Country Guide

Canada Commercial Invoice Requirements

How to prepare invoice information for commercial goods imported into Canada, using CBSA invoice requirements and Canada Customs Invoice fields as a reference.

Last reviewed: June 10, 2026

Quick Answer

Canada requires enough invoice detail for CBSA to identify the vendor, consignee, purchaser, origin, transport, terms, currency, quantity, price, and full description of imported commercial goods.

Best for

Businesses shipping commercial goods to Canadian buyers or distributors.

Key risk

Missing purchaser, origin, terms, or currency data can slow broker processing.

Reference form

CBSA publishes the CI1 Canada Customs Invoice and invoice requirement memorandum.

Document approach

A commercial invoice can support clearance if it contains the required CBSA data elements.

Canada Customs Invoice data points

CBSA's Canada Customs Invoice format is a useful checklist even when you use your own commercial invoice. It shows the data customs and brokers expect to see.

The most important goal is clarity: who sold the goods, who receives them, who bought them if different, where they came from, and how value is calculated.

Vendor name and address.
Date of direct shipment to Canada.
Consignee and purchaser details.
Country of origin and country of transshipment when applicable.
Mode and place of direct shipment to Canada.
Terms of sale, currency, number of packages, quantity, unit price, and total value.

Commercial invoice vs Canada Customs Invoice

Many businesses use their own commercial invoice, but it must still contain the required customs data. If a broker asks for a Canada Customs Invoice, use the CBSA CI1 format or provide the missing information immediately.

For recurring shipments, build the CBSA fields into your standard invoice template so the broker does not need to request corrections.

Values, currency, and origin

Canada import processing depends on accurate value, currency, and origin. If goods have different countries of origin, list origin by line item rather than only once at the shipment level.

Use the transaction currency clearly. If another currency is used for customs conversion by the broker, the original invoice should still show the agreed sale currency.

Invoice Checklist

Include vendor, consignee, and purchaser details when purchaser differs from consignee.
Add direct shipment date and shipment references such as invoice or purchase order number.
List each product with full description, quantity, unit price, total price, and currency.
Show country of origin per item if origins differ.
Include terms of sale and package count.
Give the broker enough detail to complete import declaration fields.
Keep invoice, packing list, and carrier record consistent.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Omitting purchaser information when the buyer differs from the delivery recipient.
Listing one origin country for a mixed-origin shipment.
Leaving terms of sale or currency unclear.
Using a short product description that does not identify the item.
Assuming a U.S. style invoice automatically satisfies every CBSA field.

Before You Ship

This guide is educational and not customs, tax, legal, or brokerage advice. Carrier policies and customs rules can change. Verify current requirements with your carrier, destination customs authority, or licensed customs broker before shipping.

Official Sources Checked

Create the invoice after you check the requirements

Use DocInvo to create a commercial or pro forma invoice PDF in your browser. No sign-up is required, and invoice data is not stored on our server.

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