Sending Parcels Home From Canada: Couriers and Customs

Key takeaways

Canada Post is usually cheapest for small parcels under 2 kg; express couriers are faster but cost more
For big boxes of personal goods, community sea cargo (for example balikbayan boxes) is often cheapest per kilo, but it takes weeks or months
Every international parcel with goods needs a customs declaration with a true description and value
Personal gifts and personal effects do not need a CBSA export declaration, even over $2,000
Canada Post does not accept lithium batteries for international mail outside the U.S.
The destination country decides duty and banned items: check its rules before you pack

What is the cheapest way to send a parcel home from Canada?

It depends on size, weight, speed and what is inside. As a rule of thumb:

Option	Best for	Typical speed	Watch out for
Canada Post Small Packet or Tracked Packet	Light gifts, documents, small items up to 2 kg	Slow (Small Packet Surface can take weeks); air is faster	2 kg limit; Small Packet has no coverage
Canada Post Xpresspost International or International Parcel	Medium parcels	Days (Xpresspost) to weeks (Surface)	Volumetric weight; weight limit depends on the country
Express couriers: DHL, FedEx, UPS, Purolator	Urgent or valuable items	Usually a few business days	Highest price; volumetric weight; duty often collected from the receiver
Sea cargo forwarders (balikbayan and community cargo)	Large boxes of clothes, food items allowed by the destination, household goods	Usually many weeks	Choose a trusted forwarder; flat price per box size
Air cargo forwarders	Medium to large boxes when sea is too slow	Faster than sea, slower than express	Price per kilo; check what is included at the other end

Use our parcel cost calculator to work out the weight a carrier will charge you for, then compare quotes.

Canada Post international services explained

Canada Post has five international parcel services. Limits change by destination, so always check the country page first. For India, as of October 2026, Canada Post lists:

Xpresspost International: up to 20 kg, coverage up to $1,000.
International Parcel (Surface): up to 20 kg, coverage up to $1,000.
Tracked Packet International: up to 2 kg, coverage up to $100.
Small Packet (Air or Surface): up to 2 kg, no coverage.

Canada Post’s June 2026 international shipping chart lists a 30 kg maximum for Xpresspost International and International Parcel in general, but each country can set a lower limit, as India does. Check the international destinations list for your country.

Canada Post does not apply volumetric weight to Small Packet and Tracked Packet. A light but bulky gift can be much cheaper this way if it is under 2 kg.

Express couriers and cargo forwarders

DHL Express, FedEx, UPS and Purolator pick up from your home or a drop-off point and deliver door to door, usually in a few business days. They charge by the higher of the real weight and the volumetric weight. DHL and FedEx both use length × width × height in centimetres divided by 5,000.

Forwarders group many boxes into one shipping container. They are popular in Filipino, South Asian, Caribbean and African communities. Many charge a flat price per box size instead of per kilo, and some include pickup in Canada and home delivery at the other end. See our guides for balikbayan boxes to the Philippines and parcels to India.

How to choose a forwarder

Ask for the full price: pickup, box, delivery to the exact province or city, and any customs or handling fees at the other end.
Ask for the sailing or flight cut-off date and the expected delivery date.
Get a receipt and a tracking or reference number for each box.
Check reviews and how long the company has operated. For the Philippines, check that the forwarder’s partner is on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) accredited list.

Customs forms: what you must declare

Canada Post says you must complete a customs declaration for any mail containing goods sent outside Canada. Couriers and forwarders ask for the same details. Write:

A clear description of each item (for example “2 cotton shirts, used”, not “gifts”).
The quantity and the real value in Canadian dollars. Canada Post’s India page says a value of “0” is not accepted and a full description with the correct market value is required.
Whether it is a gift, personal effects or commercial goods.

A false value can lead to fines, delays or the parcel being seized at the other end.

Do I need a CBSA export declaration?

An export declaration is a different document from the customs form. Canada Post says it is needed for goods worth CA$2,000 or more, or for controlled items, going to countries other than the U.S. But the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) lists exceptions. You do not need one for:

Personal gifts of goods that are not restricted.
Personal and household effects that are not for sale (except those of a person emigrating).
Commercial goods worth less than CA$2,000.

If you are moving out of Canada and shipping your belongings, different rules apply. See our ship or sell calculator.

What you cannot ship

Two sets of rules apply: the carrier’s rules and the destination country’s import rules.

Lithium batteries: Canada Post says they can only be shipped within Canada and to the U.S. That includes phones, laptops and power banks.
Controlled items: alcohol, tobacco, firearms and cannabis have special rules. Cannabis cannot legally leave Canada.
Perishable food, liquids and powders, plants and animals are on Canada Post’s non-mailable or restricted lists.
Destination bans: for example, Canada Post’s India page lists jewellery, phones and rice among items you cannot send there by post.

Our banned items checklist lists the rules by destination and method.

Who pays duty at the other end?

The person receiving the parcel usually pays any import duty and tax, plus a handling fee from the carrier. Each country sets its own rules:

India: there is no duty-free allowance for gifts sent by post or courier. Customs duty and tax apply, except for life-saving medicines and rakhi.
Philippines: qualified Filipinos abroad can send balikbayan boxes of personal and household goods tax-free up to PHP 150,000 a year, up to three times a year.

Couriers often offer “duties paid by sender” for an extra fee. This can save your family a trip to the post office or a surprise bill.

Insurance, tracking and claims

Coverage is limited. Canada Post coverage is up to $1,000 on some services to India and up to $100 on others, and Small Packet has none. Couriers sell extra cover. Many forwarders offer optional cover per box.
Keep proof. Keep receipts for what you packed, photos of the contents and the sealed box, and the tracking number.
Pack well. Use a strong double-wall box, fill empty space and tape every seam. Put a paper copy of both addresses inside the box.
Claims have deadlines. Ask each carrier how long you have to report loss or damage.

Should you send money instead?

For many families, sending money is cheaper and faster than sending goods, because the receiver can buy what they need locally with no shipping or duty. Compare options in our guide to sending money home, or the country guides for India and the Philippines.

Common questions

What is the cheapest way to ship a box from Canada to India or the Philippines?

For small items under 2 kg, Canada Post Small Packet or Tracked Packet is often cheapest. For large boxes of personal goods, sea cargo forwarders are usually cheapest per kilo, but slowest. Compare quotes for your exact box size and weight.

Do I need to declare a gift?

Yes. Every international parcel with goods needs a customs declaration with a true description and value. Marking a parcel as a gift does not make it duty-free in every country. India, for example, has no duty-free allowance for gifts sent by post or courier.

Can I send a phone or laptop home by Canada Post?

Canada Post says lithium batteries can only be shipped within Canada and to the U.S., so devices with lithium batteries cannot go to other countries by Canada Post. Ask a courier about its rules. India also lists phones as prohibited by post.

Do I need a CBSA export declaration for a box over $2,000?

Not for personal gifts or non-restricted personal and household effects that are not for sale. The CBSA lists these as exceptions. People emigrating with their belongings and anyone shipping restricted goods have different rules.

What does volumetric weight mean?

Carriers charge for the space a box takes up as well as its weight. DHL, FedEx and Canada Post (for Xpresspost and other international parcel services) use length × width × height in centimetres divided by 5,000. You pay for whichever is higher, real or volumetric weight.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 5, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Sending parcels home from Canada: the complete guide