What Can I Ship

Prohibited items are not accepted by DHL Express under any circumstances.
Standard prohibited commodities include:

• Live animals, including mammals, reptiles, fish, invertebrates, amphibians, insects, or birds
• Hunting trophies, animal parts such as ivory and shark fin, animal remains, or animal by-products or derived products not intended for human consumption where movement is prohibited by CITES or local law
• Human remains or ashes in any form
• Bullion of any precious metal
• Cash, including bank notes, currency notes, and coins
• Loose precious and semi-precious stones, whether cut or uncut, polished or unpolished
• Complete firearms, ammunition, explosives, explosive devices, including inert explosives or test pieces, air guns, replica or imitation firearms or ammunition
• Illegal goods, including illicit drugs such as narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, cannabis, or cannabis derivatives
• Counterfeit goods that breach intellectual property rights
• Any property whose carriage is prohibited by law, regulation, or statute in any country through which the shipment may travel
• Electronic cigarettes and accessories

No. Counterfeit goods are prohibited.
If DHL Express suspects goods are counterfeit, customs may be informed. In many countries, counterfeit goods may be seized and the buyer penalized.
Examples of commonly counterfeited goods include:

• Shoes
• Clothing
• Bags
• Expensive watches
• CDs and DVDs
• Perfumes
• Electronics

Yes. Additional examples from U.S. prohibited commodity guidance include:

• Asbestos
• Furs
• Hazardous and combustible materials as defined in IATA regulations
• Jewelry, precious metals, and stones
• Property prohibited by applicable law or regulation

• Prohibited means DHL Express will not carry the item at all.
• Restricted means the item may only be carried if DHL Express has reviewed and approved it in advance.

If you are in any doubt about whether your goods are prohibited or restricted, contact customer service before shipping. Country-specific prohibited or restricted item rules may also apply.

Restricted items are not automatically prohibited, but they are not accepted for carriage unless DHL Express has agreed to carry them. 

In these cases, DHL Express will need to review the shipment and approve it in writing. A business case may need to be completed before the goods can be accepted. 

Examples of items that may require approval to meet the DHL Express international shipping restrictions include:

• Dangerous or hazardous goods, including lithium batteries, perfumes, aftershaves, aerosols, flammable substances, dry ice, biological substances, and UN-classified dangerous goods
• Antiques, works of art, and fine art
• Certain high-value collectibles, such as comics, first-edition books, trading cards, stamps, and memorabilia
• Hunting trophies and animal skins not intended for human consumption that fall within certain CITES categories
• Financial and monetary commodities over certain value thresholds, such as activated SIM cards, gift cards, event tickets, lottery tickets, postal orders, vouchers, and unused stamps
• Jewelry and watches over certain value thresholds
• Toy guns, firearm parts, ammunition parts, Tasers, controlled military items, and firearm attachments such as sights, magazines, silencers, gunstocks, torches, flash suppressors, and related devices

They might. Whether DHL Express can accept liquids or perishables depends on the product, how it is packed, how it will travel through the network, and whether it meets applicable transport and destination requirements.

Yes. Goods that may be accepted for one destination may be restricted or prohibited in another because of local customs rules, import controls, sanctions, or other legal restrictions.

Yes, depending on the item. Restricted goods may require:

• DHL Express approval
• Additional documentation
• Specific packaging
• Specific labels or markings
• Compliance with destination-country rules
• Extra review before pickup or acceptance

If you are unsure, stop before you ship and contact customer service. DHL Express guidelines help to avoid refused shipments, customs delays, and compliance problems.

Dangerous Goods, also called hazardous materials or hazmat, are articles or substances capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment during transport.
Goods with these characteristics are considered dangerous, including materials and substances that are:

• Radioactive
• Flammable
• Explosive
• Corrosive
• Toxic
• Oxidizing
• Infectious
• And other regulated materials
  

Some items may not seem dangerous at first glance but can still fall under Dangerous Goods and hazmat shipping regulations. Examples can include:

• Electronic equipment
• Perfumes & aftershaves
• Aerosols
• Dry ice
• Biological substances
• Food flavoring
• Chemicals
• Other items classified under transport regulations

The manufacturer’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or Safety Data Sheet (SDS) can help identify whether a product is classified as Dangerous Goods.

DHL Express will only accept Dangerous Goods under certain restrictions and conditions. Acceptance depends on the commodity, origin, destination, applicable law, and whether the shipper has been approved by DHL Express to ship those goods.

Yes. DHL Express requires pre-approval to ship most Dangerous Goods.

Pre-approval helps ensure that account holders are properly trained and able to prepare Dangerous Goods shipments in line with the applicable regulations and DHL policies.

If you want to ship Dangerous Goods, DHL Express must be notified of your intention to do so before shipping.

Dangerous Goods transport are subject to shipping regulations. DHL Express complies with:


• IATA regulations for all DHL Express air services
• ADR where applicable in countries that have adopted the ADR convention
• Other applicable national legislation depending on origin, transit, and destination, including rules such as CFR Title 49 in the United States.


These regulations include rules for:

• Packaging
• Marking
• Labeling
• Dangerous Goods declarations
• Shipping documents
• Safe handling and stowage

You, the shipper, are legally responsible for complying with Dangerous Goods regulations when offering such shipments for transport.

Yes. The special handling associated with Dangerous Goods shipping is likely to incur additional charges.

Do not guess. Check the SDS or MSDS, review the relevant shipping requirements, and contact customer service before creating the shipment.

Yes. Lithium Batteries are classified as Dangerous Goods.

A wide range of electronic goods powered by lithium batteries fall under Dangerous Goods regulations, whether the batteries are:


• Lithium Ion (rechargeable)
• Lithium Metal (non-rechargeable)

The battery shipping regulations apply whether lithium batteries are:

• Loose

Batteries shipped as individual items or in bulk.

Example: portable battery charger.


• Packed with equipment

Equipment and its batteries packed in the same package.

Example: a camera with an additional battery.


• Contained in equipment


Battery installed in the equipment.

Example: a tablet with an integrated lithium battery.

Some lithium battery shipments may be accepted by DHL Express, but not all.


Pre-approved DHL Express account holders can ship lithium batteries, but only certain types of lithium battery shipments are accepted.

The following packages are accepted for transport when the lithium battery mark is not applicable:

• Shipments with 2 packages or less, where each package contains no more than 4 cells or 2 batteries installed in equipment
• Packages containing only button cell batteries installed in equipment, including circuit boards


Example:
A shipment with 2 pieces where one piece contains a notebook and the other contains 2 mobile phones.

The safe transportation of lithium battery shipments by air, and full compliance with applicable regulations, is the legal responsibility of the shipper.

Yes. DHL Express requires pre-approval for lithium battery shipments - and they may require a lithium battery shipping label.

In part, yes. Whether an item can be shipped depends not only on DHL Express policy, but also on:

• Local law in the destination country
• Customs requirements
• Aviation safety rules
• Sanctions and export controls
• Documentation requirements
• The type, value, quantity, and origin of the goods

Yes. Some goods can be shipped but may require:

• A customs invoice
• Destination-specific documents
• Permits or licenses
• Sanctions-related documentation
• Additional identifiers or tax information