Items Not Permitted for International Shipping
This post is for people planning an international household goods move who want to know what can’t go in the container. It covers universally prohibited items, categories that are restricted rather than banned outright, and the items that cause the most problems at customs in the destinations SDC ships to most frequently. If you’re moving household goods from the United States to Europe, the UK, Mexico, the Middle East, or Asia, this is the practical reference you need before you start packing.
SDC International Shipping is a licensed overseas moving company serving all 50 states. We coordinate door-to-door household goods moves by sea and air, and we review every shipment for restricted and prohibited items before the container loads.
Universally Prohibited Items
Certain items are refused by every international carrier and prohibited in virtually every destination country. These are not edge cases. If any of the following are in your shipment, they will be removed before loading or flagged at customs.
Hazardous Materials
This category includes compressed gas canisters (propane, butane, scuba tanks), flammable liquids (paint thinner, lighter fluid, gasoline), aerosol cans, fireworks, and anything classified as an explosive. These items are governed by international maritime safety codes regardless of destination. Even partially used cans of spray paint or aerosol cleaners cannot go in a shipping container. Before packing day, go through your garage, utility closet, and kitchen and dispose of anything in this category.
Perishable Food and Open Liquids
Fresh food, frozen food, dairy, and meat cannot be shipped in an ocean container. Beyond spoiling in transit, these items attract customs holds and biosecurity inspections that can delay your entire shipment. Sealed, commercially packaged non-perishable pantry goods, such as canned items and sealed dry goods, fall into a gray area that varies by destination. The practical guidance from our coordinators: if it’s food and you’re unsure, leave it behind. The cost of replacing it at destination is far less than the cost of a customs hold.
Narcotics and Controlled Substances
This is self-explanatory but worth stating: no controlled substances of any kind, regardless of legal status in your origin state. A substance that is legal in Colorado or California may be a serious customs violation in your destination country. Prescription medications are a separate matter and are handled differently. See the section on restricted items below.
Live Plants, Soil, and Untreated Wood
Live plants and soil carry pest and biosecurity risks that are taken seriously by customs authorities worldwide. Most countries, including EU member states, the UK, and Australia, prohibit or severely restrict the import of plants, bulbs, seeds, and any item containing soil. Wooden items that are not ISPM-15 certified (the international standard for heat-treated or fumigated wood) are also refused at many ports. If you have wooden furniture, wooden crates, or packing materials made from untreated wood, your SDC coordinator will ensure anything entering the container is compliant.
Restricted Items: Allowed with Documentation or in Limited Quantities
Restricted items are not automatically banned, but they require specific documentation, declared values, or advance coordination. These are the categories where preparation matters most, because a restricted item that shows up undeclared or improperly documented can put your entire container on hold.
Firearms and Ammunition
Firearms cannot go in a standard household goods container. Most countries prohibit private firearm imports entirely, and those that allow it require licensing, advance permits, and customs documentation that must be arranged well before shipment. For the vast majority of customers moving to Europe, the UK, Mexico, or the Middle East, the practical answer is: leave firearms in the United States. SDC does not handle firearm shipments as part of household goods moves.
Prescription Medications
A reasonable personal supply of prescription medication can typically accompany a household goods move, but the rules vary by country and by medication type. Some medications that are legally prescribed in the United States are classified as controlled substances in other countries. The general guidance: carry an adequate supply with you as accompanied baggage when you travel, keep prescriptions and physician documentation with you, and do not pack large medication supplies in a sea freight container. For specialty medications or quantities beyond a few months’ supply, confirm the rules for your destination country before packing.
Alcohol
A personal wine collection or a few bottles from your home bar can be included in many household goods shipments, but this is destination-dependent. Some countries, particularly in the Middle East, prohibit alcohol imports entirely. Others allow small quantities duty-free but charge import duties on larger collections. If you have a significant wine or spirits collection, this needs to be discussed with your SDC coordinator before it goes on the inventory.
Tobacco Products
Most countries allow small personal quantities of tobacco duty-free but impose duties or limits on larger amounts. Commercial quantities, meaning cartons rather than a personal supply, will typically be assessed import duties or refused. Declare whatever you’re shipping accurately on the inventory.
High-Value Items: Artwork, Antiques, and Jewelry
These items are shippable but require careful handling on the inventory. Items with a declared value above certain thresholds (EUR 5,000 per item in Germany, for example) must be individually listed with specific values. Antiques may require export documentation from the origin country if they’re classified as cultural property. Jewelry and high-value items are typically better transported as accompanied baggage rather than in a sea freight container, both for insurance reasons and to avoid complications at customs.
Electronics in Large Quantities
A household’s worth of electronics, such as TVs, computers, and home audio equipment, is normal and generally ships without issue when properly listed on the inventory. Problems arise when quantities look commercial rather than personal. Three laptops from a family of three is a household. Twelve laptops is a commercial shipment. Customs officials look at quantities in context, and inventories that describe electronics individually with model, serial number, and approximate age move through clearance more smoothly than generic descriptions.
CITES-Protected Items
Items made from or containing materials covered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), including ivory, certain animal skins, tortoiseshell, coral, and some hardwoods, require CITES export and import permits to cross international borders. Antique items may qualify for exemptions, but documentation is required. If you have furniture, decorative items, or musical instruments that may contain these materials, flag them to your coordinator before packing day.
Destination-Specific Restrictions to Know
Beyond the universal categories above, individual countries add their own layers of restriction. Here are the ones that come up most frequently in SDC’s primary destination corridors.
European Union (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal)
EU member states apply biosecurity rules consistently: no soil, no live plants, no unprocessed wood. Alcohol import is permitted but may be subject to duties above personal-use quantities. Some medications that are available over the counter in the US require prescriptions in the EU. Certain food items, particularly meat products and raw dairy, are prohibited entirely. Customs inventories for EU moves need to describe items as used household goods, owned for at least 6 months, to qualify for Transfer of Residence duty relief.
United Kingdom
The UK follows similar rules to EU countries for biosecurity, firearms, and food items, but applies its own Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief process separately from EU customs. Alcohol and tobacco above personal-use quantities are subject to UK import duties. Items that were previously imported under EU duty-free provisions do not automatically transfer to UK ToR relief status.
Mexico
Mexico permits household goods to enter duty-free under the menaje de casa (household goods) procedure, but the documentation requirements are specific and the process requires advance coordination. Firearms are prohibited. Certain food items, medications, and electronic equipment in large quantities can trigger customs scrutiny. The menaje de casa list must be prepared in a specific format and submitted in advance of the shipment’s arrival.
Middle East
Countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait prohibit alcohol entirely. Religious materials that are not of the state religion may face restrictions. Certain medications are controlled substances in Gulf countries and cannot enter even with a valid US prescription. Pork products cannot be imported. Modesty standards affect what personal items may pass through customs without issue. For Middle East moves, the restricted items review is more involved than for European destinations, and the conversation with your SDC coordinator needs to happen well before packing day.
China
China restricts satellite communication equipment, fax machines, and photocopiers in personal shipments. Asian antiques and cultural relics, including Chinese antiques, may be confiscated at customs and cannot be guaranteed re-export. All electrical items must be individually listed on the inventory with model, serial number, and size. China’s customs process requires an import permit that can only be applied for after your residency permit is issued in-country, which affects container timing.
How SDC Handles Restricted Items
Before your container loads, SDC conducts a pre-shipment review of your inventory against the destination-specific restricted and prohibited items list. If anything on your inventory raises a flag, your coordinator contacts you before packing day, not after the container is sealed. Our professional packing teams are trained to identify items that shouldn’t be packed and will not load anything that puts the shipment at risk of a customs hold.
The most common sources of customs delays are not intentional violations. They are items people did not realize were restricted, or items that were packed without checking. The review process exists specifically to prevent those situations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship cleaning supplies and household chemicals?
No. Bleach, ammonia, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and most household cleaning chemicals are classified as hazardous materials and cannot ship in a container. Dispose of these before packing day. The same applies to paint, paint thinner, motor oil, and pool chemicals. Non-hazardous cleaning supplies in sealed containers, such as dish soap and laundry detergent, are generally fine if quantities are personal-use.
What about battery-operated or lithium battery items?
Devices with lithium batteries, including laptops, phones, e-bikes, and power tools, can ship in a container when the batteries are installed in the device and quantities are personal-use. Loose or spare lithium batteries, particularly high-capacity ones, are heavily regulated under maritime safety rules and in many cases cannot be shipped by sea. If you have spare battery packs for power tools or electric bikes, discuss these with your coordinator before they go on the inventory.
I have an antique that might contain ivory. What do I do?
Ivory requires a CITES permit to cross international borders, and enforcement is strict. Antique exemptions exist under CITES but require documentation proving the item predates the relevant trade restrictions and was legally acquired. This is not a last-minute task. If you have items that may contain ivory, contact your SDC coordinator as early as possible so the documentation can be arranged before your shipment date.
Can I ship a wine collection to France or Italy?
Yes, in most cases. EU member states permit reasonable quantities of alcohol as part of a household goods move under Transfer of Residence provisions. Larger collections, particularly those that might appear commercial in volume, should be discussed with your coordinator. The inventory should describe the collection accurately, including approximate quantities and types, and it should be valued appropriately.
What happens if a prohibited item is found at customs?
The outcome depends on the item and the destination country’s customs authority. At a minimum, the item is seized and not returned. In more serious cases, the entire container can be held for inspection, which adds time and storage costs. Criminal penalties apply for items like narcotics and unlicensed firearms. The practical risk of a customs hold is why the pre-shipment review matters, and most of these situations are entirely preventable with proper preparation.
