Customs in US and Canada

The last time we flew from Spain to Canada, we landed in Dallas TX. We had to clear customs and immigration in Dallas. As we did not have any alcohol I cannot answer your question directly. However, if your purchases meet both the countries duty free import restrictions you should be okay.

Unless you are on a separate ticket or leaving the airport on your layover, I wouldn’t think you would clear customs in the US to come to Canada.

But, you may have to clear security again though, in which case, you would have to either make sure the alcohol is bought behind security at the Scotland airport, if you are doing carryon only or in your checked luggage.

Unless you are on a separate ticket or leaving the airport on your layover, I wouldn’t think you would clear customs in the US to come to Canada.

All passengers transiting through the US must clear immigration and customs. You are allowed one liter of alcohol duty free. After that, you will pay customs duties to the US.

So, before bringing that extra alcohol home, see if it might be cheaper just to buy it in Canada.

I can't speak to Canada and what they may charge or restrict you for liquor, but as Frank mentioned, you will need to clear both immigration and customs in the US, even though you are in transit.

If you have not done this before, you likely will go to a kiosk, or maybe there is still a paper form, answer a few question, one of which generally mentions food, alcohol, tobacco, etc.

Then you go to a border control officer, they will ask a few question, if you checked the box for general food, alcohol, etc. the will ask about that, tell them what you have, they likely will say "OK" and move you on, they might possibly indicate to stop at customs, but rarely.

Then you go and wait for your checked bags, pick them up, your liquor of course needs to be in your checked bags, you will then walk by customs, they rarely pull any one to the side, dogs are there to sniff for food, and I suppose drugs, they likely x-rayed your bag. If they do, they check things, and likely move you on.

You then drop your bag for recheck, then go through security to get to your gate.

I (US Citizen) have brought back way over the duty free limit for alcohol on nearly every trip and some 2 dozen plus trips, declare, or at least acknowledge I have it, never have I had to pay any duty, it is just too much trouble for them to collect. The fact that you are in transit and the alcohol never leaves the airport, they would be even more reluctant to do so. But that is my experience, yours may differ.

Verify Canada's limits and what is owed. I recall people on here saying they are stricter on the amount, and the duty and possibly alcohol taxes more likely needing to be paid. But like I said, I really do not know.

If you have not done this before, you likely will go to a kiosk, or maybe there is still a paper form, answer a few question, one of which generally mentions food, alcohol, tobacco, etc.

The days of filling out that silly form with what you are bringing back appear to be over. In January, the guy checking my passport asked if I was bringing anything back and I said yes, two bottles of wine. He just shrugged and sent me through. Got my bags and walked out the nothing to declare door.

Yeah, there is quite a bit of variety depending on the airport you go through. I have not seen a paper form in years, but was not sure if there were airports still using them, most of the places I go through have the kiosks, I think last time, it was just go up to the border control officer.

Basically, they focus on drugs and food/plants and rely on dogs and x-ray for that, anything else that you can actually carry back, especially with airline baggage limits, is not enough quantity for them to be concerned about.

The procedure is different at each airport. At some, you collect your bags before speaking to an immigration officer.

It doesn't matter.

But what has been stated, twice, needs to be repeated. If you are honest with the officer, and tell them what you have, more than likely, unless it's a large amount, they will just let it go. (Especially since the duty on excess Scotch Whisky is about $2/liter.) But if you don't declare it, they can add a penalty which could be substantial.

One of the reasons the US makes all passengers clear immigration and customs is that most airports don't have a "sterile" transit area so transiting passengers mingle with all other passengers. Nothing would stop them from leaving the airport and entering the US illegaly.

Well that is interesting. I’ve learned something today. A lot of countries don’t require you to clear customs if you are just transiting.

It's a lot easier for US citizens to change planes in Canada on our way overseas than it is for Canadians to change planes in the USA.

That said, I'm not eager to fly any airline again that would have us change in Canada (i.e., Westjet and Air Canada). Though I have to say that Westjet customer service took very good care of us for our last trip overseas.