how much money do you have to have to get into canada?

Question

I hear that the canadian authorities at the border want you to show proof of how much money you have to get into the country is there a certain amount?

Answer 1

You need to be able to show that you have enough money for your holiday, or, if you are immigrating, that you have enough money to look after yourself for a while. What they don't want is people coming into the country and immediately asking for welfare. There is no certain amount, but why not check with the Canadian consulate and find out exactly what the requirements would be in your case. There is a difference between tourists and immmigrants, and you didn't specify which you were.

Answer 2

Not if you are coming as a tourist from the US or UK. They use to back in the day. I once traveled to the US with a Philippine who was turned around at the boarder and had to go take money out of the bank to get in. That was to get into the US, not Canada. (But keep in mind, with more agreements the treatment and requirements are similar going either way across the boarder.) So that was one trip out of dozens we took as unemployed college kids, and no American or Canadians in our group ever had that problem. But in the age of ATM, credit cards and debit machines, they don't have any requirements for the average tourist.

Are you employed? If you are, it is typically 1 of the first questions, and do not bother you about money issues any further. And even if you aren't employed, they tend to start looking in terms of crime questions, to sniff out drug and weapons smugglers. I traveled once while between jobs, and that was the implication, "how" could I afford travel, not "if".

If you are applying for a student visa or other similar designations then the rules are different.

It is almost the opposite. They question why you have more money. If you are transporting over $10,000 in either direction over the Canada/US boarder you must declare it and fill out a separate form. The general form asks this and the Officer is more likely to ask you this, than the other way around.

Here is the general visitor information. They don't mention it, so couldn't be that important to them.

Answer 3

Joint Canada-United States Programs
Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and the United States Customs Service, also offer programs to simplify your border crossing. They are initiatives under the joint Canada-United States 30 Point Action Plan of the Smart Border Declaration, signed in December 2001.

NEXUS
For pre-approved low-risk travellers in private motor vehicles
Free and Secure Trade (FAST)
For pre-approved low-risk commercial carriers, drivers and importers
NEXUS Air (coming soon)
For pre-approved low-risk commercial air travellers

Answer 4

While it is not a common occurencel to be asked how much money you have, it sometimes does occur, mainly because they want to know that you intend to come back to the United States and not come to Canada with just a little money then try to work here illegally. I've been asked that question when going to the States.

Answer 5

The gas money to get there and the proper documents to get back into the US. It used to be just a photo ID and a birth certificate but that was before 9-11.

Answer 6

Not true! They ask for nothing except if you know the words to O'Canada and if you love Celine Dion! So take off to the Great White North.

Answer 7

A couple hundred bucks at least so they know you'll be able to pay for stuff. I've been asked that too and thought it was odd and after inquiring about it, that is what I was told.

Answer 8

around 2000 USD

Answer 9

Naw, sumbody pullin yer lag.

Answer 10

I heard it was $1000, but I'm not positive.