Interesting Peru Postal Restrictions

We’re rounding up our week of postal restriction posts, about items you can’t send to countries around the world, with a look at Peru, which prohibits the import of lots of products through the international post system. It goes without saying that anything illegal, such as drugs or weapons, will not be allowed into Peru, but along with this there are some other interesting restrictions which would be useful to know.

Clothing

If you’re an eBay seller and are having a wardrobe clearout, remember that you can’t send any clothing, footwear or accessories to Peru as they will not be allowed in. This includes everything from gloves to coats to hosiery to boots, and while no clothing is allowed, it is specified that fur products are also not allowed, so it might be best to avoid Peruvian buyers of your prized fur coat.

Contraceptive products or apparatus are also not allowed into Peru. As a religious country, this is understandable. However, there are some stranger items on the list, including carpets, suitcases, shoe waxes, wooden utensils and interior ornaments, including artificial flowers. And if you’re thinking about sending any communist propaganda, don’t – this is also prohibited and will not be allowed into Peru.

Interesting Italian Postal Restrictions

For such a laid back country, you might not expect Italy to have so many restrictions on the items you can send to it. However, on top of the usual items which we hope you wouldn’t dream of sending internationally (illegal substances, weaponry etc.), there are lots of other surprising products on the list that will not be allowed into the country through its postal system.

If you have relatives or friends in Italy and you’re thinking about sending Christmas presents to Italy, you might need to get a bit creative, especially where children are involved. You can’t send toys unless they are made entirely of wood, and you can’t send any type of footwear, along with a wide range of haberdashery and sewn articles. The golden rule, as always, is when it doubt, leave it out.

Perfumed goods apart from soap are also not allowed, and while we’re on the topic of scented items, nutmeg, vanilla and saffron should also be left out of your package. You can’t send clocks or clock parts, artificial flowers, leather goods, playing cards or, bizarrely, ribbons for typewriters. There are many other prohibited items for Italy, so make sure you check an official Italian postal service source before you send anything.

Interesting Israel Postal Restrictions

All this week, we’ll be listing some of the stranger items you might not realise you can send internationally to various countries, and today the spotlight is on Israel. In a country of such political unrest, you should make sure you’re extra careful about what you send to Israel to minimise the risk of any security alerts, but there are a few things you might not realise will be a problem.

Lottery ticket

Israel is a deeply religious country, which may explain why games of chance and anything relating to lottery games are not allowed. In an attempt to minimise fraudulent activity, blank, headed invoices will also not be allowed into Israel.

Lots of the restrictions apply to food and agriculture. Tools used for farming are prohibited through the international postal system, as these may be contaminated by plant or soil diseases in the host country; likewise, organic fertilisers and soil and sand. But for something you might not expect, used beehives are not allowed into Israel, so if you were thinking of sending your old beehive to a friend living in Israel, unfortunately this won’t be possible.

Interesting Afghanistan postal restrictions

This week, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the more unusual postal restrictions that apply when you send a parcel internationally. It goes without saying that weapons, drugs or anything dangerous should be omitted from your package, but there are lots of things you might never have considered that are prohibited from entering the country by international mail.

Chessboard

Today we’re looking at sending a parcel to Afghanistan. Probably the most unusual is chessboards. We’re not entirely sure of the reasoning behind this, but just remember not to send a chessboard if you’re trying to think of a way to keep soldier friends and family entertained in Afghanistan. The same applies to children’s toys with the exception of sporting goods, so don’t send any dolls, board games, action models or anything else which could be considered a toy.

Also on the list are tapestries and lace, silk products and books and any other publication which could be offensive to the people of Afghanistan, whether this is their morals or religion or anything else, so double check that what you’re sending won’t contain any material considered offensive to the people of the country.

Halloween!

Halloween

We’re rounding off our week of celebrations around the world with a much-loved celebration in many Western countries – Halloween! The holiday is particularly popular in the US, and the day is celebrated by taking part in all sorts of spooky activities, such as dressing up in costumes, decorating the house with scary decorations and trick or treating. The day has Pagan and Christian origins, and it is a way for us to celebrate the dead and other living beings. Traditionally, this may have included fairies, spirits, vampires and other mythical creatures, when the doors of the current realm were opened to welcome everyone and everything back in for a day. Now we consider Halloween more of a fun occasion, with pumpkin carving, Halloween parties for children and horror films all being normal elements of the day. If you want to send a Halloween gift to relatives in the US or elsewhere in the world, RAND offers excellent rates on international parcel delivery, so use our parcel quote comparison finder for the best prices on your Halloween gift sending.

Uganda Independence Day

Uganda flag

Each year, 9th October signifies Uganda Independence Day, a celebration of Uganda gaining independence from the United Kingdom, which occurred on 9th October 1962 and since has been used as the date of significance in the Ugandan calendar. Up to this date, the Britons had controlled the country and everyone lived under British rule, with strong political, ethnic and religious divides throughout the country. While the British legacy still lives on in the form of the country’s national language, English, the country is now self-governed by the Ugandan people, and this is celebrated each year with parties throughout the country. To send a gift to Uganda, RAND offers fantastic rates on international parcel delivery, so use our parcel comparison tool to check out the rates on offer.

Lesotho National Sports Day

In Lesotho, a small country found in Africa, the first Monday of October (this year 7th October) celebrates National Sports Day in the country. Communities come together to play and discuss sports. There are several sports Lesotho is at least somewhat known for on the world platform, including football, netball, tennis and athletics. Four athletes from Lesotho made it to the team in the 2012 London Olympics, though the country has as yet never won a medal. Sports equipment is often bulky or heavy if you are intending to send some to celebrate the day, but if you are going to send something like a tennis racquet or a cricket bat as a gift, remember that you can get the best rates on international large parcel delivery with RAND.

Chinese National Day

Chinese flag

This week, we’re going to be celebrating a variety of international events taking place around the world. We’ll be starting off with Chinese National Day, which takes place on 1st October, and which celebrates all things Chinese. The People’s Republic of China was founded at Tiananmen Square on 1st October 1949, and it has been determined that this should represent the national day. Public places throughout China, Macau and Hong Kong are decorated elaborately, with portraits of leaders put on display for Chinese citizens to show their gratitude to the government. The government also organises some large country-wide events, such as music concerts and firework displays, and it is a time of great festivity and celebration for the Chinese people. If you want to join in and celebrate with your friends and family in China, send a cheap parcel with RAND for the best prices and most reliable service.

Sending Items Home From University

For international students who have just started their studies in the UK, you will already be aware of what a nightmare it can be transporting all your prized possessions overseas. The memories of heavy suitcases, stressful waits at the baggage carousel and lugging everything up the five flights of stairs to your room are probably still fresh in your mind. We’re sure you’re not looking forward to the return journey for this very reason, which is why we recommend using our parcel delivery service to send your items home. For example, if you can pack all of your textbooks and study material into a box and send it home by courier, this reduces the stress for you, as your important items will be guaranteed to arrive home safely without having to go through the drama of waiting for lost luggage to turn up months after it went missing. Get ahead of the game and organise your journey home with RAND by finding out the cost of sending your items home.

eBay Seller Tips

If you have started selling on eBay, you may be wondering how some people manage to keep the costs of postage and packaging so low, especially when sending internationally. One tip is to bulk buy packaging materials, such as padded envelopes, tape and parcel paper, as this will reduce the cost of sending each individual package. Lost parcels can also mean you have to push up your prices overall, as you will lose both the item and the money you have to refund to the buyer, so use a reliable courier service to send parcels to other countries to make sure it gets there. You should also make sure you don’t waste money by sending oversized boxes, as parcel delivery rates are estimated by the size and weight of the package, so keep it compact to keep costs down.

To check the price of your eBay parcel delivery, use our Quote & Book service.