To ensure your Christmas deliveries reach your family, friends, and business partners abroad on time, here’s what you need to know about Christmas delivery with DHL Express.
Last Delivery Date by Destination
Be sure to arrange your shipment before this date for your Christmas packages to arrive on time:
- From Malaysia to any country in Asia: 22 December 2025
- From Malaysia to any country in Europe: 20 December 2025
- From Malaysia to any country in the Americas: 20 December 2025
- From Malaysia to any country in the Middle East & North Africa: 20 December 2025
Options to Arrange a Christmas Delivery
Book Online
Arrange your delivery online through MyDHL+.
The perfect option if you want to avoid travel. Once your shipment is booked, our courier will pick it up from your doorstep. Book now with this guide.
Book a Shipment Now
Visit DHL Express Service Point
Drop off your shipment at a DHL Express service point near you for in-person help with packing and paperwork.
Find an Outlet Near MeProhibited Shipping Items
In line with IATA safety guidelines, some items are strictly not allowed to be shipped by air freight for health and safety reasons. These are known as prohibited items.
Before sending your Christmas packages, please check and make sure they do not contain any of these items.
| Category | Goods Examples |
| Explosives and Flammable |
|
| Valuables and High-Risk Financial Items |
|
| Illegal, Counterfeit, or IPR-Infringing Goods |
|
Biological or Perishable |
|
| Drugs | Illicit drugs (e.g., narcotics stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, cannabis or its derivatives) |
Restricted Shipping Items
Unlike prohibited items, restricted items are item that you can ship but with conditions.
| Category | Goods Example | What's required |
| Cigarrette Products |
| DHL Express approval |
| Hazardous Goods | Perfumes, aftershaves, aerosols, flammable substances, or any products contain dry ice | DHL Express approval |
High Valuable Collectible |
| DHL Express approval |
| Financial and Monetary Commodities | Gift cards, event tickets, lottery tickets, money or postal orders, tickets (blank stock), vouchers/tokens | DHL Express approval |
| Non-Functional Weapon Equipment | Toy guns (realistic replicas), firearm parts and ammunition parts, tasers and stun devices, gun mountings, sights, and night vision, gunstocks, silencers, flash suppressors, magazines, clips, and tactical torches, signature reduction and suppression devices | DHL Express Approval |
This is not a complete list of prohibited and restricted items, but it serves as a helpful guide for gift shipping.
In simple terms, prohibited items are unsafe to fly, illegal to send, can be used as weapons, may spread disease, are extremely valuable and risky to insure, or are too fragile for air transport.
Restricted items may be sent only under certain conditions, such as with permits, special packaging, quantity limits, or destination approval.
Before shipping, cross check your gift against the list and ask yourself if it fits the safety and legal rules.
If you are still unsure the shippability, send us a direct message on social media to check.
Shipment Preparation Support and Advice
Use this as a guide to check your goods before shipping to avoid customs delays or detainment.
Shipment Booking
- Delivery details check
- make sure shipment pick-up and drop off address, contact number, and email are correct
- Shipment declaration
- make sure to describe your goods precisely. For example, instead of “clothes,” declare the item as “women’s denim jacket
- HS Code
- make sure to provide to right HS code to ensure accurate customs processing and duty determination. Check your goods' HS code on MyGTS using this guide.
Check out this step-by-step guide to learn how to book a shipment online.
Shipment Packaging
- Choose the right container (e.g. box, envelope)
- Use a new, sturdy corrugated box.
- Make sure the box is slightly bigger than the gift to leave room for padding.
- Avoid very old, soft, or damaged boxes.
- Protect the gift itself
- Wrap the gift item in soft material first, such as bubble wrap, or foam.
- If it is fragile, add extra layers and secure with tape.
- For liquids, creams, or powders, seal the cap tightly and put the item in a sealed plastic bag.
- Add inner cushioning
- Place a layer of cushioning at the bottom of the box.
- Use bubble wrap, packing peanuts, crumpled paper, or foam.
- Put the wrapped gift in the middle of the box.
- Fill all empty spaces so the gift does not move when you shake the box gently.
- Separate items inside the same box
- If you ship more than one item, wrap each item separately.
- Put padding between items so they do not hit each other in transit.
- Place heavier items at the bottom and lighter ones on top.
- Protect sharp or odd shaped items
- Cover sharp edges or points with cardboard and padding.
- Make sure nothing can poke through the box.
- Close and seal the box
- Fold the flaps down properly.
- Seal every opening with strong packing tape.
- Use the “H” method: tape along the center seam and along both edge seams on the top and bottom.
- Add clear labels
- Write or print the full delivery address and return address.
- Put the label on the top surface of the box, not on a seam or edge.
- Ensure the label lies flat and wrinkle free.
Learn more about printing and sticking the shipping label here.
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