Maximum Coverage = Maximum Declared Value for Carriage for the Priority™ Worldwide service.

Import Restrictions

Senders should determine import restrictions from the country's authorities before posting:

• alcoholic beverages, spirits
• animal products
• clothing-soiled
• fertilizers
• foodstuffs
• jewellery
• metals, precious, and items made from them
• natural therapeutic products
• pharmaceutical products
• phytosanitary products
• plants and parts of plants
• radio and television apparatus
• salt
• seeds
• tobacco and tobacco products
• watches and clocks
• weapons and parts
• wool and cotton woven fabrics.

Meat, meat products, milk and milk products must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate from the country of origin.

Postal items subject to veterinary or phytosanitary inspection by border control agents upon entry into Austria are not admitted and will be returned in their entirety to the designated operator of origin.

The importation of certain classes of merchandise may be prohibited or restricted to protect the economy and security of Austria and other EU member states, to safeguard consumer health, well being, and to preserve domestic plant and animal life. Some commodities are also subject to an import quota or a restraint under bilateral trade agreements and arrangements. In addition to Customs requirements, many prohibited or restricted imports are subject to laws and regulations administered by other Austrian Government agencies for which the Austrian Customs Department is the enforcer. These laws and regulations may, for example, prohibit entry; limit entry to certain points; restrict routing, storage, use; require treatment, labelling or processing as condition of release. Customs release only takes place when the additional requirements are met. These requirements apply to all importation types, including shipments made by mail. The exporter should make certain that the Austrian importer has provided proper information to (1) permit the submission of necessary information concerning packing, labelling, etc. and (2) ensure that necessary arrangements have been made by the importer for entry of the merchandise into Austria.

The following commodities are prohibited via Priority^TM Worldwide service into Austria. However, you may be able to use another Canada Post service for shipping these items:

• aspirin (including pain relieving medicines)
• melatonin
• viagra
• war material (except for Austrian Ministry of Defense).

Gifts

Gift shipments are acceptable. Gifts must be shipped from one private individual to another private individual. Value cannot exceed $45 USD.

Casual donations sent by people abroad to friends in Austria, or imported personally by persons who are not residents of Austria, as a gift for friends are not subject to duty or taxes.

Gift shipments are limited to a maximum of 45 EUR. Advertising matter, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, perfumes, coffee, tea and software are excluded from the gift provisions.

Articles consigned as "Unsolicited gifts" are acceptable and will be allowed entry free of any duty or VAT providing the shipment is valued at less than 45 EURO originated from and consigned to an individual, and are individually wrapped. Multiple gifts can be consigned in one shipment so long as the individual parcels enclosed are individually tagged with the recipients name, are individually wrapped and the value does not exceed the per person limit of 45 EURO. Shipments consigned to companies as gifts for an individual may be denied entry as gifts and will be subject to full duty and VAT. Generally, most articles can be consigned as gifts, except those articles noted prohibited or restricted for import (see General Import Prohibitions and Restrictions).

Prohibited Items

In addition to items considered non-mailable matter, the following are prohibited:

• aerated and mineral waters
• all forms of fibers
• animal hair
• articles of apparel and clothing accessories-soiled
• atlantic red tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) originating from Belize, Panama, or Honduras
• birds eggs
• blankets and travelling rugs
• bulbs, tubers, tuberous roots, corms, crown and rhizomes
• calenders of any kind
• cereals and related seeds (wheat, rye, barley, oats, maize, rice)
• clothing (mens, boys, women and girls)
• coffee and tea
• dairy products
• dangerous goods
• electrical machinery
• eyewear
• fertilizers
• firearms, parts and accessories thereof, including replica firearms and articles made to resemble firearms
• fish and crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic invertebrates
• footwear with outer soles of rubber, plastic or leather
• fresh cut flowers
• fruits and vegetables
• furniture, bedding and mattresses
• hemp and cannabis products
• hides and fleeces
• iron and steel
• items having a flexible metal blade entirely contained in a plastic, paper, or fabric sheath
• items subject to veterinary or phytosanitary Inspection including: bees, leeches, silk worms, parasites, destroyers of noxious insects intended for the control of those insects, and flies of the family Drosophilidae for biomedical research exchanged between officially recognized institutions
• liquids for cleaning contact lenses
• live animals and poultry
• live insects, spiders and filliform worms
• loose bark
• lottery tickets and related advertising
• L-trytophane and any items having L-trytophane as an ingredient
• meat and meat products
• medical thermometers containing mercury intended for human use
• milk and dairy produce
• mineral waters and aerated waters
• narcotics
• non-Austrian games of chance and weapons
• oil seeds
• organic Chemicals
• peat
• plant and plant products
• raw hides and skins
• rubber erasers that are similar in appearance to food products that are easily ingested
• salt
• seeds and soil
• soya beans
• stud welding guns
• tobacco
• toys and games containing copper sulphate
• toys, reduced-size models and others, radio controlled for play or amusement
• untreated hides, fleeces and skins
• vegetable products
• welding guns
• wine vinegar
• wood, untreated
• woven fabrics of cotton
• watch straps, watch bands, watch bracelets and parts thereof
• wrist watches, pocket-watches, including stop watches.

Documentation Required

Information regarding Customs can be found in "Customs Requirements" of the Canada Postal Guide.

Commercial goods mailed to Austria must include two copies of the original invoice. European Union standards govern all documentation.

NOTE: Items mailed using Xpresspost - International service require an additional copy of the commercial invoice/CN23.

Document Requirements

Several different forms of documentation may be required for shipments to Austria. Exporters are required to present one commercial invoice, one bill of lading and three copies of a certificate of origin for all shipments. Other certificates are necessary for exporting pharmaceutical goods and some medical goods. Some of the documentation required may be:

Import Licenses

Importers apply for import licenses at the Austrian General Register of the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs. A commercial invoice that includes freight and insurance, the C.I.F. price, net and gross weight, and an invoice number must accompany the license application. Customs accepts commercial invoices by fax. The license, once granted, is normally valid for six months but may be extended if adequate justification is provided.

Goods that are shipped to an Austrian customs area without proper import licenses or declarations are usually subject to considerable delay and may run up substantial demurrage charges. Prior to making shipments, exporters should ensure that the importer has obtained the necessary licenses.

Pharmaceutical Certificates - These certificates are required by Austrian Customs for drugs and certain sanitary items. A standard analysis bulletin issued by the manufacturer, listing the product composition, is acceptable for customs purposes.

Bills of Lading - No special regulations

Certificates of Origin - Certificates of Origin are required for the importation of any Textile products valued at over 45 Euro. Exceptions from this requirement include marked and mutilated samples; luggage made up of textile materials, canvas bags, and bona-fide gifts. A Certificate of Origin is recommended to be provided for every commodity subject to import licensing and /or quota restrictions from some origin countries and is required for all textile products imported into Austria that originate in Hong Kong, Macao, or Singapore regardless of the value.

Certificate of Origin Form A - A Certificate of Origin Form A may be required for goods under formal entry claiming preferential duty or exemption under the various agreements of Generalized System of Preferences. It should be produced at the time of entry and must be in the possession of the Importer at the time of entry. Origin of the goods must be detailed on the commercial invoice.

EUR 1 Form Import - An EUR 1 form may be required for goods under formal entry claiming preferential duty or exemption under various bilateral agreements by the European Union countries and some specific countries or groups of countries. It should be produced at the time of entry and must be in possession of the Importer at the time of entry. Origin of the goods must be detailed on the commercial invoice.

EUR 1 Form Export - An EUR 1 form may be compiled exporters from the European Union to some countries to claim preferential duty or exemption under the various agreements as per the above paragraph.

Quotas - Quotas have been assigned by the European Union to specific countries for specific products, which allow for the controlled importation of specific products.

Commercial Invoices - Invoices are required for all dutiable shipments relating to commercial transactions between companies and companies; companies and individuals, regardless of the value. Commercial invoices should show freight, insurance and similar charges as separate items when applicable, regardless of the INCOTERM used on the transaction. It must be in Austrian for export shipments or accompanied by a translation. It can be in any official language for import shipments and, if required by customs, must be accompanied by a translation. A party, who is knowledgeable of the transaction, must furnish translation, if requested.

Specific invoice details are required for a number of commodities including the following:

• Textiles - the fabric breakdown, whether knit or woven and, for clothing articles, the gender
• Marked/mutilated samples - the words "mutilated samples" or " marked samples, not for resale" as applicable
• Software on CD's and floppy disks - The value of software must be shown separately from software support.

Dangerous Goods Certification - Some goods will, in addition to the standard documentation noted above, require DG certification. ( i.e. perfumes, liquor, chemicals, etc.)

Declaration of Antiquity - A declaration must be shown on the invoice for goods over 100 years old. The statement must include the words "circa date" followed by the year of manufacture whether known or estimated.

Sanitary Certificates - Animal and Plant Health Inspection certificates may be required for the importation of living plant material, including plants, plant products and seeds. Health inspection requirements also govern the importation of animals and parts of animals, including meat products, skins, hides, marine mammals, fish, crustaceans, or mollusks and parts thereof. Most of these certificates are obtained by providing the proper documentation to the Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management.

Customs Procedures - There are three primary entry types for importing into Austria:

1) Standard Clearance Procedure

2) Simplified Clearance Procedure

3) Simplified Declaration Procedure

The first two procedures apply to all shipments regardless of value; the third one applies to shipments of commercial samples or gifts below 45 EURO and or negligible value shipments below 22 EURO and provides duty and tax relief. Below is a summary:

• A commercial shipment below 22 EURO; no duty and no VAT collected
• A commercial shipment between 22 and 150 EURO; no duty but VAT collected
• A comercial shipment over 150 EURO; duty and VAT are collected

Tobacco, drugs, medicines, weapons, strategic materials and their parts, CITES commodities, alcohol and other licensable commodities cannot be processed under the simplified declaration procedure.