Border requirements for importing and exporting health products (COVID-19)

There is an unprecedented demand and urgent need for access to health products during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of Canada's response to COVID-19, interim measures and interim orders (IO) are in place to help ensure quicker and more flexible access to health products.

Health Canada works with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to assess the compliance of health products at the border. To ensure that CBSA and Health Canada can determine if health products meet requirements, shipments should include the necessary information, such as:

• product licence numbers
• site or establishment licence numbers
• copy of the IO authorization or
• copies of other import documents

Import declaration: Importers should work with their brokers or logistical companies to ensure products are declared correctly for entry into Canada.

For more information about importing commercial goods, see CBSA's Step-by-Step Guide to Importing Commercial Goods into Canada.

For more information on Health Canada's codes for declaration through the Single Window Initiative, please see the data element matching criteria tables.

To import medical supplies, please see the customs notice on tariff classification and other information.

For information on how to get authorization for a COVID-19-related medical device, please review the resources on medical devices for uses related to COVID-19.

Health Canada is expediting approvals of product reviews and relevant site or establishment licences for COVID-19-related health products. Find out what authorizations or licences you need to import COVID-19-related health products.