Commercial importing process: at a glance

You must meet specific regulatory requirements when importing food, plants or animals into Canada. Find tools and support to help you prepare and import with confidence.

Everything you need to know

  1. Find import requirements

    Know the CFIA's import requirements related to your shipment.

    Automated Import Reference System (AIRS)

  2. Check commodity codes (for brokers only)

    Before you submit an import declaration, we encourage you to validate AIRS codes to prevent rejected shipments and transactions due to:

    • incorrect entries
    • missing or invalid codes

    AIRS Verification Service (AVS)

  3. Get a licence, permit or registration

    Requirements will vary based on the type of commodity:

    Food

    Apply for a Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence using My CFIA. Without a valid SFC licence, your shipment will be denied entry into Canada.

    If you have an existing licence, confirm that it is:

    • active
    • issued for "Importing food"
    • issued for the commodities being imported

    SFC licences are valid for two years. Renew your SFC licence before it expires or you will need to apply for a new one. For more information, refer to Importing food to Canada: a step-by-step guide.

    Plant

    Apply for permits to import regulated plants and plant products using My CFIA. With an account, you can submit your requests, monitor its progress and make payments online.

    For more information, visit Plant and plant product imports.

    Animal

    Apply for import permits online through My CFIA.

    The Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) helps importers find guidance and import requirements involving:

    • live animals
    • animal products and by-products
    • pets
    • protected species
    • terrestrial and aquatic animals
    • veterinary biologics
    • animal pathogens

    For more information, visit Animal, animal product and by-product imports.

  4. Submit an import declaration

    Once you're ready to import regulated commodities, access the single window portal to:

    • submit import information and documentation
    • get an electronic admissibility decision

    Please confirm that your licence, permit and/or registration number is entered correctly on your import declaration and submitted early to avoid delays at the border. You can submit a declaration up to 90 days in advance.

    Integrated Import Declaration (IID)

  5. Track your shipment (optional)

    Check the real-time inspection status for meat and meat products or the IID status for electronically declared imports of food, plant and animal products.

    We aim to review import declarations and provide a recommendation to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). CBSA will then make the ultimate decision to accept or reject your shipment.

    CFIA Shipment Tracker for food, plant and animal products

  6. Paying CFIA fees: service charges and online invoicing

    Review the CFIA Fees Notice for a list of CFIA service charges. It includes general rules, overtime charges and detailed fee tables for 17 commodity areas.

    Pay your CFIA invoice through the online payment portal, including one‑time or account‑based charges. You do not need a billing account unless services are recurring. Your invoice will be emailed or faxed (if applicable).

Roles and responsibilities

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Contact us for national or regional support.

Services from the National Import Service Centre (NISC)
  • Advise importers on how to use AIRS to declare goods
  • Answer questions about import transactions reviewed by NISC

Notes:

  • you must provide your unique 14-digit transaction number (available in your import declaration) when contacting NISC
  • we cannot advise on how your products should be classified (HS codes)

Services from regional CFIA offices
  • Inspection services: compliance inspections for food, plant and animal health programs
  • Investigation services: follow‑up on regulatory concerns and potential violations
  • Ports of entry services: support inspections at borders to verify import requirements and prevent pests and diseases
  • Pet travel services: guidance and requirements for travelling with pets or bringing animals into Canada

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

The CBSA can help to determine the proper tariff classification of goods. Visit Advance rulings for tariff classification and Importing goods into Canada.

The CBSA's Single Window Initiative streamlines imports by letting traders submit all required data for participating government agencies through one electronic entry, replacing legacy release processes and reducing paperwork and costs.

Check for system maintenance

Bookmark the system maintenance page to stay on track of scheduled outages for:

  • AIRS
  • AVS
  • IID
  • the shipment tracker for food, plant and animal products

More information

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