Prohibited and restricted items fall into two groups on this page.

This page covers four different things: items we can never carry, items we can carry only when they are properly declared, items we handle normally but the carrier may still restrict, and items that depend on the destination country. If you are unsure about something, contact us before you book — a two-minute question is much cheaper than a seized parcel.

This list is not exhaustive; it is a summary. The conditions of carriage of the carrier (FedEx or UPS) and the laws of the origin and destination countries always prevail over anything written on this page — including when they permit something listed here, or prohibit something that is not.

Never accepted

Applies to every carrier and every destination.

Illegal drugs and narcotics
Weapons, ammunition, explosives and their components — including replica firearms
Human remains, organs, blood and biological samples
Counterfeit or pirated goods
Currency, coins, bearer securities and negotiable instruments
Stolen goods
Illegal pornographic material
Tobacco and tobacco products — we do not carry them; they need a specific carrier agreement and adult-signature delivery that we do not offer
E-cigarettes and vaping products — we do not carry them. UPS prohibits them outright; FedEx treats them as tobacco products, so the limitation above applies to them as well
Live animals, and species protected under CITES (including ivory and products made from protected species)
Radioactive material outside the exempt limits
Waste and hazardous waste, including used needles and syringes
Anything requiring a special licence we do not hold

Requires a declaration in the booking form

These are not automatically refused. They travel when you declare them correctly — and for several of them, only with one of our two carriers. The carrier you choose changes the answer.

Dry ice (UN1845) — carried by both FedEx and UPS. It must be declared as UN1845, hazard class 9. The dry ice weight must not exceed the total package weight — enter it in kg when you book.
Regulated dangerous goods (ADR) — carried by FedEx only. UPS does not accept regulated dangerous goods. We need the UN number, the proper shipping name, the hazard class, the packing group, the regulation and the quantity.
Lithium batteries (IATA Section II) — carried by FedEx only. We need the battery material (lithium metal or lithium ion) and the packing type (contained in equipment, or packed with equipment). Battery packages are limited to 5 kg gross weight. Damaged, defective or recalled batteries are never carried.
Jewellery, watches and precious metals — carried up to the value limits the carrier sets. Above those, the carrier's approval is needed. We do not check the shipment value for you — tell us if it is high-value.

Dangerous goods and dry ice are available on our Express, Priority and Regional Economy services.

Learn more on the carriers' own sites: UPS — prohibited and restricted items · FedEx — prohibited and restricted items.

Subject to carrier or destination rules

We do not ask you to declare these and we do not refuse them automatically. They travel as ordinary packages — but the carrier or the destination country may still restrict them.

Perishable goods — we ship them as ordinary packages; they travel only with packaging suited to the goods and on a service fast enough for them.
Medicines and medical devices — we add no requirement of our own; the destination country's rules apply (see the destination section below).
Food and plant products — we add no requirement of our own; phytosanitary and food-safety rules apply, and many destinations prohibit them outright (see below).

Depends on the destination

The same parcel can be perfectly legal to send from Czechia and illegal to import. Check before you book.

Alcohol — subject to the destination country's excise rules and age restrictions; where a shipment is classified as dangerous goods, it follows the FedEx-only rule above.
Goods under EU sanctions — destinations and goods covered by sanctions packages
Dual-use goods — items with both civilian and military uses; some need an export licence
Cultural heritage, artworks and antiques — may need an export permit
Food, plants, seeds and wood — phytosanitary rules and FLEGT
Medicines, veterinary products and chemicals — national authorisation rules
Products subject to product-safety rules — e.g. CE marking requirements

What happens if a prohibited item is sent

The carrier can refuse the shipment or stop it in transit, and can charge you an administrative fee for handling a prohibited item. Paying that fee does not limit your liability.
Customs can seize the goods, refuse to release them, and destroy them or return them to the sender. Goods whose import or export is prohibited cannot be released even on a permit.
If a shipment is stopped, we cannot refund the shipping cost — the carrier does not refund it to us.

Verify at the source

Our carriers and the authorities publish the authoritative lists. Everything below leaves our site.

The carriers — their rules govern your shipment:

The authorities — the rules the carriers work from:

Czech Customs Administration — limits and restrictions on the import and export of goods
UNECE — About the ADR — the dangerous-goods agreement itself, which is what "ADR" on this page refers to

Dangerous goods are grouped into ADR hazard classes (1–9, with 4, 5 and 6 subdivided). The classes our declarations refer to are defined in the ADR text linked above.

Not sure about an item? Ask us before you book.