How many bottles of alcohol can I bring into Canada?

When bringing alcohol into Canada, it is worth knowing the duty-free allowances and requirements as a way to make a successful entry. Currently (2025), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) allows innovative individuals to carry certain amounts of alcohol without paying duties and taxes, and there are conditions.

Duty-Free Alcohol Allowance

To qualify for the duty-free exemption, you must:

Be legally of the drinking age in the province or territory where you are entering into Canada (18 years old in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec; 19 years old in the other provinces and territories).
Canadian residents must have been outside Canada for at least 48 hours to qualify for the duty-free exemption. Visitors to Canada can also bring in alcohol as part of their personal baggage, but may not qualify for duty-free exemptions in the same way
Bring your alcohol with you; you can not ship your alcohol by itself.

Under these conditions, you may bring in one of the following amounts of alcohol per person, duty-free:

Wine: Up to 1.5 liters (approximately two 750 ml bottles)
Spirits: Up to 1.14 liters (approximately one large bottle)
Beer or Ale: Up to 8.5 liters (approximately 24 cans or bottles, each 355 ml)

These totals may be split among different types of alcohol, as long as the total quantities do not exceed the individual category limits. As an example, you cannot mix one half of the amount of wine with one half of the amount of spirits.

Exceeding the Duty-Free Limit

In case you carry in more alcohol than the duty-free allowance, you must:

Inform a CBSA officer about any alcohol, once you come to the country.
Pay duties and taxes created on the surplus amount, which can embrace federal duties, Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the province/territory dues.

Outside the duty-free, the provinces exist with various types of quantity limits, taxes and markups on imported alcohol to be used personally. Find out the exact regulations of your travel province of destination.

For example, in Ontario, you may be permitted to import up to 45 litres of alcohol for personal use if you pay provincial duties and taxes, but this amount is not duty-free. The federal duty-free allowance remains much lower

Important Considerations

Age of Consumption: You must be the required minimal age in the province or territory into which you enter Canada.
Non-disclosure: Alcohol in excess of the duty-free allowance must be declared. Failure to declare it may result in fines, penalties, or seizure of the goods
Personal Use: The imported alcohol should be intended to be used on a personal basis and not on commercial grounds. While there's no strict federal limit on alcohol for personal use, unusually large amounts may be considered commercial and subject to penalties.
Labeling: Packaging: All alcohol should be well labeled and under a sealed original package.

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