What you can and cannot send
Every carrier publishes a list, no two lists are identical, and a negotiated account can differ from the public service in both directions.
Two different questions
- Prohibited means the carrier will not carry it at all.
- Restricted means it can travel, but only with prior agreement, special packaging, or paperwork.
Neither is the same as dangerous goods classification. Deciding whether a specific lithium cell is UN3480 or UN3481 is the shipper's obligation and no shipping platform takes it on for you.
The categories no UK parcel network carries
- Illegal goods, and anything under export control or a sanctions embargo
- Firearms, ammunition, imitation firearms and parts
- Explosives, fireworks and flares
- Controlled drugs and psychoactive substances
- Cash and anything exchangeable for cash, including cheques, vouchers, tickets and payment cards
- Human remains, body parts and bodily fluids
- Live animals
Commonly restricted rather than banned: dangerous goods, alcohol and tobacco, perishables, and high value items such as jewellery and precious metals, which are usually capped or uninsured.
Whose account the parcel goes on changes the answer
This is the part most guides miss. Two merchants using the same carrier can hold genuinely different terms. Alcohol is the usual example: prohibited on the public service and negotiable on a contract account.
If you ship on your own carrier accounts, the contract is yours and confirming what it permits is yours to do. If you ship on a platform's account, the platform's contract applies and its terms are the ones that bind you.
Common questions
What items are prohibited by UK couriers?
Illegal goods and anything under export control or sanctions, firearms and ammunition, explosives and fireworks, controlled drugs, cash and items exchangeable for cash, human remains and bodily fluids, and live animals. Every UK parcel network refuses these.
What is the difference between prohibited and restricted?
Prohibited means the carrier will not carry it at all. Restricted means it can travel but only with prior agreement, special packaging or specific paperwork. Dangerous goods are usually restricted rather than banned outright.
Can I send alcohol by courier?
It depends on the carrier and on your account. Several UK carriers prohibit alcohol outright on their public services, while a negotiated contract account may permit it. Alcohol is also an excise good, which affects customs treatment separately.
You do not have to work it out alone. Tell us what you ship and where, and someone here will talk it through with you. We would far rather answer a question early than see a parcel held at a border.
Talk to the teamSources
Checked 2026-08-01. This is guidance, not customs or tax advice. Rules in this area change, so follow the links above for anything that turns on your own goods or registrations.
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