MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
Customs

Can I send food?

Usually not — most food is restricted.

In most cases, no. Food is one of the most tightly controlled categories in international shipping. Many countries — Australia and New Zealand especially — have strict biosecurity rules that prohibit meat, dairy, seeds, fresh produce and many packaged foods in personal shipments.

Even where some sealed, shelf-stable items are technically allowed, the rules vary enormously by destination and can change, and getting it wrong risks your whole shipment being held or destroyed. Our honest advice is to leave food out of your shipment unless we’ve confirmed a specific item is permitted for your destination — ask us first.

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More on this
Can I send any food at all? +
Occasionally some sealed non-perishable items are allowed, but it’s destination-specific — always check with us before packing food.
Why is food such a problem? +
Biosecurity: countries protect their agriculture from pests and disease, so food and plant matter are heavily restricted.
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