Your family in Vietnam is getting ready to send you a gift box of vegetarian mooncakes, dried squid, a few packs of rice paper and some acne-treatment serums. But you’re worried: will these items get through Canadian customs (CBSA), or will they be held and destroyed at the airport?
That worry is well founded. Since the new rules took effect on July 30, 2026, controls on non-commercial goods and gifts entering Canada have become stricter. At the same time, in Vietnam, people buying and selling goods across borders or sending gifts abroad must now complete electronic identity verification for their transactions. This tightens control over the origin of goods but also adds some procedures for senders.
To help your gift clear customs smoothly, this article is a detailed, easy-to-follow guide to classifying and declaring dried food and cosmetic gifts for Canada under the new July 30, 2026 rules.
1. New electronic identity verification rules when shipping from Vietnam
Directly affecting international shipping in Vietnam, senders now need to complete electronic identity verification before creating a shipping label to Canada.
- What senders need: Senders in Vietnam need a chip-based citizen ID card or an electronic identity account (VNeID) activated at level 2. When dropping off goods or dealing with a carrier, this information is checked to confirm the sender’s identity.
- Impact on timing: Verification may add some procedures and initial waiting time if the sender’s details are not yet synchronised. Senders should therefore prepare this identity information in advance so the shipping label can be created quickly without affecting the average transit time.
2. Dried food for Canada: allowed and prohibited
Canadian customs inspects food very strictly to protect the local ecosystem. You need to know clearly which items can go and which must stay behind.
Dried foods you can send
- Dried seafood: Dried fish, dried squid, dried shrimp and dried jellyfish. They must be completely dried, carefully vacuum-sealed and clearly labelled with their origin.
- Processed snacks and nuts: Rice paper, prawn crackers, roasted cashews, ground coffee and dried tea. These must not contain meat or egg (for example, rice paper salad kits with fried shallots are fine, but those with dried baby shrimp or dried quail eggs will be removed).
- Dried spices: Pepper, dried chilli, turmeric powder and mushroom powder. All must be dry, with no moisture, to prevent mould during transit.
Dried foods that are strictly prohibited
- Meat from land animals: Pork, beef, chicken and duck in any processed form, such as pork floss, Chinese sausage, beef jerky, chicken jerky with lime leaves and crispy rice with pork floss. Canadian customs will confiscate these immediately and may even fine the recipient.
- Eggs and dairy products: Mooncakes with salted egg yolk, pia cakes with egg, or powdered milk.
- Seeds and fresh produce: Seeds that can still germinate (such as mung beans or lotus seeds with the germ intact), because of the risk of carrying agricultural pests.
3. Rules for declaring and packing cosmetics for Canada
Sending cosmetics as gifts to friends and family in Canada is very popular. However, cosmetics are sensitive goods because they touch the skin directly and are often liquids or gels.
Cosmetics you can send
- Everyday skincare: Serums, moisturisers, sheet masks, cleansers and makeup remover.
- Makeup: Lipstick, eyeshadow, setting powder and eyeliner.
- Mandatory requirements: All cosmetics must be genuine, clearly labelled and branded, and within their expiry date. Customs will refuse homemade cosmetics without a clear ingredient list in English or French.
How to pack cosmetics so they don’t break
Liquid cosmetics can easily burst or break because of pressure changes in the aircraft hold.
- Wrap each bottle tightly in at least 2–3 layers of bubble wrap.
- Stand bottles upright in the box and fill the gaps with foam or newspaper so they don’t knock against each other.
- For shipments to Canada, our service includes basic packing in a sturdy carton for maximum protection.
4. How to declare each item in detail
A very common reason goods get held is a declaration that is too vague. Writing “Gift” or “Food” is the fastest way to get your box pulled aside for manual inspection, causing delays of days or even weeks.
How to declare correctly:
- Wrong: Food → Right: Dried squid (processed, vacuum packed) – 2 kg.
- Wrong: Cosmetics → Right: Facial hydrating serum (Brand XYZ) – 3 bottles – 150 ml.
- Wrong: Gift → Right: Dried rice paper – 1 kg.
A detailed, honest declaration not only clears your parcel faster but also protects you if the information needs to be verified. Remember that from July 30, 2026, this declaration is linked directly to the sender’s electronic identity data in Vietnam, so accuracy is essential.
5. Send gifts to Canada safely and quickly with Soleil Transportation
To avoid worrying about complicated declarations and clearance, choose Soleil Transportation’s dedicated route service. We offer flexible solutions for every need:
- ePacket: For small parcels, light gifts and personal items from Vietnam to Canada, from just $8.50 CAD per parcel.
- Two-way duties-included air freight: For heavier gift boxes or mixed dried food, our dedicated air service starts at just $16/kg. This price includes all import duties in Canada, so the recipient simply waits for door-to-door delivery with no extra customs charges.
- Fast transit: From Vietnam to Canada in just 7–14 days (7–12 business days on average, depending on the delivery location in Canada).
- Easy tracking: Track your shipment online 24/7 with your order or booking number. Our system also sends automatic status updates by email, SMS or Zalo, so you and your family in Canada always know when to expect delivery.
- Flexible payment: Pay by Vietnamese bank transfer, credit card, Interac e-Transfer in Canada or cash at the warehouse.
If you are preparing a box of dried food or cosmetics for family in Canada, check the ingredients carefully and have the sender’s identity details in Vietnam ready. For detailed advice on specific items, contact Soleil Transportation on +1 888-998-5199 or email info@soleiltransportation.com. Our team will help you classify your goods and pack them to standard completely free of charge. You can also bring your goods to our warehouse at 2446 Cawthra Road, B1U8, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5A 3K6 for personal assistance.
