground that are supposed to enforce these rules don't know how.

When I shoot in China, Vietnam, and Cuba (communist nations by the way) hassles are non-existent. Same with Nepal, India, Thailand, Mexico...

By the way... why not take your wife to Niagara falls on a proper vacation? Or just look at them from the American side?
You also know that the US Gov't now requires it's own citizens to have a Passport in order to return to the US? You can come to Canada without it, but you won't be able to return. Just askin' since you didn't know what a carnet was.

G.
 
Stay in the states... the falls are beautiful from both sides! Try to be there during the night....
Safe travels.
 
heavyG said:
Interesting thread...
By the way... why not take your wife to Niagara falls on a proper vacation? Or just look at them from the American side?
You also know that the US Gov't now requires it's own citizens to have a Passport in order to return to the US? You can come to Canada without it, but you won't be able to return. Just askin' since you didn't know what a carnet was.

G.
Click to expand...

We have to drive from Illinois to Maine, I just thought it would be nice to divert on the way back at Buffalo and see the falls from the Canadian side, and then drive through Canada down to Detroit. I probably wouldn't vacation at the falls, but since we are going to be so close, I just thought it would be a nice way to break up the trip. But it sounds like a huge hassle, so we'll probably not go that route now.
 
I have passed through Canada many times, with gear. As long as you agree you will not be using any of the gear, have ALL SERIAL numbers and return with the same gear you will not have a problem.
 
Last fall I did a shoot on Vancouver Island. Customs at the ferry station could not have been more helpful or nice. I explained I was producing and shooting this project for my company.

All I was required to do was provide a list of gear, with serial numbers and the length of my stay. The reason for the list and the serial numbers is to verify the equipment entered and returned from the country. If these entry and exit lists do not match you will have to pay tariffs.

By the way, they never checked my list upon exit, but don't count on it they may.
 
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