# Things to get from India — import rules, meds rules, and the cost trap (verified 24 Oct 2026)

## 1. The trap that costs money: goods carried for Anjal are NOT covered by the traveller's exemption
CBSA, Guide for residents returning to Canada:

> "In general, the goods you include in your personal exemption must be for your personal or household
> use… **Goods you bring in for commercial use or for another person do not qualify for the exemption
> and are subject to applicable duties and taxes.**"

Translation: if a parent or relative flies in carrying a suitcase of items **for Anjal's household**,
the relative cannot shelter those items under their own $800 exemption. Duty + HST can be assessed on
the full value of those goods. The exemption only protects things for *the traveller*.

**The only clean route:** Anjal travels himself and claims the goods under his own exemption, or the
items are shipped and duty/tax is paid, or they are sent as gifts of **≤ CAD$60 each** (see 3).

## 2. The personal exemption table (per person, depends on days absent)
| Absence | Exemption | Alcohol/tobacco? | Unaccompanied goods? |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 24 h | none | no | no |
| > 24 h | **CAD$200** | no | no |
| > 48 h | **CAD$800** | yes | no |
| > 7 days | **CAD$800** | yes | **yes** (by mail/courier) |

- Over $200 on a 24–48 h trip = duty and taxes on the **entire** value, not just the excess. Over $800
  on 48 h+ = duty/tax on the excess only.
- Alcohol (48 h+): 1.5 L wine **or** 1.14 L spirits **or** 8.5 L beer — one of the three, not all.
- Tobacco (48 h+): 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 g manufactured tobacco, 200 tobacco sticks — and it
  must be stamped "DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ" or a special duty applies.
- Exemptions **cannot be pooled** between people and **cannot be stacked** (9 days ≠ $800 + $800).
- Must be reported in **Canadian dollars** at the CBSA rate.
Source: cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/declare-eng.html; travel.gc.ca personal exemptions; form BSF192.

## 3. Sending parcels instead
- **Gifts** mailed to Canada: duty/tax free up to **CAD$60 per gift**, and cannot be alcohol, tobacco
  or advertising matter. Card marked "gift" required.
- Anything above $60 → recipient pays duty/tax plus provincial levies.

## 4. Medicine — the part that actually gets seized
Health Canada GUI-0116 and CBSA D19-9-1:
- **OTC cough/cold/allergy medicine**: a Canadian resident or visitor may bring a **90-day supply or
  a single course of treatment, whichever is less** — no licence, no permit. Quantity is judged against
  the label's directions for use.
- **Packaging is mandatory**: original retail package, or pharmacy-dispensed package, or original label
  clearly naming the product and contents. Loose strips in a bag = detained.
- **Prescription drugs cannot be mailed or couriered to a Canadian resident.** Hand-carried only, 90-day
  supply, and only for treatment dispensed before leaving, renewed abroad, or started abroad.
- **Controlled substances (incl. codeine-containing products)**: 90-day supply, must be prescribed by a
  practitioner, labelled with patient name, prescriber, drug name, daily dose, form/quantity/strength —
  **and must be declared at customs**. If the cough syrup contains codeine, it falls in this bucket, not
  the OTC bucket.
- If a medicine needs no prescription in India but is on Canada's Prescription Drug List, it needs one
  here. Check the PDL before buying a case of anything.

**Practical rule:** stock up only on products that are (a) OTC here too, (b) in sealed original
labelled packaging, and (c) under a 90-day supply for the people who will use them. Anything
prescription-only or codeine-based is not worth the customs risk.

## 5. What the traveller needs to know before leaving India
- Confirm **who is flying, on what date, and on which airline** — baggage allowance differs by carrier
  and fare class, and that, not customs, is the real limit on volume.
- Weigh the suitcase before the airport: excess-baggage fees on India–Canada routes usually exceed the
  value of the goods being carried.
- Keep receipts or a value list — CBSA can ask, and the officer's valuation is what counts.

## Blocked on
- **Who is travelling to Canada, on what date, and from which Indian city** — the allowance, the cutoff
  for ordering online, and the delivery address all hang off that one answer.
- **The actual item list with approximate rupee prices**, so it can be split into "carry" vs "ship as
  ≤$60 gifts" vs "don't bother".