Prohibited Items by Destination: What You Cannot Courier from India, Country by Country
Written by Mrs. Madhu Satija, Managing Director · rates to 220+ countries last verified & updated: | Call 9718661166
Two separate walls stop a parcel: the carrier's ban list — currency, loose lithium batteries, aerosols, weapons and perishables can never fly, to anywhere — and the destination country's import law, which is where most surprises happen: the same pickle jar that clears Canada without comment is a booking we refuse outright for Australia. Check both walls below before you pack.
Wall 1 — banned by every carrier, to every destination
These are air-cargo dangerous-goods and security rules. No carrier, no destination, no exceptions:
| Category | Examples people actually try to send |
|---|---|
| Currency & bullion | Cash in birthday cards, gold coins, jewellery beyond personal-use declarations |
| Loose lithium batteries | Spare power banks, replacement phone batteries packed separately from a device |
| Flammables & pressurised cans | Perfume bottles above allowance, deodorant sprays, lighter fluid, camphor |
| Perishables without cold chain | Homemade sweets, fresh mithai, wet chutneys, dairy |
| Weapons & sharp objects | Decorative swords, kirpans above legal length, air-gun parts |
The complete carrier-level list runs to 49 categories — see the full restricted items list for everything from ivory to wet cell batteries.
Wall 2 — the destination decides: country-by-country matrix
Each cell links to the detailed rules page for that item and destination — what's actually allowed, quantity limits, and how to pack it so it clears:
| Destination | Food | Medicines | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Strictest biosecurity on earth |
✗ Not shipped — we refuse this lane Why, and what to do instead — the ban covers all food, even sealed retail packets |
✗ Not shipped — we refuse this lane Why, and what to do instead — TGA import rules; only receiver-side options exist |
✓ Unrestricted Documents to Australia |
| USA FDA controls the parcels |
✓ Accepted with rules Food to USA — sealed, shelf-stable, labelled products; no meat or dairy |
✓ Accepted with rules Medicines to USA — FDA personal-import: prescription, 90-day supply |
✓ Unrestricted Documents to USA |
| UK POAO rule catches ghee & sweets |
✓ Accepted with rules Food to UK — plant-based dry food only; meat, dairy or ghee (POAO) fails |
✓ Accepted with rules Medicines to UK — personal quantity with prescription; controlled drugs need a licence |
✓ Unrestricted Documents to UK |
| Canada The lenient one — within limits |
✓ Accepted with rules Food to Canada — CFIA limits; the rare lane where sealed retail pickles are accepted |
✓ Accepted with rules Medicines to Canada — Health Canada personal-import rules, 90-day supply |
✓ Unrestricted Documents to Canada |
| UAE Medicine list is the trap |
✓ Accepted with rules Food to UAE — dry food and sweets broadly fine; pork and alcohol-containing items banned |
✓ Accepted with rules Medicines to UAE — MOHAP controlled list catches common Indian medicines (codeine, tramadol) |
✓ Unrestricted Documents to UAE |
Electronics: the battery nuance nobody explains
Phones and laptops are not prohibited — loose lithium batteries are. A phone with its battery installed ships under the dangerous-goods provision the carriers accept (PI967), with a battery-handling label we apply at packing. A spare power bank or replacement battery packed on its own is refused at booking. One device per parcel keeps clearance smooth; five phones in one box reads as commercial import at every destination.
Caught at customs — what actually happens
- Best case: the item is removed and destroyed, the rest of the parcel delivers, and the receiver gets a seizure notice.
- Common case: the whole parcel is held, storage charges tick daily, and it returns to India at the sender's cost — return freight is usually higher than the outbound charge.
- Worst case (Australia, UAE): biosecurity or controlled-substance violations bring fines to the receiver — a terrible gift to send someone on a student visa or work permit.
Prohibited items FAQs
Can I send Diwali sweets to my son in Australia?
No — and not as dry snacks either: we do not ship any food on the Australia lane, sweets included, because every carrier bans the commodity and biosecurity destroys what slips through. Order from an Australian mithai shop online for delivery there instead — the food to Australia page explains why, and what receivers can do.
My mother's regular medicine — can I just courier a strip every month?
Ship a 90-day supply once instead: every parcel needs the receiver's prescription, original packaging and a doctor's letter, so monthly strips multiply the paperwork and the interception risk. Check the destination's medicines page above for the exact document set.
Is homemade food always banned?
For courier, effectively yes — unlabelled home-cooked food has no ingredient declaration for customs to assess, so it is refused or destroyed at most destinations. Sealed retail products with printed ingredient labels are what the food lanes are built for.
Who pays when a prohibited item is seized and the parcel returns?
The sender — return freight, storage and any re-export handling are billed to the booking account. This is why we screen contents at pickup: a refused booking costs nothing, a returned parcel costs double.
Related reading: who pays customs duty, by destination · how courier charges are calculated · the universal 49-item restricted list
