Before you mail an unusual product internationally, use this checklist to determine whether it is prohibited, restricted, or conditionally accepted, then confirm the current rules for your carrier and destination. It covers batteries, liquids, aerosols, medicines, food, fragile goods, perishables, and hazardous materials without assuming that one carrier’s policy applies to another.
Overview
“What can you ship?” is not answered by the item name alone. Acceptance may depend on the item’s ingredients, physical form, quantity, packaging, transport method, origin, destination, and whether the shipment travels by air. A product that is acceptable on one domestic service may be restricted internationally, require a specific declaration, or be unavailable through a particular service level.
Start by separating three categories:
- Prohibited items: Goods the carrier, postal operator, transport network, or destination does not accept.
- Restricted items: Goods that may be accepted only with conditions such as quantity limits, approved packaging, documentation, markings, or a suitable service.
- Conditionally accepted items: Goods that can travel when the sender meets detailed requirements, even though they need more preparation than an ordinary parcel.
For an international shipment, check both the carrier’s rules and the destination country’s import requirements. Customs authorities can refuse, hold, return, or destroy an item even when the originating carrier accepts it. For a broader document and duties workflow, see this international shipping and customs guide.
Checklist by scenario
Use the table as a first screening tool, not as final authorization. “Often conditional” means that the item may be shippable in some circumstances, but the exact rules must be confirmed before you create a label.
| Item or scenario | Typical concern | What to check before shipping |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium batteries and devices containing them | Battery type, installation, capacity, damage, and air-transport limitations | Whether the battery may travel installed, separately packed, or not at all; carrier packaging and marking rules; destination restrictions |
| Liquids, creams, and gels | Leakage, flammability, pressure, and customs classification | Container security, absorbent or protective packaging, quantity limits, ingredient information, and the service’s acceptance rules |
| Aerosols and pressurized containers | Pressure and potentially flammable contents | Whether the product is accepted by the selected transport method; required declarations, packaging, and destination rules |
| Medicines and medical products | Import authorization, prescription status, ingredients, and temperature needs | Destination-country import rules, recipient documentation, quantity, packaging, and whether the carrier accepts the product |
| Food and agricultural products | Ingredients, animal or plant content, spoilage, and quarantine controls | Destination restrictions, shelf life, sealed packaging, ingredient description, and customs declaration requirements |
| Perishables | Temperature, transit time, leakage, odors, and delivery attempts | Whether the carrier offers an appropriate service; insulation, coolant rules, contingency planning, and recipient availability |
| Fragile goods | Breakage, vibration, impact, and limited carrier liability | Internal cushioning, rigid outer packaging, void fill, orientation needs, insurance eligibility, and any handling limitations |
| Flammable, corrosive, toxic, or explosive materials | Hazardous-material transport and serious safety restrictions | Product safety information, classification, approved carrier service, trained or authorized acceptance process, and destination law |
| Alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or controlled products | Licensing, age restrictions, excise rules, and import prohibitions | Origin and destination law, carrier acceptance, permits, taxes, declarations, and recipient eligibility |
| Valuables, cash, and sensitive documents | Loss, theft, restricted compensation, and identity or customs concerns | Whether the item is accepted, available signature or insurance options, secure packaging, and a backup for essential documents |
Apply the checklist to the actual product
- Identify the item precisely. Record the product name, ingredients or materials, quantity, net weight, value, and whether it is new, used, damaged, or refurbished.
- Look for hidden risk. Check batteries, fuel, magnets, compressed gas, alcohol content, chemicals, biological material, animal products, and plant material. Review the product’s safety documentation when available.
- Confirm the route. The origin, destination, transit countries, and air or ground service can change the answer. Do not rely on a domestic mailing decision for an international parcel.
- Check the official rules. Search the selected postal operator or carrier’s prohibited and restricted-item guidance, then check the destination country’s import requirements.
- Prepare the description and value honestly. A vague description such as “goods” or “gift” may not give customs enough information. Use a plain-language description that matches the contents and supporting records.
- Choose the service only after acceptance is clear. A shipping calculator can help compare postage and delivery estimates, but it does not replace an item-eligibility check. Use the international shipping cost calculator guide alongside the carrier’s rules.
What to double-check
Packaging and labeling
Use packaging that protects the item and prevents movement, leakage, accidental activation, or access during handling. Remove or cover old labels and barcodes. If the carrier requires special marks, declarations, or orientation labels, apply them exactly as instructed. Do not place a hazard marking on a parcel unless it accurately reflects the contents and the shipment is authorized for that marking.
For fragile goods, use a strong outer box, cushioning on every side, and a separate barrier for liquids. Packaging marked “fragile” is not a substitute for protective packing. Photograph the packed parcel, label, and contents before handover; these records can help with a claim or customs inquiry. Keep the receipt and tracking number. If damage or loss occurs, the package insurance claim checklist explains the evidence and deadlines to review.
Customs information
Describe each product clearly, state its value using the required currency or format, and identify the sender and recipient accurately. Confirm who may owe duties, taxes, or handling charges and how the recipient will be contacted. A parcel can be delayed when the description, value, invoice, or contact details are incomplete or inconsistent.
Tracking and handoff
Save the tracking number as soon as the label is created and verify that the first acceptance scan appears. If the shipment is held for customs, the tracking status may request information or payment rather than indicate that the parcel is lost. Use the carrier’s tracking page for the most specific update; this guide to package tracking status meanings can help interpret common messages.
Common mistakes
- Assuming “small quantity” means unrestricted. Some products remain restricted regardless of parcel size.
- Using a generic customs description. “Personal items,” “sample,” or “gift” may be insufficient without a specific product description and value.
- Ignoring the destination. Import rules can differ substantially between countries and may change by product category.
- Sending a damaged battery or leaking container. Concealing a defect creates a safety risk and can invalidate acceptance or coverage.
- Choosing a service before checking eligibility. The fastest or cheapest option is not necessarily authorized for the contents.
- Underinsuring or overstating value. Keep the declared value accurate and retain proof of purchase or replacement value where relevant.
- Handing over the parcel without documentation. Keep the receipt, customs copy, product details, photos, and tracking information until delivery is confirmed.
When to revisit
Return to this checklist before every unusual international shipment, especially when the product, destination, carrier, or service level changes. Review it before seasonal shipping periods, when introducing a new product, and whenever a package contains batteries, liquids, aerosols, medicines, food, perishables, chemicals, or regulated goods.
Carriers and destination authorities can change prohibited-item lists, packaging standards, declaration forms, and acceptance conditions. Small businesses should schedule a quarterly review of saved shipping workflows, product classifications, label templates, and carrier links. A useful workflow is documented in this small business shipping guide.
Before handing over the next parcel, complete this final five-minute check:
- Identify every item, including batteries or substances inside another product.
- Check the carrier, service, route, and destination restrictions.
- Package, mark, and describe the contents as required.
- Confirm the customs value, recipient details, and supporting documents.
- Save the receipt, tracking number, and photos, then tell the recipient how delivery or customs contact will work.
If any answer is unclear, pause the shipment and ask the carrier or postal operator for a written acceptance decision. When safety, customs, or legal requirements are involved, certainty is more useful than speed.
