Sending a parcel from Canada to India

Is there duty on gifts sent to India?

Yes, in most cases. India’s customs FAQs say that importing goods through post or courier as “gifts” is prohibited, except for life-saving drugs and medicines and rakhi. But the same FAQs say gifts can be imported if the full duty is paid. In practice, your parcel is cleared as a dutiable personal import and the receiver pays.

This rule comes from a Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notification of December 2019. The older duty-free allowance for small gifts no longer applies to post and courier parcels.

How much duty?

Duty is a mix of basic customs duty and Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST). Rates have changed several times. India’s 2026 Budget announced a cut in the basic customs duty on goods imported for personal use from 20% to 10%, but not for jewellery and precious metals. IGST is added on top. Ask the courier or India Post for the current total before you send, and include it in your budget.

What you cannot send to India

Check two lists: Canada Post’s list for India and India’s own import rules.

Canada Post: prohibited to India (as listed October 2026)

• Jewellery
• Telephones and cell phones
• Rice and cereals (other than seed quality)
• Animal and vegetable fats and oils
• Live animals, meat of wild animals, feathers of wild birds
• Lottery tickets, money orders, unused cheques and unsigned credit cards

India customs: not allowed by post

• Gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones in any form
• Perishable goods
• Animals and plants

Restricted by India

Canada Post also lists items India restricts, including alcohol, antiques, drugs and pharmaceuticals, live animals and animal products, and precious stones. Restricted means you need a permit or the item may be held.

Remember that Canada Post does not take lithium batteries to India, so laptops, tablets and power banks cannot go by post. See the full banned items checklist.

Canada Post to India: which service?

Source: Canada Post destination page for India, checked October 5, 2026. Coverage limits are as listed by Canada Post; prices are on the Find a Rate tool.

Canada Post also says letter-post with registered mail is available to India, but valuables are not accepted.

Couriers and cargo forwarders to India

Express couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS and others) deliver to most Indian cities in a few business days. They charge by the higher of the real weight and the volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 5,000). Customs clearance is usually done by the courier, and the receiver is asked to pay duty before delivery.

South Asian cargo forwarders in cities like Brampton, Mississauga, Surrey and Calgary send bigger boxes by air or sea cargo at a price per kilo. Before you book, ask:

• Is customs duty in India included, or will my family pay it?
• Do you deliver to the door, or does my family collect from a warehouse?
• What is not allowed? (Most will refuse gold, cash, phones and batteries.)
• Do I get a receipt, tracking number and claim process?

Use the parcel cost calculator to see the chargeable weight before you ask for quotes.

What is usually fine to send

Clothing, books, toys, packaged cosmetics without aerosols, and small household items are usually accepted. Declare each type of item with a real value. Do not under-value items: Canada Post says a value of “0” is not accepted for India and a full description with the correct market value is required.

Food is the most common problem. Rice and fats and oils are on Canada Post’s prohibited list for India, and perishable goods cannot go by post. Sealed, shelf-stable sweets and snacks may be accepted by some couriers, but check first.

How to fill in the customs form for India

A clear form is the best way to avoid delays at Indian customs:

• Describe each item separately: “3 women’s cotton kurtas, new”, “1 children’s book, used”. Avoid words like “gift items” or “miscellaneous”.
• Give a real value in Canadian dollars for each line. Use the price you paid, or a fair second-hand value for used items.
• Tick “gift” only if it is a gift, and remember that the gift label does not make it duty-free in India.
• Write the receiver’s full name, address with PIN code, and phone number. Couriers send duty payment and KYC messages to that phone.
• Keep a copy of the form and photos of the contents.

If the receiver refuses to pay the duty, the parcel may come back to you at your cost, or be abandoned.

Diwali, Rakhi and wedding timing

Parcels sent before festivals face busy customs counters on both sides. Plan ahead:

• Rakhi: rakhi is one of the items India allows as a gift by post, but it still needs to arrive on time. Send a few weeks before Raksha Bandhan.
• Diwali: express couriers need a few business days plus customs time. Surface services take much longer. Send as early as you can.
• Weddings: gold and jewellery cannot go by post. Many families carry gold in person and declare it, or send money and buy locally.

Sending money is often the simplest gift. Compare costs in our guide to sending money to India.

Do I need anything from Canadian customs?

For personal gifts and personal effects, no. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says personal gifts of non-restricted goods and personal effects not for sale do not need an export declaration, even if they are worth more than $2,000. You still fill in the carrier’s customs form for India. More detail is in our shipping guide.

Common questions

Sources

• Canada Post: International destination details, India
• Chennai Customs (CBIC): FAQs on imports through postal mode (2025)
• Chennai Customs (CBIC): FAQ on gifts and personal imports by courier
• CBSA: Goods that do not need an export declaration
• Canada Post: Restrictions on personal shipping
• Outlook Money: Budget 2026 cuts duty on personal imports to 10%

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