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Shipping boxes to and from Canada

Canada is a straightforward place to ship boxes of personal belongings once you know which limit applies. Courier boxes from the US or Mexico get higher duty- and tax-free limits than boxes from anywhere else, gifts have their own CAD 60 allowance, and since September 8, 2026 some US-made goods owe a surtax even in small parcels. Moving to Canada, or coming home after a year or more away? Give the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) a list of everything you'll ship later when you first arrive, and your used belongings can follow free of duty and tax.

Typical transit: 1-4 business days from the US; 3-6 from Europe; 4-7 from Asia
Currency: CAD
Duty-free up to: 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)
Receiver ID: Not usually needed

Price a shipment to Canada

From

Boxes

Weight each (lb)

Box size

Choose where it's from and where it's going.

What it costs to ship boxes from the US to Canada

1 medium box (16 × 16 × 16 in, 20 lb)$88.90delivered in 2 to 4 business days
5 medium boxes (30 lb each)$444.50 totalabout $88.90 a box

Includes pickup at your door, express delivery, fuel and prepared customs paperwork. Import duties and taxes, if any, are set by Canada and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.

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Popular routes to Canada

Popular routes from Canada

Sending to Canada

Duties and taxes1 2 3 4 5 6

Duty-free threshold: 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.
Import tax: GST (goods and services tax) at 5%, or HST (harmonized sales tax) in its place: 13% in Ontario, 14% in Nova Scotia (since April 1, 2025), and 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. Where a province has an agreement with the CBSA, its provincial sales tax (PST) is collected on personal imports too. Duty depends on what each item is and where it was made. Since September 8, 2026, listed goods that originate in the US also owe a surtax of 15%, 25%, or 50% of their value for duty.
How value is worked out: FOB at the place of direct shipment. Costs to get the goods to that point count, but freight and insurance from there to Canada don't. The courier limits use this value for duty, and customs works it out even when no duty is owed, because GST, HST, and PST are calculated from it. Foreign amounts are converted at the Bank of Canada rate in effect on the day the goods began their direct, uninterrupted journey to Canada. Gifts and other goods that weren't bought can't be valued on a price paid, and customs won't accept arbitrary or made-up values, so give a fair second-hand value for used goods.
Who pays: Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
Moving there?: Settlers (people moving to Canada to live for the first time, for a year or more) can bring personal and household effects free of duty and tax if they owned, possessed, and used them abroad before arriving. Former residents moving back after a continuous absence of at least a year get the same relief for goods they owned, possessed, and used abroad for at least six months. The six-month rule doesn't apply after five years away, but any single item worth more than CAD 10,000 (about $7,070) pays duty and tax on the amount over CAD 10,000. Give the CBSA a list of everything, including goods to follow, at your first point of entry, and the officer records it on form BSF186. If you sell or give goods away within a year, duty and tax become due on them.

Worked example

Illustrative: a box of used household items worth CAD 400 (about $283) sent by courier from the UK to a receiver in Ontario who isn't a settler or returning resident. Assumes the items carry no customs duty.

The value for duty is CAD 400; the shipping charge to Canada isn't added. That's above the CAD 20 limit for courier shipments from outside the US and Mexico, so HST applies to the full value: 13% x CAD 400 = CAD 52.

About CAD 52 (about $37), plus any courier fee. A settler clearing the same goods against a stamped BSF186 would normally owe nothing.

How customs clearance works in Canada1 2 4 8

Express couriers clear low-value shipments through the CBSA's Courier Low Value Shipment program. For personal (casual) goods, the courier declares them under its own CBSA business number, pays the duty and tax, including provincial sales tax or HST where the province has an agreement with the CBSA, and bills the receiver. Since October 21, 2024, commercial importers account and pay through the CBSA's CARM system (Assessment and Revenue Management); you don't need a CBSA account to receive personal boxes.

Formal entry: The courier's low-value process covers shipments worth up to CAD 3,300 (about $2,330) in value for duty, and a bigger shipment can't be split to fit under it. Above that, and for returning residents' effects or regulated goods, a full customs accounting is needed, which the courier or a customs broker can file.
How long it takes: Low-value courier shipments with clear paperwork are often released within a day of arrival. Anything held for a CFIA or Health Canada check, or cleared against a BSF186, takes longer.
Inspections: The CBSA can examine any shipment. Goods regulated by other departments, such as prescription drugs and food, plant, and animal products, can't use the low-value process and go to a fuller review, and officers may detain health products they suspect don't comply. Vague descriptions and missing countries of origin invite checks too.
If duties go unpaid: If the receiver refuses or doesn't pay, the courier can return the shipment abroad or have it destroyed under CBSA supervision. Storage and return charges may apply, so ask the courier how long it holds unpaid shipments.

Moving to Canada: claiming duty relief2 4

01
Check you qualify
Settlers are moving to Canada to live for the first time, for a year or more. Former residents are moving back after a continuous absence of at least a year.
02
Make your list
Before you travel, prepare two copies of a list of everything: goods you bring in one section, goods to follow in the other, with value, make, model, and serial numbers.
03
Declare at your first point of entry
Give the list to the border services officer, even if you arrive with nothing. The officer completes form BSF186, gives it a file number, and hands you a copy as your receipt.
04
Ship your goods to follow
Book the boxes after you've declared, and send the courier a copy of your BSF186. They're cleared against it rather than as low-value parcels.
05
Keep the goods for a year
If you sell or give anything away within a year, duty and tax become due on it.

Documents to have ready2 3 4

Your stamped copy of form BSF186 (Personal Effects Accounting Document), if you're a settler or returning resident shipping goods to follow
Your list of goods, in two copies: goods you bring in one section and goods to follow in another, with the value, make, model, and serial number where applicable
An itemized packing list for the courier, with a clear description, fair value, and country of origin for every item, marked as used personal effects or gift
A card or note inside any gift, showing it's a gift from the sender to the receiver
Any permit or authorization a regulated item needs, such as food, plant, or animal products or health products

Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.

Official forms2 4 9 10

BSF186: Personal Effects Accounting Document (opens in a new tab)
Completed by the border services officer at your first point of entry, from your list, to record settlers' or returning residents' effects, including goods to follow. Your copy is the receipt you use to clear them.
BSF186A: Personal Effects Accounting Document (list of imported goods) (opens in a new tab)
Continuation list used with the BSF186 for imported goods and goods to follow.
B2G: CBSA Informal Adjustment Request (opens in a new tab)
Ask for a refund or adjustment on a personal (non-commercial) import, for example if settlers' effects were charged by mistake.
BSF831: Exporter reporting application form (opens in a new tab)
Register for a CERS account so you can file an export declaration, for example when emigrating.
Cultural property export permit application (opens in a new tab)
Apply through a CBSA permit office or Canadian Heritage to export an object on the Control List. The guide explains the steps.

What you can pack, category by category1 2 3 7 8

What you can pack, by category
Category	Status	What to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothes	Allowed	Used clothing for personal use is fine. Settlers' and returning residents' effects come in free; otherwise the courier limits apply.
Books and papersMore on books	Allowed	Books and printed papers are fine.
ElectronicsMore on electronics	Conditions	Allowed with batteries installed. Note where each item was made: some US-made goods owe the 2026 surtax.
MedicationMore on medicine	Conditions	Residents generally can't import prescription drugs. Non-prescription products are fine up to a 90-day supply, in original packages.
FoodMore on food	Conditions	CFIA rules apply. No meat products by mail or courier. Sealed, commercially packaged foods are the safest choice; check plant products in AIRS.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmetics	Conditions	Personal amounts are fine. No aerosols, nail polish, or flammable perfumes in courier boxes.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobacco	Not allowed	Couriers generally refuse them in personal boxes. They never count as gifts, and provincial taxes apply where they can be imported.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gear	Conditions	Clean gear before packing. No fuel canisters, bear spray or other aerosols, or firearms.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gear	Allowed	Used toys are fine. Remove loose batteries.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photos	Allowed	Personal papers and photos are fine.
Other	Conditions	Antiques, artworks, ivory, and wildlife items may need permits, and plants and seeds need a CFIA check. Anything regulated can't use the courier's low-value process.

Quantity limits1 2 4 7 8 9

Quantity limits for Canada
Item	Limit
Courier shipments from the US or Mexico	No duty up to CAD 150 (about $106) and no tax up to CAD 40 (about $28) in value for duty. Listed US-made goods can still owe the 2026 surtax.
Courier shipments from other countries	No duty or tax up to CAD 20 (about $14) in value for duty.
Gifts	Up to CAD 60 (about $42) per gift from a friend or relative abroad, with a card or note. Duty and tax apply to any amount above that. Alcohol, tobacco, and advertising material don't qualify.
Medicines	Up to a 90-day supply or one course of treatment, whichever is less. Canadian residents generally can't import prescription drugs.
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.
Former residents' high-value items	Any single item worth more than CAD 10,000 (about $7,070) pays duty and tax on the amount over CAD 10,000. Settlers have no single-item cap.
Cash (crossing the border)	Report CAD 10,000 (about $7,070) or more in currency or monetary instruments to the CBSA, for example on form E677 when leaving. Couriers won't carry cash.

What you can't send to Canada1 2 3 4 7 8

Not allowed

Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
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

Prescription medicines: Health Canada generally doesn't let Canadian residents import prescription drugs, whether carried, mailed, or couriered. Narrow exceptions exist, for example for recent immigrants and for treatment started abroad. Visitors staying more than three months can receive a further 90-day supply every three months by mail or courier. Prescription drugs can't use the courier's low-value process.
Non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and natural health products: Allowed for personal use up to a 90-day supply or one course of treatment, whichever is less, in the original labeled package. A product sold over the counter elsewhere may need a prescription in Canada.
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.
Goods that originate in the US: Since September 8, 2026, goods listed in the United States Surtax Order (2026) owe a surtax of 15%, 25%, or 50% of their value for duty, even in shipments under the courier limits. Goods entered under a Chapter 98 tariff item, such as gifts up to CAD 60, are exempt unless that item is listed in Schedule 4 of the Order.
Settlers' and returning residents' effects: Cleared against your stamped BSF186, not as ordinary low-value parcels. Returning residents' effects aren't eligible for the courier's low-value process at all, and goods to follow can still face import restrictions. Ask the courier how it will clear them before you book.
Shipments worth more than CAD 3,300: Above the courier's low-value limit of CAD 3,300 (about $2,330) in value for duty, and they can't be split into smaller shipments to fit under it. They need a full customs accounting, which the courier or a customs broker can file.
Alcohol and tobacco: Never covered by the gift exemption. A courier can import them for personal use only where the CBSA has an agreement with the province, and provincial taxes apply. Most couriers won't carry them in personal boxes.
Knives, self-defense sprays, and wildlife products: Some knives, such as switchblades, and sprays made for use on people may be prohibited weapons in Canada. Items made from protected species may need CITES permits. Leave them out, or check with the CBSA first.

Sending from Canada

Shipping boxes out of Canada9 10

Sending your own used belongings out of Canada is usually simple. Non-restricted personal effects, personal gifts, and anything non-restricted going to the US need no export declaration. People emigrating are the exception: their household goods must be reported to the CBSA in the Canadian Export Reporting System (CERS) before they leave for any country other than the US.

Documents

Itemized packing list with fair values, marked as used personal effects or gift
If you're emigrating to a country other than the US: an export declaration filed in CERS, and its proof-of-report number for the courier
If no declaration is needed: the right code for the courier, such as NDR3 (personal and household effects), NDR8 (personal gifts), or NDR1 (non-restricted goods going to the US)
A cultural property export permit for any object on the Control List

Can't leave the country

Objects on the Canadian Cultural Property Export Control List need an export permit. Generally that means objects 50 years or older, made by someone no longer living, and above value limits that depend on the type of object. Archaeological objects are controlled after 75 years, whatever their value.
No cultural property permit is needed for works by living artists, objects under 50 years old, or objects imported into Canada within the past 35 years
Restricted goods need their export permit, and a declaration whatever their value when they go anywhere other than the US
Cash and monetary instruments of CAD 10,000 (about $7,070) or more must be reported to the CBSA, for example on form E677. Couriers won't carry cash.

Before pickup

Emigrating? Register for CERS early with form BSF831, which you email to the CBSA, and file before pickup. Goods leaving by air must be reported at least 2 hours before they're loaded.
Give the courier your proof-of-report number, or the NDR code that applies.
Allow about two business days for a cultural property export permit, or two to four weeks if an expert review is needed.
Check the destination's rules too. The receiving country decides duties.

Addresses, delivery and timing2

Writing the address

Write the name, then the unit and street address, then the city, two-letter province code, and postal code on one line. Postal codes follow the pattern A1A 1A1. Put a unit number before the street number, joined with a hyphen, or on its own line.

Maria Example4-128 Maplewood CrescentWinnipeg MB R3T 0Z9Canada

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Halifax.

Remote areas: Northern territories, remote Indigenous communities, and many rural or island areas add days and remote-area surcharges. Some fly-in communities are served only a few days a week.

Major cities often get next-day delivery after customs release. A phone number and email for the receiver help the courier collect any charges quickly.

When things slow down

Expect slower service around Canada Day (July 1), Thanksgiving (the second Monday of October), and the Black Friday-to-New Year peak. The CBSA runs a special holiday gift process for couriers from November 1 to January 8, a sign of how busy that season gets. Winter storms from December to March can delay deliveries, especially in the North and the Prairies.

Advice for your situation

Students

Students usually don't count as settlers, so boxes are taxed under the normal courier limits. Check with the CBSA before you ship if you're unsure. Keep shipments modest, mark them as used personal effects, and ship once you have an address.

Returning home

Back after a year or more abroad? Goods you owned and used abroad for at least six months come in free of duty and tax, and the six-month rule falls away after five years. List goods to follow at your first point of entry. They can't go through the courier's low-value process, so ask the courier how it will clear them.

Expats and relocations

Moving to Canada to live? Settlers' relief covers goods you owned, possessed, and used before arriving, with no single-item cap. List everything at your first point of entry, ship afterwards, and keep the goods for a year. Coming for a short work assignment? Ask the CBSA first, because temporary workers may not count as settlers.

Tips for a smooth delivery

Settlers and returning residents: give the CBSA your list of goods to follow at your first point of entry, even if you arrive with nothing. Goods not on that list don't qualify later.
Keep your stamped BSF186 safe, and send the courier a copy when you book.
Put each item's country of origin on the packing list. It decides which courier limit applies and whether the 2026 US surtax does.
Mark gifts as gifts, with a card or note inside. A gift over CAD 60 pays only on the amount above CAD 60.
Leave out meat, dairy, prescription drugs, and other regulated goods. They can't use the courier's fast low-value process and may be held.
Tell the receiver to expect a courier fee, which is separate from any CBSA duty and tax.

Shipping to and from Canada: questions

Is there a duty-free limit for packages to Canada?

Yes, by courier. From the US or Mexico there's no duty up to CAD 150 and no tax up to CAD 40. From anywhere else, nothing is due up to CAD 20. Gifts from a friend or relative abroad are free up to CAD 60. Listed US-made goods can still owe the 2026 surtax.

Do I pay duty on used clothes and household goods sent to Canada?

Settlers and returning residents who listed them on a BSF186 usually pay nothing. Otherwise the courier limits apply. Above them, the receiver pays any duty, which depends on the item and where it was made, plus GST or HST, and provincial sales tax where the CBSA collects it.

Can I ship my belongings to Canada before I arrive?

It's safer to ship after you arrive. Goods to follow only qualify for settlers' or returning residents' relief if they're on the list you give the CBSA at your first point of entry, and you'll need your stamped BSF186 to clear them.

Does the 2026 US surtax apply to personal boxes?

It can. Since September 8, 2026, listed goods that originate in the US owe 15%, 25%, or 50% of their value for duty, even below the courier limits. Goods entered under a Chapter 98 item, such as gifts up to CAD 60, are exempt unless that item is listed in Schedule 4 of the Order.

Can I send medicine to someone in Canada?

Not prescription drugs, as a rule: Health Canada generally doesn't let residents import them, even by courier. Visitors staying over three months can receive a 90-day supply every three months. Non-prescription products are fine up to a 90-day supply, in their original packages.

How long does shipping boxes to Canada take?

Express door-to-door usually takes 1-4 business days from the US, 3-6 from Europe, and 4-7 from Asia, plus time for customs.

Do I need an export declaration to ship my things out of Canada?

Usually not. Personal effects and personal gifts that aren't restricted need none, and neither do non-restricted goods going to the US. If you're emigrating, though, your household goods need an export declaration in the Canadian Export Reporting System (CERS) when they go anywhere other than the US, whatever their value.

What can't I ship from Canada?

Couriers refuse cannabis, aerosols, flammables, loose batteries, weapons, and cash. Antiques and artworks on Canada's cultural property Control List, generally objects 50 years or older by makers no longer living, need an export permit. Other restricted goods need their own export permit.

Official help in Canada

CBSA Border Information Service (BIS) (opens in a new tab)
Call 1-800-461-9999 from Canada or the US, or 1-204-983-3500 (long distance) from elsewhere. TTY: 1-866-335-3237. Agents answer Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm local time, except holidays.
CBSA online client support form (opens in a new tab)
Send the CBSA a written question.

Official sources

Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in Canada makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

1.
Canada Border Services Agency
Importing by mail or courier - Determining duty and taxes owed (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
2.
Canada Border Services Agency
Memorandum D17-4-0: Courier Low Value Shipment Program (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
3.
Canada Border Services Agency
Customs Notice 26-23: United States Surtax Order (2026) (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
4.
Canada Border Services Agency
Moving or returning to Canada (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
5.
Canada Border Services Agency
Customs valuation handbook: How to establish the value for duty of imported goods (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
6.
Canada Revenue Agency
GST/HST calculator (and rates) (opens in a new tab)
Tax authority · checked September 26, 2026
7.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Bringing food into Canada for personal use (opens in a new tab)
Biosecurity · checked September 26, 2026
8.
Health Canada
Bringing health products into Canada for personal use (GUI-0116) (opens in a new tab)
Health regulator · checked September 26, 2026
9.
Canada Border Services Agency
Memorandum D20-1-1: Exporter Reporting (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
10.
Canadian Heritage
Guide to Exporting Cultural Property from Canada (opens in a new tab)
Government · checked September 26, 2026

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