InvoiceCow

Free tool · Canada

Canada Customs Invoice (CI1)

The numbered fields of the CBSA's Form CI1, for goods shipped to Canada. Download PDF, Word or Excel. Free, and no account.

Checked on October 23, 2026

1. Vendor (name and address)
4. Consignee (name and address)
5. Purchaser's name and address (if other than consignee)
Shipment

Only on the Canada Customs form

Lines

Describe each item: what it is, what it is made of and what it is for. The HS code and the country of origin are the ones the goods have, not the ones of the shipper.

InvoiceCow does not store what you type. The file is made once and sent to your browser.

Fields by carrier

The fields of the Canada Customs form

Each carrier names the same facts in its own words. This table shows the words on each form, read on the carrier’s own document. The generator above uses them when you pick a carrier page.

Field Canada Customs
Invoice number 3. Other references (commercial invoice No.)
Tracking or waybill number —
Purchase order number 3. Other references (purchaser's order No.)
Incoterm —
Terms of sale and payment 9. Conditions of sale and terms of payment (i.e. sale, consignment shipment, leased goods, etc.)
Reason for export —
Number of packages 11. Number of packages
Gross weight 16. Total weight, gross
Exporter 1. Vendor (name and address)
Consignee 4. Consignee (name and address)
Sold to / importer (if not the consignee) 5. Purchaser's name and address (if other than consignee)
Tax ID Tax ID
Contact Contact
Phone Phone
Description of goods 12. Specification of commodities
HS code —
Country of origin 7. Country of origin of goods
Quantity 13. Quantity
Unit 13. Unit
Net weight —
Unit value 14. Unit price
Total value 15. Total
Freight —
Insurance —
Invoice total 17. Invoice total
Name, title and signature 20. Originator (name and address)
Only on the Canada Customs form 6. Country of transhipment; 8. Transportation: mode and place of direct shipment to Canada; 19. Exporter's name and address (if other than vendor); 21. Agency ruling (if applicable)

What the CBSA accepts

For commercial shipments, the CBSA asks for one of three things, "in English or French" (Memorandum D1-4-1, paragraph 2, last verified 23 October 2026):

  1. a commercial invoice with all the information listed in the memorandum's Appendix A,
  2. a commercial invoice with the buyer, the seller, the price and the goods, together with a Form CI1 for the rest, or
  3. a fully completed Form CI1.

Paragraph 2 has exceptions in paragraph 4 of the same memorandum. Read them before you rely on a lighter document. The memorandum is dated March 1, 2013, and the page says "October 21, 2024: Page content under review", so check it before you ship.

The CI1 fields

The table above lists the CI1's numbered fields and the fields of this generator that fill them. Two of them are worth a note:

  • 2. Date of direct shipment to Canada: the date the goods "began their continuous journey to Canada" (Appendix A).
  • 7. Country of origin of goods: where the goods were grown, produced or manufactured. With goods of several origins, give the origin of each line.

Some CI1 fields are checkboxes, totals or adjustments that this generator does not fill: the net weight of field 16, field 18 (an attached commercial invoice), field 22, and the amounts and statements of fields 23 to 25 (transport, construction, export packing, commissions, royalties). Add them by hand on the CI1, or write them in the notes.

No approval from the CBSA

The CBSA does not check invoices in advance: "The CBSA will not review or approve commercial invoices or privately printed customs invoices." The importer or the owner is responsible for the information. Neither the CBSA nor this tool approves your file.

For the fields of the carriers, see the commercial invoice page.

Sources

  1. Canada Border Services Agency: CI1, Canada Customs Invoice (HTML version of the form)

    “1. Vendor (name and address)”

    Read on October 23, 2026

  2. Canada Border Services Agency: Memorandum D1-4-1, CBSA Invoice Requirements, paragraph 2

    “For all commercial shipments entering Canada, except those described in paragraph 4, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) requires, in English or French, one of the following:”

    Read on October 23, 2026

  3. Canada Border Services Agency: Memorandum D1-4-1, paragraph 9

    “The CBSA will not review or approve commercial invoices or privately printed customs invoices.”

    Read on October 23, 2026

Never fill this in by hand again

Connect your checkout and every payment becomes an invoice in your company’s name. Your buyers add their own details and download it.

Planned Draft invoices in your AccountingYear books (opt-in)

What works today

Get started free
  • Stripe, CSV or a webhook from any checkout.
  • Keep your books free in AccountingYear, up to 5 companies.

InvoiceCow is made by the AccountingYear team.