What You Can (and Can’t) Ship from India: Food, Pooja Items, Medicines & More
Pickles, ghee, spices, pooja items, Ayurvedic oils and perfumes: what can be couriered from India to the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and the Gulf.
Your India Buddy teamUpdated · 7 min read
Homemade pickles, a jar of ghee, camphor for the pooja room, a bottle of hair oil… the things we miss most from India are often the trickiest to ship. Here’s a practical guide to what usually travels well, what needs care, and what can’t go at all.
Usually easy to ship
- Clothing and textiles — sarees, kurtas, veshtis, dupattas, bedsheets and towels.
- Books and stationery — Tamil and Hindi books, school notebooks, children’s storybooks.
- Brass, steel and copper items — lamps, bells, idols, tiffin boxes and vessels (well packed).
- Handicrafts and décor — Golu dolls, Kondapalli toys, paintings, wooden items (see Australia note below).
- Sealed, packaged dry foods — branded spice powders, tea, coffee, snacks and sweets in factory-sealed packs with ingredient labels.
Possible, but needs care
| Item | Why it’s tricky | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| Pickles, ghee, oils | Liquids and oils can leak; some couriers restrict them | Factory-sealed packs, double-bagged; check your country’s food rules |
| Homemade food | No label or ingredient list; often refused | Prefer branded equivalents |
| Ayurvedic & herbal medicines | Treated as medicines in many countries | Personal quantities, original packaging, prescription if available |
| Perfumes, attar, nail polish | Alcohol-based = flammable for air transport | Only via couriers that accept them, in small quantities |
| Electronics with batteries | Lithium batteries have strict air rules | Batteries installed in the device; no loose power banks |
| Gold and silver jewellery | High value; insurance and customs limits | Declare correctly and insure the shipment |
Cannot be shipped
- Fireworks, lighters, matches, camphor in bulk, aerosols, paints and other flammables
- Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and flowers
- Currency, cheques and bullion
- Narcotics, many prescription drugs without documents, and anything illegal in India or your country
- Wildlife products, ivory, and antiques over 100 years old
See our full prohibited and restricted items list.
Country-specific notes
- Australia & New Zealand: very strict biosecurity. Seeds, whole spices, dried flowers, wooden items and some foods may be inspected, treated or destroyed. Declare everything.
- USA: food must generally be commercially packaged and labelled; meat products are restricted.
- UK & EU: restrictions on meat and dairy products from outside the EU/UK; other packaged foods are usually fine.
- Gulf: some medicines that are over-the-counter in India are controlled; check before sending.
How we help
When you send us your list, we check every item against courier and destination rules before buying and tell you if anything should be swapped, repacked or left out. It’s much easier to change a list than to lose a parcel at customs.
Frequently asked questions
Commercially packed, sealed and labelled pickles can often be sent, but oils can leak and rules vary by courier. Homemade pickles are frequently refused.
Yes, most brass lamps, idols, bells and thalis ship easily. Camphor, lighters and loose incense powder can be restricted as flammables, and Australia may inspect wooden or plant-based items.
Often yes in personal quantities and original packaging, but many countries treat them as medicines. A prescription helps, and some ingredients are restricted.
