Restricted goods
What we will not
put on a plane.
This is the policy applied before a purchase is made, not a disclaimer added after one goes wrong. Every entry below is the same record that decides whether the quote console will price your request at all — change it in the data and it changes here.
How it is enforced
Admissibility is checked at quote and again before payment is captured. Where a category cannot legally arrive at your address we say so and decline, rather than shipping it and letting a customs authority destroy it at your expense.
85Destination restrictions across 16 country files
39Category restrictions across 7 product files
SECODual-use screening before any binding price on industrial goods
RefusedMedicines, supplements and medical devices, in every destination
By destination
What each country
refuses at the border.
Admissibility is decided by what the goods are, not by what they cost. A restriction here applies regardless of value, quantity or how the parcel is declared.
- ✕Raw-milk cheese aged under 60 daysFDA prohibits import. Most Gruyère and Emmental are aged well past this and are fine; soft alpine cheeses usually are not.
- ✕Food without FDA Prior NoticeAny food shipment needs an electronic filing before arrival. We file it. Sellers who do not are why parcels get destroyed at the border.
- ✕Dietary supplements at scalePersonal quantities are usually accepted. Commercial volumes need an FDA-registered importer, which we are not.
- ✕Absinthe above the thujone limitTraditional Swiss absinthe frequently exceeds the US limit. We check the specific bottling.
- ✕Prescription medicinesSwissmedic-dispensed drugs cannot be imported for personal use in most cases. No exceptions on our side.
- ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO and OFAC lists at quote, and again at payment.
- ✕Meat and meat productsJapan applies some of the strictest animal-health controls in the world. Dried, cured and vacuum-packed are all included. No exceptions.
- ✕Most dairy beyond small quantitiesHard cheese in personal quantities is usually accepted; commercial volumes need an import notification we cannot file for you.
- ✕Plants, seeds, soil and untreated woodPhytosanitary certificate required, and often refused outright. Souvenir items containing seeds are a frequent seizure.
- ✕Medicines beyond a two-month supplyPersonal import limits apply and a Yakkan Shoumei may be required. We do not ship prescription medicines.
- ✕Cosmetics above 24 items per typeA personal-use ceiling, not a guideline. Larger orders need a licensed importer.
- ✕Double-edged blades over 5.5 cmProhibited under the Firearms and Swords Control Law. We substitute a compliant Victorinox model.
- ✕Cheese and dairy, in any quantityThis is the one to read twice. Dairy sits outside the Canada–EFTA agreement and inside Canadian supply management, and over-quota tariff rates on cheese run past 245%. We do not ship dairy to Canada. It is not a paperwork problem we can solve.
- ✕Automatic and one-hand-opening knivesCanada prohibits knives that open automatically by gravity, centrifugal force or a button. CBSA has also seized one-hand-opening folders under the same heading. Standard Swiss Army knives with a nail-nick blade are fine; we check the specific model before purchase and swap it if the lock or opening mechanism is a risk.
- ✕Alcohol outside the provincial boardsEvery province runs a liquor monopoly and importing alcohol around it is an offence, not a formality. Swiss wine, absinthe and kirsch have to go through your provincial board. We decline the order rather than declare it as something else.
- ✕Meat, poultry and eggsCFIA prohibits or licenses these for personal import from Switzerland. Dried and cured products are included; vacuum packing changes nothing.
- ✕Prescription medicines and most supplementsHealth Canada permits a limited personal importation in narrow circumstances, and a courier shipment from a purchasing agent is not one of them. We decline these for every destination, Canada included.
- ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO lists at quote and again at payment, and against the Canadian Export and Import Permits Act where the goods are controlled at your end.
- ✕Alcohol in any formIncluding liqueur-filled chocolates and alcohol-based extracts. A single filled praline can hold an entire consignment.
- ✕Pork and pork derivativesIncluding gelatine in confectionery. We check the ingredient list, not just the product name.
- ✕E-cigarettes and vaping productsTightly controlled. We do not ship them.
- ✕Certain supplements and nutraceuticalsRequire MoHAP registration. Personal quantities are sometimes accepted; we confirm before quoting.
- ✕Printed matter and imagery failing screeningPackaging artwork included. We review it before purchase.
- ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO and destination lists at quote and at payment.
- ✕Chewing gumImport for sale is prohibited. Therapeutic gum requires a prescription. This is not a myth and it is enforced.
- ✕E-cigarettes and vaping productsProhibited outright, including possession. We do not ship them.
- ✕Alcohol above personal allowanceDutiable and licence-controlled. Outside what we handle.
- ✕Meat and processed meat productsOnly from approved sources with an SFA import licence.
- ✕Certain health supplementsHSA notification may be required depending on ingredients.
- ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO and destination lists at quote and payment.
- ✕Most meat, dairy and honeyBiosecurity risk goods. Honey in particular is refused almost without exception.
- ✕Seeds, plants, soil and untreated woodIncludes souvenirs containing seeds or bark, and wooden gift boxes. A frequent and avoidable seizure.
- ✕Products containing egg or raw animal materialAssessed under BICON per ingredient, not per product name.
- ✕Certain supplements and therapeutic goodsTGA rules apply. Personal quantities sometimes permitted with documentation.
- ✕Knives restricted under state lawImport is generally lawful; possession of certain types is not, and it varies by state.
- ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO and destination lists at quote and payment.
- ✕Certain knives and bladed articlesImport and sale restrictions apply to specific types. Age verification is required on delivery for others.
- ✕Meat and dairy above personal allowancesPost-Brexit rules apply to Swiss goods. We check quantity and product type.
- ✕Prescription medicinesNot shipped, regardless of the Swiss prescription status.
- ✕Certain supplementsNovel food and ingredient rules apply. Assessed per product.
- ✕Alcohol above duty-free allowanceExcise applies and licensing is required. Outside our scope.
- ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO and UK lists at quote and payment.
- ✕Anything above EUR 150 without paperworkNot a prohibition, a warning: above the threshold a full customs declaration is required and an incomplete one stalls the parcel for days. We file it properly, which is most of what you are paying us for.
- ✕Meat and dairy from outside the EUSwitzerland is outside the EU customs union for these purposes. Personal imports of meat and milk products are prohibited, and cheese needs commercial health certification.
- ✕Medicines and supplementsGerman import rules on Arzneimittel are strict and a courier shipment from a purchasing agent does not qualify as personal import.
- ✕Weapons and restricted knivesGerman Waffengesetz restricts certain lock types and blade lengths. We check the model before purchase.
- ✕Anything above EUR 150 without a proper declarationAbove the threshold the declaration must be complete or the parcel sits in customs. This is the routine failure mode for private imports into France.
- ✕Meat and dairy in personal quantitiesProhibited from outside the EU customs territory, Switzerland included. Cheese requires commercial health certification.
- ✕Medicines and supplementsFrench rules on médicaments do not treat a courier shipment as personal import. We decline these everywhere.
- ✕Restricted knives and weaponsFrench categories on blade type and length are specific. We check the model against them before purchase.
- ✕Multiple identical unitsThe fastest way to have a shipment reclassified as commercial, with duty, VAT and possibly consumption tax on the full value. We quote single units for personal import and say so.
- ✕Infant formula without registrationChinese registration requirements for infant nutrition are strict and product-specific. We check before quoting and decline where the product is unregistered.
- ✕Medicines and most supplementsImport permits are required and a courier shipment does not qualify. Declined.
- ✕Meat, dairy and honeyProhibited or licence-only for personal import.
- ✕Restricted knivesChinese rules on blade length and locking mechanisms are enforced at the border. We check the model before purchase.
- ✕Anything without consignee KYCNot a restriction we impose — the courier cannot release the parcel without identity documentation for you. We collect it before shipping rather than letting the parcel strand.
- ✕Gold, jewellery and precious metalsRestricted for personal import with specific declaration requirements. We decline.
- ✕Medicines, supplements and medical devicesImport licence required. Declined, as everywhere.
- ✕Meat, dairy and food of animal originProhibited or licence-only for personal import.
- ✕Satellite phones and certain radio equipmentProhibited outright. We screen the model before purchase.
- ✕Anything containing alcoholAbsolute. This includes alcohol as an ingredient in perfume, cosmetics, mouthwash and liqueur-filled confectionery, not only beverages. We check ingredient lists before purchase because a refused parcel is destroyed, not returned.
- ✕Pork and pork derivativesProhibited, including gelatine and derivatives in confectionery and supplements.
- ✕Imagery that would not pass inspectionPackaging and printed matter are inspected. We flag anything likely to be an issue before buying.
- ✕Medicines and supplementsSFDA registration required. Declined.
- ✕Dual-use and industrial control goodsScreened against SECO lists before any binding price.
- ✕Anything without your PCCCKorean customs will not release a personal import without the consignee's personal customs clearance code. We collect it before shipping rather than letting the parcel strand at the border.
- ✕Medicines, supplements and functional foodsMFDS registration required and a courier shipment does not qualify. Declined.
- ✕Meat, dairy and food of animal originProhibited or licence-only for personal import.
- ✕Multiple identical unitsTreated as commercial import, with a formal declaration and a registered importer required. We quote single units for personal import.
- ✕Cosmetics above personal quantitiesMFDS rules apply to commercial volumes. Personal quantities are straightforward.
- ✕Second-hand goods without a permitSouth African rules on used goods imports are restrictive and permit-based. We ship new only.
- ✕Medicines, supplements and medical devicesSAHPRA registration required. Declined, as everywhere.
- ✕Meat, dairy and food of animal originProhibited or permit-only for personal import.
- ✕Anything requiring an ITAC permitCertain categories need an import permit from ITAC that we cannot hold on your behalf. We check before quoting.
- ✕Counterfeit-sensitive categoriesCustoms inspection is thorough on branded goods. We buy from authorised retail and document provenance, which is what clears these smoothly.
- ✕Food of animal originNew Zealand biosecurity is among the strictest in the world and enforcement is thorough. Meat, dairy and honey are prohibited for personal import.
- ✕Used outdoor equipment carrying soil or plant matterA biosecurity concern rather than a customs one. We ship new only, and clean.
- ✕Medicines and supplementsMedsafe rules apply and a courier shipment does not qualify as personal import. Declined.
- ✕Restricted knives and weaponsNew Zealand rules on certain lock types are specific. We check the model before purchase.
- ✕Wooden and plant-derived packagingSubject to biosecurity treatment requirements. We repack in compliant materials before export.
- ✕Low-value ordersNot a prohibition, a recommendation. Below roughly CHF 300 the import cost approaches the goods value and the order rarely makes sense. We will say so rather than take it.
- ✕Multiple identical unitsTreated as commercial import, requiring a registered importer and a formal declaration. We quote single units for personal import.
- ✕Medicines, supplements and cosmetics without ANVISA registrationANVISA rules are strict and product-specific. Medicines and supplements are declined everywhere; cosmetics are checked per product.
- ✕Meat, dairy and food of animal originProhibited for personal import.
- ✕Used goodsRestricted for import with narrow exceptions. We ship new only.
By category
What travels badly,
whatever the destination.
Some constraints are not legal but physical or commercial: a temperature chain that cannot be held, a voltage that does not match, a warranty that will not be honoured where you live.
Swiss chocolate · HS 1806.31 / 1806.90
- ✕Fresh cream confectioneryLuxemburgerli and cream-filled pralines have days of shelf life. They cannot make an export lane.
- ✕Alcohol-filled chocolate to the GulfKirsch centres and liqueur pralines are prohibited. We substitute an alcohol-free equivalent.
- ✕Anything already close to its dateWe check on arrival and reject short-dated stock during inspection.
- ✕Summer shipments to hot climates without insulationWe will not ship uninsulated into a July arrival. If you decline the packing, we decline the order.
- ✕Chocolate as the only item in a heavy parcelAt 54 CHF/kg the freight share is high. Consolidate it with something denser.
Swiss watches · HS 9101 / 9102
- ✕Brands that restrict servicing by regionSome manufacturers will service only in the region of purchase. We tell you which before you buy — it is the most common regret in this category.
- ✕Anything we cannot authenticateOn the private market, high-value references without verifiable provenance. We will point you to a dealer instead.
- ✕Grey-market bargainsIf the price looks impossible, the papers usually are too. We buy from authorised dealers or we do not buy.
- ✕Exotic leather strapsAlligator and similar are CITES-controlled and need permits. We usually substitute a rubber or calf strap and ship the original separately, or not at all.
- ✕Watches bought purely as an investmentWe will source what you ask for, but we are a purchasing office, not an advisor, and we will not pretend a reference is certain to appreciate.
- ✕Anything to AustraliaDairy biosecurity refusal means destruction rather than return. We will not take the order.
- ✕Soft and raw-milk cheese under 60 daysProhibited in the US and restricted almost everywhere else.
- ✕Vacherin Mont d'OrSeasonal, soft, washed-rind and short-dated. Everything that makes it wonderful makes it unshippable.
- ✕Commercial volumes without an importerAbove personal quantities most destinations need a licensed importer, which we are not.
- ✕Fresh cheesesRicotta, quark, fresh goat. Days of shelf life against days of transit.
- ✕Anything where transit exceeds a third of remaining shelf lifeWe check the date on arrival and reject on this basis during inspection.
Swiss coffee machines · HS 8516.71
- ✕A new machine for the US, Canada or Japan230 V into a 120 V supply needs a transformer that is heavy, ugly and not cheap. Local model plus local service is usually better.
- ✕Entry-level machinesThe price gap rarely survives freight on a 12 kg appliance. Spend the difference on a better model bought at home.
- ✕Anything you expect to need serviced oftenCross-border warranty service is inconsistent. Buying into a local service network has real value.
- ✕Parts ordered without a serial numberThe part number depends on the revision. Without the serial we are guessing.
- ✕Pattern or third-party partsWe source genuine parts only. Copies are the most common cause of the next failure.
- ✕Orders above the personal-use capAbove the limit you need a licensed importer. We will not split an order across parcels to disguise it.
- ✕Splitting one order into several shipmentsStructuring a consignment to stay under a threshold is evasion. We decline.
- ✕Products making therapeutic claimsThese fall under medicines regulation in most destinations, not cosmetics.
- ✕Testers and sample unitsMarked not-for-resale and frequently refused at the border.
- ✕Aerosols and pressurised containersRestricted as dangerous goods on most air services.
- ✕Anything requiring registration you do not haveWhere a destination requires product registration for the volume you want, we say so before quoting.
Swiss outdoor equipment · HS 4202.92 / 6211
- ✕Gas cartridges and fuelProhibited on air services. Buy them where you will use them.
- ✕Avalanche airbag cylindersCompressed gas. Cannot fly on standard services; the pack ships without the cylinder.
- ✕Rigid bulky items on their ownA single helmet or one pair of boots cubes out badly. Pair them with compressible items.
- ✕Used equipment to AustraliaSoil and plant matter on used gear is a biosecurity risk. New only for that destination.
- ✕Anything with a large lithium cellSome headlamps and heated garments exceed air limits. We check the watt-hour rating first.
- ✕Tents, unless you really cannot get themAmong the worst volume-to-value ratios we handle. We will quote it, and we will tell you it is poor value.
Swiss electronics · HS 8471.30 / 8517.13
- ✕Loose lithium batteries and power banksBatteries shipped on their own fall under UN 3480 and most express carriers refuse them outright on passenger aircraft. Installed in the equipment they are UN 3481 and travel normally. We will not ship a spare battery separately, and we will tell you before you buy the spare.
- ✕Radio equipment without local type approvalA phone or router without MIC approval in Japan, or FCC in the United States, may clear customs and still be illegal to switch on. We check the model's approval status for your destination and decline where it has none.
- ✕Mains appliances to 120 V destinations, unflaggedWe will ship it, but only after telling you plainly. Canada, the United States and Japan run 100–120 V. A 230 V Swiss appliance on that supply either does nothing or fails once, expensively.
- ✕Commercial quantities of radio equipmentAbove personal quantities most of these markets require a registered local importer for anything that transmits. We are not one, and we decline rather than declaring your order as something it is not.
- ✕Drones, to most destinationsRegistration, remote-ID and airspace rules vary sharply and several destinations restrict import outright. We handle these case by case and refuse more often than we accept.
- ✕Region-locked goods sold as unlockedSome models are carrier-locked or region-restricted in ways that are invisible on the product page. Where we cannot confirm the unit is genuinely open, we say so rather than let you discover it on arrival.
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