LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Canada to Europe
Pick a tracked service, fill out the customs form accurately, and warn your recipient that they will likely owe duties and taxes on arrival. LetterAgent's shipping labels are Canada-only Xpresspost, so they cannot be used for Europe; use Canada Post international services or a courier. Expect longer transit than domestic shipping, and budget extra time around holidays.
For most senders the choice comes down to postal versus courier. Canada Post's international parcel services hand the package to the destination country's postal system on arrival, which keeps costs down but means tracking can go quiet for stretches and final delivery follows local postal habits. Couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) keep the package in their own network door to door, with tighter tracking and faster customs clearance, at a higher price. For documents and small items, postal tracked packet services hit a middle ground: affordable, tracked, and slower.
| Option | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Post international parcel | Non-urgent packages where cost matters | Tracking gaps after handoff; delivery by the local post |
| Tracked packet / small packet | Light items under the packet weight limits | Slower; limited coverage and no signature on some lanes |
| International courier | Urgent, valuable, or time-sensitive shipments | Higher cost; brokerage fees may apply on top |
Weight and size limits differ by service and by destination country, so check before you pack. Oversized boxes that are fine domestically can be rejected or repriced on international lanes.
Every parcel leaving Canada needs a customs declaration describing the contents, value, weight, and whether the shipment is a gift, merchandise, or documents. Small packets use a short form; larger parcels need the fuller declaration. The golden rule is accuracy: describe items specifically ("men's leather wallet," not "accessories"), declare the real value, and mark gifts as gifts only when they genuinely are. Under-declaring value to dodge duties is the fastest route to seizure, fines, or both.
Some goods need more than the standard form. Food, plants, cosmetics, and anything with a battery can face import restrictions in specific European countries, and a few categories need permits or certificates. Check the destination country's prohibited and restricted lists before you buy the label. A quick check beats a package stuck in a customs warehouse.
By default, the receiver does. European customs will assess duties and VAT on the declared value, and the local carrier or post will collect payment before releasing the package. Many first-time international sellers learn this the hard way when an angry buyer in Berlin gets a bill at the door. If you are selling, either build the landed cost into your pricing, state clearly in the listing that the buyer pays import charges, or use a delivered-duty-paid service where the carrier offers one.
Each European country applies its own VAT rate and its own de minimis threshold below which low-value goods enter without duty, though VAT often still applies. There is no single EU-wide number you can memorize for parcels, so treat the threshold as country-specific.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com