Packing and restrictions
Items you cannot send abroad
Some items are banned on every route; others are fine to one country and refused by another. These are the ones that catch people out most often.
Common surprises
- Perfume and attar: alcohol-based fragrances are flammable and restricted in quantity
- Power banks: loose lithium batteries cannot go by courier
- Ghee and desi butter: dairy is refused by the UK, Australia and others
- Homemade achar: unlabelled oil-based food is usually refused and can leak
- Paan and poppy seeds: banned in the UAE
- Common painkillers and sleep aids: controlled in the Gulf even with a prescription
- Gold and jewellery: not shipped by courier
Always prohibited
Cash, weapons, drugs, explosives, aerosols, corrosive chemicals, counterfeit goods and live animals. The full list is on our prohibited items page.
What happens if you send a banned item
Depending on the item and country, the parcel can be returned, the item destroyed, the whole parcel seized, or the receiver fined. Declaring it does not make a banned item allowed.
Ask first
If you are unsure, send a photo on WhatsApp with the destination and we will tell you.