If you’re looking to send a parcel to the land of maple syrup and ice hockey, there’s a chance you may have a few questions about what you can and can’t post, along with how to post it. To help make the process as simple as possible, we’ve pulled together this handy guide to sending parcels to Canada. Then it’s just a case of leaving your parcel in our capable hands; we’ll handle the rest.

To all cities including; Ontario, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Quebec, Vancouver and more...

As a northerly neighbour to the United States, beautiful Canada is a land of many different landscapes, from mountains and stunning lakes to sprawling coastlines and buzzing cities.

It’s one of the largest countries in the world, but, despite this, it actually has a rather small population with only 3.3 people per square kilometre. Canada is, however, a popular destination for people emigrating from the UK so there’s a fair chance you may know someone out there that you’ll want to send a parcel to.

Posting to Canada? All you need to do is quickly register with us, select your pick up or drop off preference, then leave the rest to us.

Your parcel will travel over 3,500 miles, be delivered in 3-4 days and will cost as little as £22.09* (ex VAT)

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We believe that posting parcels overseas shouldn’t cost the earth, so we work hard to make sure our prices are as cheap as possible.

Sending a parcel to Canada with ipostparcels is both affordable and reliable, with collection and delivery costs from just £23.39 (ex VAT). Or you can save yourself £1.30 when you drop your parcel off at one of our 52 nationwide depots. Take a look at our most up to date costs here.

We’ll ensure your parcel reaches its destination in just 3-4 days, whether that’s door to door using one of our couriers to collect from your home or office, or if you’d rather drop off directly at one of our nationwide depots.

While we make every effort to get your items delivered within these timescales, sometimes it can take longer for your parcel to arrive to more remote and rural locations across Canada.

Please note – national and local holidays in 2018 which may affect delivery times to Canada: Jan 1, 2, 31 / Feb 12, 19, 23 / Mar 1, 19, 30, 31 / Apr 2, 7, 11, 23 / May 3, 20, 21 / Jun 21, 24, 25 / Jul 1, 2, 9, 22 / Aug 6, 17, 20 / Sep 3, 10, 19, 24, 30 / Oct 1, 2, 8 / Nov 11, 12, 21 / Dec 3, 10, 25, 26

Customs forms are required for any parcel being sent outside of the EU, so that Customs Agents can process it efficiently. Filling these out correctly saves any issues or delays on the delivery of your package. However, knowing how to fill the forms properly and preventing seizure of your parcel can sometimes be tricky. For example, there are two different types of overseas customs forms – one for goods up to value of £270 and another for items over that amount – and you’ll need to make sure you’re using the right one.

We hate to think of our customers struggling with fiddly forms, so we’ll automatically generate customs documents for you from the information you provide on the booking form. Simply print these out, sign them and attach them securely to your parcel in an envelope marked ‘customs documents’.

Canada is very thorough when it comes to what is and isn’t allowed into the country, and it’s common for packages to be opened and inspected by customs officials. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to shipping to Canada, and this is especially true when it comes to the customer declaration and the value of your package.

You’ll need to pay duty on any items valued at $20CDN or more. If the item is a gift and cost under $60CDN, it will be free from duty costs. Any costs incurred will be determined by the Canada Border Services Agency when they assess the parcel at Customs.

HM Revenue & Customs has more information on tax and customs considerations for Canada.

There are many prohibitions and restrictions, some which are completely denied entry into Canada.

Canada also has strict rules around meat and meat products from countries with risk of BSE (Mad Cow Disease). This broadly means you shouldn’t send anything from the UK that is or contains meat, milk, egg, poultry or their by-products (including other products made from them), so do examine ingredients labels carefully, as they will not be allowed entry to Canada.

This list from the Canadian Border Services Agency will show you some restrictions and you can also check the Canadian Post Office website for further confirmation of prohibited items.

Examples of items you can’t post to Canada include:

Please be aware that we also have our own prohibited items list, in addition to country-specific restrictions.

We’ll transport parcels up to 25kg in weight, 80x80x80cm max in size.

Packing your parcel as securely as possible is key to ensure it doesn’t suffer any damage en route, regardless of size. Pack your goods in a robust outer box relatively close in size to the item and use lightweight packaging materials to fill any empty space – this will help protect them whilst moving around in transit.

Need further advice on packaging? See our handy international packaging guide for tips and advice.

From the time of collection (should you not be in, you can opt to leave your parcel in a safe place and our driver will collect it from there) to delivery, where it will be signed for by the recipient, we take good care of the items you send with us.

We also offer free online tracking to keep you fully updated on your parcel’s location, and provide £50 extended cover on your item as standard – you can choose to add extra cover for more valuable items if you wish.