We move households from Indianapolis to Montreal, and from Montreal back to Indianapolis, with the customs paperwork prepared on both sides. About 1,349 km by road.
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Moving between Indiana and Quebec involves a Canadian customs declaration, a separate provincial process for licences and health cards in Quebec, and a clear split between goods that arrive with you and goods that follow. Your belongings are listed on CBSA forms at the port of entry, and what applies depends on whether you are a returning resident or a settler.
Goods are declared to the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry. A BSF186 Personal Effects Accounting Document is your declaration, and a BSF186A list of imported goods covers both the goods you bring with you and any goods to follow. Both need a detailed inventory, which Motion helps assemble before the truck leaves Indiana.
Used personal and household effects are generally duty-free when relocating. Returning residents must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months under tariff item 9805.00.00. Settlers bringing goods to Canada for the first time are assessed under different conditions.
Quebec sets its own rules for driver’s licences and health insurance, through the SAAQ and the RAMQ, and these sit outside customs. Requirements and waiting periods vary by situation, so contact both agencies early rather than after you arrive.
The distance is about 1,350 km, usually north on I-69 to the Blue Water Bridge or Ambassador Bridge, then east on Highway 401 into Quebec. One carrier covers the full run, with no transfer to another company at the border.
Send your dates through the quote form at the top of this page and we will arrange your video call.
Get my free quoteRoad distances to Montreal
1,349 km
Indianapolis ↔ Montreal
1,329 km
Carmel ↔ Montreal
1,324 km
Fishers ↔ Montreal
1,438 km
Bloomington ↔ Montreal
To move from Indianapolis to Montreal with Motion Transport, you request a quote, size your move on a video call, build your customs inventory with Motion, and then Motion picks up at your door and delivers to your new door in Quebec. Your rate is locked in writing, and your move is cargo-liability insured.
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Tell us your origin, destination and rough timeline. A specialist texts you back within five minutes, Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm ET, so you can start planning your Indianapolis to Montreal move right away.
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Your move is sized on a video call, so nobody needs to visit your home. Once the size is agreed, the rate is locked in writing. Klarna is available on deposits of $500 or more.
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Motion prepares the customs forms with you from your inventory before the truck leaves, so the filing matches what is on the truck. For Canada, your list of goods needs value, make, model and serial number where applicable.
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Your belongings are collected at your door in Indianapolis. Your move is cargo-liability insured from pickup. If you need storage, it is available at Motion's Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver hubs.
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Your shipment travels the roughly 1,350 km route toward Quebec, usually crossing at the Blue Water Bridge or the Ambassador Bridge. You give your list of goods to the border services officer at your first point of entry in Canada.
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Your goods are delivered to your new door in Montreal. The balance is due after delivery, before offloading. Keep your original BSF186, because it is needed if any goods to follow are released later.
Motion handles the pickup at your door, delivery to your new door in Montreal, cargo-liability insurance, and preparing the customs forms with you from your inventory before the truck leaves. You handle the details that only you know: the items you own, their values and serial numbers, and your own declaration to the border services officer at your first point of entry in Canada. You also keep your original BSF186 safe, and you pay the balance after delivery, before offloading.
The Canada Border Services Agency asks you to declare your household goods on Form BSF186, the Personal Effects Accounting Document, at your first point of arrival. This route usually crosses at the Blue Water Bridge or the Ambassador Bridge. You must give your list of goods to the border services officer at your first point of entry, even if you have no goods with you when you arrive. Because Motion prepared the forms from your inventory, the filing matches what is on the truck.
On moving day, your belongings are picked up at your door in Indianapolis, and later delivered to your new door in Montreal. Your move was already sized on a video call, so no one needs an in-person visit, and your rate is locked in writing. Your move is cargo-liability insured. After delivery, you pay the balance before offloading begins. If you need somewhere to keep items, storage is available at Motion's Montreal hub.
For your Indianapolis to Montreal move, the BSF186A list of imported goods should give the value, make, model and serial number, where applicable, of all your goods. It lists both the goods you bring with you and any goods to follow. Goods that arrive later qualify for duty- and tax-free importation only if they are on your original list. Keep your original BSF186, since it is needed when your goods to follow are released.
Moving from Indianapolis or a nearby city to Montreal? We pick up across the Indianapolis area and the rest of Indiana and deliver to Montreal, Laval, Longueuil and the rest of Quebec, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Moving from Indianapolis to Montreal is roughly 1,350 km. The usual truck route runs north on I-69 through Fort Wayne and Michigan to the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron, or by way of Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge, then east on Ontario’s Highway 401 into Quebec. One Motion carrier handles the whole run, with no second company at the border, and the customs paperwork is prepared for you.
Quebec leases traditionally turn over on July 1, so Montreal arrivals bunch up in late June and early July; book early if your date sits there. Winter brings snow to I-69 and snowbelt squalls east of Lake Huron on the 401.
Plan around July 1. If your Montreal lease starts on or near July 1, tell us on the video call. Dates around Quebec’s lease turnover are the hardest to secure late.
Describe the Montreal access. Many Montreal homes are plexes with outdoor staircases, narrow streets and street parking only. Tell us about stairs and where a truck can stop, so the crew and the vehicle suit the address.
Empty the basement and garage list. Indianapolis homes often hold a lot in basements and garages. Everything must appear on the customs inventory, so go through those spaces early rather than on loading day.
Flag restricted items. Firearms, some food, plants and alcohol follow separate CBSA rules. Mention them on the call so they are planned for, not discovered at the border.
Sources: Canada Border Services Agency (Form BSF186, Memorandum D2-2-1) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP Form 3299). Rules depend on your situation; confirm yours with the border agency.
The same carrier moves your goods from the Indiana driveway to the Montreal door, with no handoff at the border.
We prepare the CBSA goods-to-follow and accompanying lists for you, ready for the port of entry.
Trucks run Montreal to Indianapolis as well, so the same service applies if you are moving south.
A short video call walks your home, then the team quotes against what is actually there.
We plan for plexes, outdoor staircases and narrow streets before the truck reaches Quebec.
“I was helping my daughter to relocate from New Jersey to Toronto and we worried so much about the cross border move. … The pick up in New Jersey was made so smooth that we didn't need to worry about even the packing. The shipment arrived Toronto in 3 days, without needing us to clear the customs!”
ada choungNew Jersey → Toronto · July 2026
Read the full review on Google →“Moving from Montréal to Texas felt like a lot to handle at first. … His approach was different — his communication was on point, he was thorough, and everything he said matched the reviews I read. … The team worked hard, took care of my stuff, and made the whole thing way easier than I expected.”
André LavoieMontréal → Texas · December 2025
Read the full review on Google →“We are moving to the United States and so far Charles and Brent have made our movement swift and smooth. I am sure just as the stuff was picked up on time, it will be delivered on time . Thank you for promptly answering our calls always… wishing your company the very best.”
Shilpa ThackerMoving to the United States · November 2025
Read the full review on Google →Reviews quoted word for word from Motion Transport’s Google Business Profile (5.0 from 216 reviews); … marks a shortened review.
5.0 · over 200 Google reviews
Real customers. Real moves. A moving specialist personally answers every quote.
Read all reviews on GoogleThe route is about 1,350 km through Michigan and Ontario, and actual timing depends on the fulfilment partner, border crossing conditions and where your load sits on the schedule. Your quote confirms the window.
Generally no; used personal and household effects are usually duty-free when relocating. Returning residents must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months under tariff item 9805.00.00. Settlers are assessed under different conditions, and vehicles, alcohol and firearms are treated separately.
You need a BSF186 Personal Effects Accounting Document and a BSF186A list of imported goods covering both the goods you bring with you and any goods to follow. Both are filed with the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry. Motion prepares the paperwork, so you review and sign rather than start from scratch.
No. One Motion carrier moves your goods from Indianapolis to Montreal, including the crossing at the Blue Water Bridge or Ambassador Bridge. Nothing is handed to a second company at the border, so there is a single party responsible for your belongings from pickup to delivery.
Yes. Motion runs this corridor in both directions and fills trucks on the return, so moving south is the same service as moving north. Customs paperwork is handled for you, and the quote starts with the same short video call of your home.
Book a short video call and we will price the move from what is in your home.
