Goods Accompanying List and other documents you need when you arrive in Canada

When you land in Canada for the first time as a new Permanent Resident you need to make sure you’ve got the proper documentation with you.

Most of it you’ll already have from your Express Entry application but some you’ll need to produce – such as your settler’s effects list/Goods Accompanying list. I’ve detailed all documents in this article and explained what should be on the Goods Accompanying list/settler’s effects list.

You can read our full step-by-step guide of what to expect when you arrive in Canada here.

You should have all of these documents easily to hand for landing in Canada. Don’t put them in your hold luggage because you’ll need them before you get your hold luggage back.

Keep in mind these are the documents we needed for our case – do study carefully the official guidance you’ve been given by IRCC for you case as the list of documents you need will vary somewhat depending on your situation.

The documents you need when you land in Canada as a new Permanent Resident are:

1. All copies of your Confirmation of Permanent Residency letters (and/or other visas)
2. Passports
3. Proof of enough money to support you and your dependents when you first arrive. We had a recent copy of our UK bank account statement and screenshots from internet banking.
4. Two copies of a list detailing everything that you’re bringing with you now into Canada – this is called your Goods Accompanying list or settler’s effect list. Read on below for what needs to be on this list.
5. Two copies of a list of any goods you’ll be bringing to Canada later (i.e. being shipped later). This is called a Goods to Follow list – check out our article which covers the full process on how to import your household goods.
6. Address of where you’ll be staying when you first arrive. We had a screenshot printout of our Airbnb booking confirmation which was fine.
7. Copies of all the other evidence you submitted as part of your application.
8. Any documentation you might need in relation to COVID-19 testing and quarantining. You can check out more information on the new rules for entering Canada during COVID-19 restriction here.

Items 1 to 6 in the list above were all that the border agent asked to see for us but they may ask for more so we would definitely recommend you have printouts of all the documentation you submitted as part of your application process with you. Things like your marriage certificate, reference letters from previous employers etc.; better to be prepared and not need it than the other way around!

And just to reiterate, make sure you don’t pack this documentation in your hold luggage, have it easily to hand in your hand baggage.

Goods Accompanying List (aka. Settler’s effects list)

You will almost certainly be bringing goods with you when you first arrive in Canada as a new Permanent Resident so you need to create a list of “Goods Accompanying” – a list of all the items you’re physically carrying with you when you arrive. According to IRCC the list should have a line for each item showing the item’s value, make, model and serial number, which in reality is pretty impossible to produce.

The approach we took was not a line for each individual item but instead groupings of items with values assigned to each grouping and a total value for the whole. We added details on make and model where it was sensible to do so but again, not for every item. Here’s the list we produced for our arrival into Canada which satisfied the border agent.