How to Send a Parcel to Canada from France: Costs, Customs Rules, and Delivery Times

Sending a parcel to Canada from France means choosing a carrier, completing a customs declaration, and paying for international transit that typically costs between roughly €40 and €55 for a 1 kg parcel and takes between 1 and 8 business days, depending on the service level. The fastest route is a courier's priority express service, which can clear customs and deliver in as little as 1 to 3 business days for around €43 to €50, while La Poste's Colissimo international service usually takes 4 to 8 business days but costs less for shippers prioritizing price over speed. 

How Do You Send a Parcel From France to Canada?

Sending a parcel from France to Canada takes five steps: pick a carrier, weigh and measure the box, fill out the customs form, pay for postage, and hand off the parcel for collection or drop-off.

Follow these steps to get a parcel from France to a recipient in Canada:

1. Weigh and measure the parcel. Most carriers price by weight and dimensions, so an accurate measurement avoids being charged for a heavier weight band at the post office or depot. Weight limits vary by carrier: Colissimo and Chronopost cap parcels at 30 kg (Chronopost drops to 20 kg via a pickup point), while UPS, FedEx, and DHL allow up to roughly 68–70 kg per package on their express services, though all three bill by dimensional weight if it's higher than actual weight. 
2. Choose a carrier and service level. Decide whether cost or speed matters more, then pick between Colissimo, Chronopost, UPS, DHL, or FedEx (see the comparison below).
3. Complete the customs declaration. Attach a CN22 or CN23 form for postal shipments, or generate a commercial invoice if shipping with a courier. List each item by name, quantity, and value; CBSA rejects vague descriptions like "gift" or "merchandise."
4. Package the parcel securely. Use a rigid box, cushion fragile items, and seal it so the box can't be opened without visible damage.
5. Buy postage and hand off the parcel. Print the label at home or at the counter, then drop the parcel at a post office, Chronopost point, or courier depot, or schedule a home collection.
6. Track the shipment. Use the tracking number provided at checkout to follow the parcel from France through customs clearance to delivery in Canada.

For a Shopify or Etsy seller in Lyon shipping 20 to 30 orders a week to Canadian customers, comparing rates across carriers before each batch of shipments can meaningfully affect margin, since the price difference between a postal service and a courier can be several euros per parcel.

How much does it cost to send a parcel to Canada from France?

Chronopost is usually a cheap option, where a 1 kg parcel costs around €43.49 with Easyship. UPS is also an affordable option at €49.72. The table below shows the rates on Easyship’s rate calculator between different carriers shipping from France to Canada.

From: France

To: Canada

Weight: 1 kg

Canada falls into Zone C on Colissimo's international pricing grid, the same zone used for the United States, Russia, and most of Africa and the Middle East, and this zone carries higher rates than Zone A (EU, Switzerland, UK) or Zone B (Eastern Europe, Norway, Maghreb). Postal rates for French shippers rose by an average of 3.4% from January 1, 2026, as part of a broader postal tariff increase approved by ARCEP, France's telecoms and postal regulator.

How long does delivery take from France to Canada?

Delivery from France to Canada typically takes between 1 and 8 business days, with express courier services arriving in 1 to 3 business days and postal services taking 4 to 8 business days.

These figures are estimates; actual transit time depends on the origin post office, the destination postal code, and whether the parcel is delayed in customs for additional review.

A parcel sent from Paris to Toronto or Montreal, both served by major international air routes, generally clears faster than one addressed to a smaller town in a remote province, since remote destinations add time to the last-mile leg after customs clearance.

What customs documents do you need to send a parcel to Canada?

Every parcel sent from France to Canada needs a customs declaration: a CN22 form for shipments valued under roughly 300 SDR (about €350) and under 2 kg, or a CN23 form for anything above that value or weight.

Couriers such as UPS, DHL, and FedEx typically replace the CN22/CN23 postal forms with their own commercial invoice and air waybill, though the required fields are similar. Both formats require:

1. Sender's full name and address, including a return address
2. Recipient's full name and address in Canada
3. A specific description of each item, such as "cotton scarf, blue" rather than "clothing"
4. The quantity of each item
5. The declared value of each item in euros or Canadian dollars
6. The HS (Harmonized System) tariff code for each item
7. The country of origin of the goods
8. Signature and date

CBSA and most carriers now receive this data electronically before the parcel arrives, so the information entered when creating the shipping label matters as much as the paper form attached to the box. Vague descriptions like "gift" or "personal items" are a common reason parcels get held for manual inspection at the border. 

Easyship auto-generates the correct customs paperwork, CN22, CN23, or commercial invoice, based on the parcel's declared value and the carrier selected, which removes the guesswork of picking the right form.

What duties and taxes will the recipient in Canada pay?

The recipient in Canada owes duties and taxes on any parcel from France valued above CAD $20, since France doesn't qualify for the higher CUSMA thresholds reserved for shipments from the United States and Mexico.

Canada's de minimis threshold, the value below which no duty or tax applies, is CAD $20 for parcels arriving from any country other than the US or Mexico. Above that threshold, the recipient typically owes:

• Customs duty, calculated on the item's declared value based on its HS code and country of origin (rates vary by product category)
• GST of 5%, applied federally to the duty-paid value of the goods
• HST or PST, an additional 5% to 10% depending on the destination province, in provinces that apply harmonized or provincial sales tax
• A brokerage or disbursement fee, charged by the carrier for processing the customs entry and paying duties on the recipient's behalf

Gifts are treated differently. A gift sent to an individual in Canada, not a business, is exempt from duty and tax if its declared value doesn't exceed CAD $60. CBSA assesses each gift separately, so a box containing three items each worth CAD $50 and individually wrapped and itemized can qualify for the exemption per item, while the same items lumped into one undeclared value would not. Alcohol, tobacco, and advertising material don't qualify for the gift exemption regardless of value.

What items are restricted or prohibited when shipping to Canada?

Canada restricts or bans a specific list of items on import, including certain foods, plants, weapons, and tobacco products, and CBSA can seize non-compliant parcels at the border.

Items that require special permits, are restricted in quantity, or are banned outright include:

1. Fresh meat, dairy, and many fresh fruits and vegetables, which require a permit from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
2. Foie gras and other products containing goose or duck liver from regions with reported avian influenza restrictions
3. Alcohol, which requires the recipient to go through a provincial liquor authority in most cases
4. Tobacco products and vaping devices, which are subject to strict quantity limits and taxes
5. Firearms, ammunition, and replica weapons, which require federal import permits
6. Prescription medication without proper documentation
7. Counterfeit goods and items that infringe trademarks or copyrights
8. Certain plants, seeds, and soil, which require a phytosanitary certificate
9. Endangered species products, including some furs, ivory, and exotic skins
10. Radar detectors, which are banned in several provinces

Given how often food and agricultural rules change, it's worth checking CBSA's current import requirements before including any food item, even a shelf-stable one like foie gras or cheese, in a parcel to Canada.

How do you package a parcel for international shipping to Canada?

Packaging for a parcel to Canada should use a rigid outer box, cushion fragile items with at least 5 cm of padding, and keep the customs form accessible on the outside of the box.

A parcel that survives a multi-leg international journey, air transport plus ground handling in two countries, needs sturdier packaging than a domestic shipment. A cardboard box rated for the parcel's weight, sealed with reinforced tape along every seam, holds up better than a reused retail box with worn corners. 

Fragile items should be wrapped individually and cushioned on all sides so they can't shift or knock against the box wall during transit. The customs form or its pouch should sit in a visible spot on the outside of the parcel, since carriers and CBSA both need to read it without opening the box.

For a small Etsy seller shipping ceramics to a customer in Vancouver, double-boxing (placing the wrapped item in a smaller box, then that box inside a larger one with padding on all sides) meaningfully cuts breakage claims compared to a single box with only bubble wrap.

How do you track a parcel from France to Canada?

Tracking a parcel from France to Canada uses the tracking number issued when the label is created, which updates as the parcel moves through French export, international transit, Canadian customs clearance, and final delivery.

Colissimo and Chronopost both provide tracking through La Poste's tracking portal, while UPS, DHL, and FedEx each provide tracking through their own sites and apps. Tracking updates typically pause during customs clearance, since carriers often provide milestone tracking rather than a live status during that stage, which can make the parcel appear to sit still for a day or two even when it's being processed normally.

 Branded tracking with proactive delivery notifications, rather than a bare tracking number, cuts down on customers messaging to ask "where is my order," reducing WISMO tickets by up to 63% for sellers who use it.

How does shipping to Canada compare with shipping to the United States or Mexico?

Shipping to Canada shares some customs infrastructure with shipping to the US and Mexico under CUSMA, but Canada's de minimis threshold is far lower, so parcels that would clear duty free into the US often owe duty and tax the moment they cross into Canada.

The US applies a de minimis threshold well above Canada's CAD $20, and Mexico applies its own separate threshold, so a French seller shipping the same product to customers in all three countries will see very different landed costs depending on the destination. 

Easyship's landed cost calculator shows the duties and taxes a customer will owe before checkout, so a French seller can spot which of the three markets carries the higher tax burden and price accordingly, rather than finding out after the customer disputes a surprise customs bill. Try our rate calculator today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I send to Canada from France duty free?

Regular parcels are duty and tax free up to CAD $20 in declared value. Gifts sent to an individual recipient, not a business, are duty and tax free up to CAD $60 per gift, as long as they aren't alcohol, tobacco, or advertising material and are itemized separately if there's more than one in the box.

Do I need a commercial invoice for a small parcel to Canada?

Postal shipments under about 300 SDR (roughly €350) and 2 kg only need a CN22 label. Above that value or weight, or when shipping with a courier like UPS, DHL, or FedEx, a full CN23 form or commercial invoice with itemized values and HS codes is required.

Can I send food to Canada from France?

Some foods, including fresh meat, dairy, and certain fruits and vegetables, need a Canadian Food Inspection Agency permit and can be seized without one. Shelf-stable items like foie gras can face additional restrictions depending on current animal health rules, so checking CBSA's current list before shipping is worth the extra step.

Does Mondial Relay deliver to Canada?

Not through its core Point Relais and locker network, which is limited to France and a handful of neighboring countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy, and Portugal. Mondial Relay's international home delivery and pickup point services are limited to these European destinations. For a parcel to Canada, use Chronopost, UPS, DHL, or FedEx instead, or compare all four through a rate-shopping platform like Easyship.

How long does Colissimo take to deliver to Canada?

Colissimo International typically takes 4 to 8 business days to deliver a parcel from France to Canada, though remote addresses and customs delays can extend that window.

Can I send alcohol or tobacco as a gift to Canada?

No. Alcohol and tobacco products don't qualify for the CAD $60 gift exemption regardless of declared value, and both are subject to separate provincial import rules and taxes that apply even to personal gifts.

Why is my parcel stuck in customs in Canada?

A parcel commonly gets held in customs because of a vague item description, a missing HS code, an inconsistent declared value, or a restricted item that needs a permit. Carriers can usually tell you the specific reason if you contact customer service with the tracking number.