What you can’t send

The following items will NOT be accepted for carriage by DHL. This list includes items which are prohibited for carriage by any law, regulation or statute of any federal, state or local government of any country from, to or through which the items may be carried. For international carriage there may be additional prohibited items specified by the country of destination. DHL may at its sole discretion refuse to carry other items not listed below.

• Antiques, works of art and fine art with an individual 

• Bullion

• Cash and travellers cheques

• Clinical and / or biological samples (including but not limited to bodily fluids and tissue samples)

• Complete original and imitation firearms and firearm parts (including rifle butts, trigger mechanisms, screws / bolts etc which are manufactured for the sole purpose of creating a functional firearm), ammunition, explosives / explosive devices

• Dangerous / hazardous goods including but not limited to perfumes, aftershaves, aerosols, flammable substances, dry ice, biological substances, UN classified dangerous goods and any goods specified as such under International Air Transport Association regulations (“IATA”), the Agreement on Dangerous Goods by Road ("ADR") or International Maritime Dangerous Goods ("IMDG") regulations

• Electronic cigarettes

• Furs

• Human remains or ashes

• Illegal goods and ivory. This can include items that are country-specific (e.g. the importation of alcohol) and commodities considered to be illegal internationally, such as counterfeit goods, ivory and narcotics

• Jewellery, costume jewellery, 

• Laptop computers – No more than 1 laptop computer per package. Each package may not contain more than 1 lithium ion battery which must be contained within the laptop. The shipment must not exceed €5,000 per waybill

• Lithium batteries

  • All lithium metal batteries. Lithium metal batteries are generally non-rechargeable and contain metallic lithium

  • Loose lithium ion batteries. Lithium ion batteries do not contain metallic lithium and are rechargeable

  • Small electronic items, including mobile phones, containing lithium ion batteries – each package may not contain more than 2 batteries which must be contained within the electronic device

• Live animals (including but not limited to mammals, reptiles, fish, invertebrates, amphibians, birds,  insects, larvae and pupae)

• Loose precious and semi-precious stones (cut or un-cut, polished or un-polished)

• Pornography (whether in printed, film or digital format)

• Tobacco, loose leaf tobacco products and pre-rolled cigarettes