Can I send food to Canada?
Yes, with conditions.
CFIA rules apply. No meat products by mail or courier. Sealed, commercially packaged foods are the safest choice; check plant products in AIRS.
For every Onvoyo box: Only sealed, shop-bought, shelf-stable food. Express couriers don't carry perishable food: nothing fresh, frozen, meat, dairy or produce.
More rules for Canada
Not allowed
- Meat and meat products sent by mail or courier: the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) allows personal amounts only in a traveler's own baggage
- Fresh or cured meat and eggs from countries other than the US
- Unpasteurized (raw-milk) cheese from most countries
Allowed with conditions
- Food, plant, and animal products
- Regulated by the CFIA and not eligible for the courier's low-value process, so expect a check. Look up each item in the CFIA's Automated Import Reference System (AIRS). Fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains depend on the country of origin.
Quantity limits
- Food (personal use)
- CFIA personal-use limits are generally 20 kg or 20 L per person for most foods. Meat products are allowed only in your own baggage, never by mail or courier.
Before you ship to Canada
- Tax-free limit
- Courier shipments from the US or Mexico pay no duty up to CAD 150 (about $106) and no tax up to CAD 40 (about $28). From anywhere else, courier shipments are free of duty and tax only up to CAD 20 (about $14). A gift sent personally by a friend or relative abroad is free up to CAD 60 (about $42). Above that, duty and tax apply only to the amount over CAD 60, and the gift and CAD 20 rules can't be combined. Listed US-made goods can owe the 2026 surtax even below these limits.
- Receiver ID
- No tax number is needed to receive personal boxes. The courier declares personal (casual) goods under its own CBSA business number and bills the receiver. Settlers and returning residents need their stamped BSF186 instead, because goods to follow are cleared against it.
- Transit
- 1-4 business days from the US; 3-6 from Europe; 4-7 from Asia
Questions
Can I send food to Canada?
Yes, with conditions. CFIA rules apply. No meat products by mail or courier. Sealed, commercially packaged foods are the safest choice; check plant products in AIRS.
Ask about a specific item
Official sources
- 1.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Bringing food into Canada for personal use (opens in a new tab) - 2.
- 3.
Canada Border Services Agency
Customs Notice 26-23: United States Surtax Order (2026) (opens in a new tab) - 4.
Canada Border Services Agency
Memorandum D17-4-0: Courier Low Value Shipment Program (opens in a new tab) - 5.
Canada Border Services Agency
Importing by mail or courier - Determining duty and taxes owed (opens in a new tab) - 6.
Canada Border Services Agency
Moving or returning to Canada (opens in a new tab) - 7.
Canada Border Services Agency
Memorandum D20-1-1: Exporter Reporting (opens in a new tab)
General guidance, not legal advice. Customs in Canada makes the final decision on every box.