What Can You Ship Internationally?

If a prohibited item is detected (by X-ray, physical inspection or dangerous goods screening), the parcel can be confiscated, returned, or destroyed at the shipper's expense. The shipper may also face fines, civil liability for damage caused, and be blacklisted from the carrier. Always check before shipping.

Every major courier (DHL, UPS, FedEx, DPD, GLS) publishes a prohibited and restricted items list on their website. Items on the prohibited list cannot be shipped at all. Restricted items can be shipped under specific conditions (special packaging, documentation, or route restrictions). When in doubt, contact the carrier directly before booking.

Couriers do not open every parcel, but all international shipments go through automated screening (X-ray and density scanning) at sorting hubs and at customs in the destination country. High-risk items (heavy items in small boxes, items with strong odours) trigger additional checks.

For some categories (firearms, pharmaceuticals, live animals), a government-issued permit or licence allows shipping subject to carrier acceptance and packaging requirements. Contact the carrier and your national customs authority for permit procedures. Most restricted-but-permitted items also require a shipper's declaration for dangerous goods.

Prohibited items cannot be shipped by courier under any circumstances (e.g. firearms, explosives). Restricted items can be shipped but only under specific conditions — correct packaging, carrier approval, dangerous goods declaration, or route limitations. Conditional items depend on the destination country's import rules.