Services Available

For a list of postal services available to Canada, contact the country of origin's postal administration.

Import Restrictions

Senders should determine import restrictions from Canadian authorities before posting:

• copyright works
• currency
• dead animals, including wild birds or their parts
• diamonds (rough)
• drugs and other controlled substances
• eggs, milk and other dairy products
• films
• fish, game, meat, poultry, fruit, vegetables and their products
• intoxicating liquors
• liquids, liquefiable substances and powders
• live chicks, parasites, leeches, bees and bees' wax
• medical material, including specimens
• plants, seeds, fruits, bark, plant parts and soil
• seed potatoes, onions and other raw root crops
• tobacco
• wheat, straw, bran, chaff, barley and their products.

Alcoholic Beverages

The importation of alcoholic beverages (including wine) to Canada is strictly prohibited unless being mailed to a Provincial Liquor Board or Commission, or to a manufacturer or distributor of such beverages in Canada.

Periodicals

Canada prohibits periodicals:

• that contain advertisement primarily directed to a Canadian market and which does not appear in identical form in all copies of that issue in the country of origin
• in which more than five per cent of the advertising content indicates specifically where goods or services may be obtained in Canada, or indicates specific terms or conditions relating to the sale or provision of goods or services in Canada.

Tobacco products

Tobacco and tobacco products may be imported for personal consumption in limited quantities, provided that they meet the requirements of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Importation of tobacco products must also meet the requirements of the Tobacco Departmental Regulations available at the following website: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/E-14.1/sor-2003-288/219094.html and the Tobacco Act at: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/T-11.5/.

NOTE: Labelling and stamping requirements of the Tobacco Departmental Regulations do not apply when an individual imports five (5) or less units of packaged tobacco. A unit is defined as: 200 cigarettes; 50 cigars; 400 tobacco sticks; or 400 g of manufactured tobacco.

Electronic smoking products (i.e. electronic products for the vaporization and administration of inhaled doses of nicotine including electronic cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and pipes, as well as cartridges of nicotine solutions and related products) currently require market authorization by Health Canada prior to being imported. Failure to obtain this authorization will result in your items being refused entry by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). For additional information, refer to the Notice - To All Persons Interested in Importing, Advertising or Selling Electronic Smoking Products in Canada on the Department of Health Canada website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/applic-demande/pol/notice_avis_e-cig-eng.php.

Prohibited Items

In addition to items considered non-mailable matter, the following are prohibited:

• bee-keeping apparatus, used
• chain letters and other literature pertaining to fraudulent schemes
• contraceptive devices and literature
• corrosives, nuclear substances or oxidizing substances
• counterfeit or imitation coins
• firearms, weapons and ammunition
• gold bullion, gold dust or non-manufactured metals
• hate propaganda
• live animals
• manufactured goods bearing insufficient markings or origin
• margarine or butter substitutes
• metallic labels
• obscene, immoral, indecent or scurrilous matter
• poisonous or infectious substances
• prison-made goods
• unlawful lottery tickets and advertising.

Documentation Required

Information regarding Customs can be found in "Customs Requirements" of the Canada Postal Guide.

Invoice

Commercial consignments valued at more than $1,200CDN must be accompanied by a certified invoice. The sender must send three copies separately to the addressee and include one copy in the article.

Gifts

Canada admits duty-free gifts up to $60CDN in value that are labelled UNSOLICITED GIFT.