Shipping from India to Canada 2026 – moving household goods from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore to Canada
Shipping from India to Canada is one of the largest migration corridors on earth: Canada admits more permanent residents from India than from any other country, and Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Brampton are home to some of the world’s biggest Indian diasporas. Most families arrive with suitcases and buy new – but a growing share, especially professionals on Express Entry and families joining relatives, ship a household: furniture, kitchen, books, the things that make a Canadian apartment feel like home. This page explains what that costs from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai, how Canadian customs treats it, and how the move actually runs.
Flyto Relocation arranges door-to-door moves from India to Canada through vetted partner crews in India, ocean freight contracted with established carriers, and destination partners from Halifax to Vancouver. We do not own ships and we do not claim an office in India – we manage the freight, the export and import paperwork and the delivery, and stay your single point of contact throughout.
How much does shipping from India to Canada cost?
Indicative 2026 market ranges for door-to-door moves from India – not a Flyto price list. Your exact price is calculated from your volume, origin and destination cities and address conditions.
| Shipment | Typical volume | Toronto / Montréal | Vancouver / Calgary | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared container (LCL) | 3–10 m³ | USD 2,200–4,800 | USD 2,000–4,500 | 7–11 weeks |
| Shared container (LCL) | 10–15 m³ | USD 4,000–7,000 | USD 3,800–6,800 | 7–11 weeks |
| 20 ft dedicated container | up to ~28 m³ | USD 6,500–10,500 | USD 6,200–10,000 | 5–8 weeks |
| 40 ft dedicated container | up to ~58 m³ | USD 9,500–15,000 | USD 9,000–14,500 | 5–8 weeks |
| Air freight (essentials) | 1–3 m³ | USD 1,800–4,200 | USD 1,800–4,200 | 5–10 days |
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Unusually, Vancouver is often cheaper than Toronto from India: Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), Mundra and Chennai have direct Pacific services to Vancouver, while Toronto needs the Atlantic routing via the Suez Canal or rail from the west coast. Prices exclude CBSA examination fees if your container is selected (typically CAD 200–1,000) and storage if your Canadian address is not ready. INR prices are quoted at the current rate on request.
Canadian customs: settlers’ effects
If you are moving to Canada to live for at least a year, your used household goods are duty- and tax-free as settlers’ effects, provided you owned, possessed and used them before arrival. The process: you present two copies of an itemised inventory – the goods-to-follow list – to the Canada Border Services Agency when you first land, and CBSA stamps form BSF186. When the container arrives, the destination partner clears it against that form. Almost every Indian family lands months before the container ships; without the stamped goods-to-follow list from your first entry, clearance becomes slow and expensive. Bring the inventory on the plane.
Gold and jewellery must be declared with proof of ownership – bring purchase receipts or a valuation, and expect questions about quantity. Spices, pulses, pickles and dried foods are largely prohibited or need CFIA clearance; ship the kitchen equipment, not the pantry. Wooden furniture must be free of bark and pests, and any wooden crates must be ISPM-15 treated. Alcohol beyond the personal exemption is taxed. Cars from India are not admissible under Transport Canada rules.
Leaving India: export formalities
Household goods leave India as unaccompanied baggage under a personal-effects declaration: passport copy, Canadian visa or COPR, a packing list and a declaration that the goods are used and personal. Our Indian partner crews prepare the export documentation and clear the shipment at Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Chennai or Kolkata. Antiques and items of cultural value over 100 years old need an Archaeological Survey of India certificate; leave inherited brassware and old carved furniture until you have checked.
Shipping from India: the route
Collection and export packing at home, photographed inventory (formatted as your goods-to-follow list), export clearance at the port, then the ocean leg – direct across the Pacific to Vancouver, or via Suez to Montréal and Halifax with rail to Toronto and Ottawa. Clearance takes three to ten days after arrival; the destination partner delivers, unpacks if booked and removes the packing material. Shared containers wait for consolidation and take two to three weeks longer than dedicated ones.
Booking window: 6–8 weeks before your preferred collection date for a dedicated container, 8–10 weeks for a shared container. Monsoon months (June–September) can delay collection in Mumbai and Chennai; we build that into the schedule.
Packing for the crossing and a Canadian winter
A container from India spends five to eleven weeks at sea and may arrive in −25 °C. Export packing – double-walled cartons, blankets and stretch wrap, crates for glass, stone and artwork, desiccant against monsoon humidity – is what stops mould, warping and breakage. Indian appliances run on 230 V/50 Hz; Canada uses 120 V/60 Hz, so mixers, pressure cookers with electric elements and large appliances are not worth shipping. Batteries, aerosols and gas cylinders are prohibited.
Why Flyto for shipping from India to Canada
One contract and one fixed price for the whole door-to-door move including the ocean leg, Indian export clearance and Canadian customs brokerage; export-grade packing with a photographed inventory formatted as your goods-to-follow list; vetted crews in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai and destination partners across Canada; and honest logistics – we tell you which port and routing is cheaper for your city and which items will not clear.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from India to Canada take?
Five to eight weeks door to door for a dedicated container, seven to eleven for a shared container, depending on the origin port and destination city.
Are my household goods duty-free in Canada?
Yes, as settlers’ effects, if you owned and used them before arrival and present a goods-to-follow list at first entry.
I have already landed in Canada – can I still ship?
Yes. If your goods-to-follow list was stamped at entry, clearance is straightforward; if not, it is still possible but slower and may attract duty on some items.
Can I ship spices and food?
Mostly no. Most foods are prohibited or need CFIA clearance. Ship the kitchen equipment, not the pantry.
Can I share a container?
Yes. Shared (LCL) containers are the standard for anything under about 15 m³ and cost less per cubic metre.
Which Indian cities do you collect from?
Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, and most other cities on request.
Get a fixed price for your move to Canada
Enter your volume and addresses and get a door-to-door price in two minutes: instant quote for shipping from India to Canada. If you are unsure of the volume, the calculator estimates it room by room.