Canada Post Mail Forwarding | How Long Is Mail Forwarded?

Canada Post provides various services to satisfy its customer’s needs. It offers services like Express Post, Registered Mail, Hold Mail, etc. After getting great responses from customers, it started a new service called mail forwarding service. From here, a new question that may arise in your mind is: What is a mail forwarding service? Well, we know that this question gonna make you excited to know which kind of service is this? We are here to explain what it is actually.

In this article, we have covered some more questions related to mail forwarding service like, how long is Mail forwarded, how to set up mail forwarding, international mail forwarding service, etc. We are going to discuss all these queries in our upcoming paragraphs, keep reading this article.

Contents

What is Mail Forwarding Service?

The mail forwarding service ensures that mail is delivered to a new or temporary address of a customer within Canada or outside the country(internationally) when a residential or business customer changes his location or address, shifted to anywhere within the country or outside the country, or want to use this service for another reason. The service can be purchased online or by visiting the nearest post office.

There are two types of mail forwarding services available:

  1. Customers who are shifted to a new address and will not return to the old address. must buy the Mail Forwarding Moves. Mail delivery service resumes to the old address after the expiry of the service. It’s a customer’s responsibility to notify correspondents of the new mailing address. In the case of a deceased person, you have to buy mail forwarding moves.
  2. Customers who are returning to the old address or who use this service for another reason must buy the Mail Forwarding for Temporary Relocation. 

How to Set Up Mail Forwarding?

It is easy to apply for a mail forwarding request. You can request a Canada Post mail forwarding service by ordering online with a Canadian credit card and valid email address. The online form format will be as shown below:

Online Mail Forwarding Form

You can buy a mail forwarding service by visiting the nearest post office. There, you will need to show a govt-issued photo ID like driving license, passport, or citizenship of Canada. If you are forwarding someone else’s mail, then you will need to show authorization to act on their behalf. You can save time by downloading the offline mail forwarding form. The offline form format will be as shown below:

Offline Mail Forwarding Form

Offline Mail Forwarding Form

When should I place my order for the Mail Forwarding service?

Canada Post recommends placing your order for buying mail forward service 30 days before you plan to move and make sure you don’t miss any mail sent from Canada Post. If you are buying this service online. After buying this service, it may take 5 days to start this service or 10 days after buying if you are a business customer.

If you are placing your order by visiting the nearest post office, To start this service, it may take 3 days after buying this service for both personal and business needs.

Can I get my mail forwarded temporarily?

Yes, you can get mail forward temporarily. You can use this service if you are a snowbird and going to south for the winter, short term transfer of job, an extended vacation Managing mail on behalf of someone else.

How Long is Mail Forwarded?

The mail forwarding moves service is offered for a period of 12 months. It ensures that customers will not miss any infrequent mailings, such as tax documents, car license sticker renewals, financial statements, and membership. It also provides short-term protection of 4 months against mail being delivered to the old address. It can be extended before the service expires.

The Mail Forwarding for Temporary Relocation service offers for a period of 3 months for temporary residential service. It also offers for a period of 1 month for temporary business service. Both can be extended before the service expires.

What Canada Post does not Forward?

  • Parcels (for example XpresspostTM or Regular ParcelTM)
  • Prepaid envelopes
  • Newspapers and flyers delivered by other parties
  • Personal mail delivered to a business/institution such as an office building, a hospital, nursing home or a hotel
  • Mail received at a shared postal address (i.e. when the same address is used by more than two businesses)​​
  • Mail through a privately authorized mailbox company​

Canada Post Mail Forwarding cost:

There are two types of Canada Post mail forwarding costs:

  • Residential Mail Forwarding Cost
  • Business Mail Forwarding cost

Residential Mail Forwarding Cost:

Residential mail forwarding costs for mail forwarding for moves and for temporary relocation within the province, Across provinces, and U.S. and International are shown below:

Within provinceAcross provincesU.S. and International
Mail Forwarding for moves
Not returning to your original address
12 months$92.50$115.75$267.25
4 months$60.50$75.25$178.25
Mail Forwarding for temporary relocation
Returning to your original address
3 months
(minimum allowed)
$57.00$72.00$105.00
Additional months
(after the first 3 months)
$19.00/month$24.00/month$35.00/month
Option
Additional Names$4.00/name$4.00/name$6.00/name

Business Mail Forwarding Cost:

Business mail forwarding costs for mail forwarding for moves and for temporary relocation within the province, Across provinces, and U.S. and International are shown below:

Within provinceAcross provincesU.S. and International
Mail Forwarding for moves
Not returning to your original address
12 months$282.75$353.50$799.25
12 months - High volume$1,536.00$1,857.00$3,249.00
4 months$182.00$225.75$526.25
4 months - High volume$988.69$1,185.91$2,139.24
Mail Forwarding for temporary relocation
Returning to your original address
Cost per month$103.00$129.75$245.75
Monthly – High volume

$182.00$225.75$526.25
Option
Additional Names$4.00/name$4.00/name$6.00/name

How to Stop/Cancel Mail Forwarding Service?

It is easy to cancel the mail forwarding service. It doesn’t matter from where you purchased it either online or by visiting the nearest post office. All you need is a reference no. from the email, Canada Post sent to you when you bought or on the receipt you got from the post office. If you cancel this service before the start date, Canada Post will refund the online purchase. Once service has been started you will not be able to get a refund. These were the simple steps to stop mail forwarding service.

After being started mail forwarding service you cannot change the address. A new mail forwarding service must be purchased to send mail on a different address than the address mentioned in the original request.

2 Comments on “Canada Post Mail Forwarding | How Long Is Mail Forwarded?”

  1. I am waiting for important letter. The post man did not turn up on friday as well today. The drop in Apt. building mail Box has not been picked up.

    I am wondering if the postman is sick and no replacement is in place. The whole building people are wondering please try to solve our problem.
    Thanks, Yours truly,
    B.P. Solomon

    1. You have to visit your nearest post office and tell them how much is that letter important to you. so that they delivered it carefully.

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