Customs clearance

Postal presentation

Postal presentation and handling are available for U.S. and International services, except the Priority™ Worldwide service.

We tender the shipped item to the receiving destination’s designated postal operator. The receiving postal administration or designated operator presents the item for clearance and assessment of duties and taxes.

Visit our Customs form page to enter complete customs and package content information. The Customs form will generate a barcode that can be printed or sent to any mobile device. The barcode will be scanned at the post office to make depositing the item easier.

You need to input mandatory customs and item content information to process a shipment if you use:

  • Electronic Shipping Tools (EST)
  • Snap Ship
  • A third-party shipping system approved by Canada Post
  • A custom developed shipping software approved by Canada Post

Failure to do so may result in any or all of the following:

  • The item being returned to the sender for proper completion
  • Delays
  • Non-delivery
  • Voided delivery guarantees (if applicable)
  • Fines
  • Customs seizure at the international destination

Commercial clearance

Commercial clearance applies to Priority™ Worldwide service only.

A customs broker is used when you ship items using Priority Worldwide service. An electronic file containing details on the contents of each item is sent to the customs broker. The customs broker presents the items and the content information to customs officials of the destination for clearance and assessment of duties and taxes. In either case, customs officials decide which items need inspection and if they meet applicable requirements. Any taxes, duties, and processing fees are payable by the receiver.