Restricted Items.
Some U.S. products cannot safely or legally make the trip to the UK or Ireland. Others need a closer look before you order. Here’s what Stateside can’t accept, what requires approval, and what may cost more to ship.
If you’re unsure, ask before it reaches my door.
Carrier rules, dangerous-goods classifications and import laws vary by product, formulation, quantity and destination. Receiving an item does not mean I can forward it. Stateside may refuse any item that cannot travel through an available service safely and compliantly.
The 10-second restricted-item check.
| Item | Status | Quick rule | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melatonin | ✕ Cannot forward | Do not send it to your Stateside address. | Read more → |
| Perfume & cologne | ✕ Cannot forward | Alcohol-based fragrance cannot use standard international shipping. | Read more → |
| Body, room & car scents | ? Check first | Alcohol or flammable solvents make many mists and refills ineligible. | Read more → |
| Prescription medicine | ✕ Cannot forward | Use a lawful local clinician or pharmacy supply route. | Read more → |
| OTC medicine | ✕ Cannot forward | Stateside does not forward medications to the UK or Ireland. | Read more → |
| Aerosols & pressurised cans | ✕ Cannot forward | Includes many sprays, cleaners and compressed products. | Read more → |
| Batteries & electronics | ? Check first | Send the exact model and battery specification before buying. | Read more → |
| Food, pet treats & plants | ? Check first | Shelf-stable packaged food is easiest. Meat, animal products, pet food and pet treats may be restricted. | Read more → |
| Oversized or heavy items | ↗ Size warning | Possible, but dimensional-weight shipping may be extremely expensive. | Read more → |
Please don’t send these.
Stateside does not forward the following items through its standard international services. This list is not exhaustive, and an item may still be refused when its ingredients, safety sheet, packaging or destination rules create a shipping risk.
Prescription and over-the-counter medications are prohibited for UK and Ireland shipments. Melatonin is also specifically prohibited by Stateside. Customers should obtain medicines through an appropriate local clinician, pharmacy or lawful local supply route.
Smells lovely. Ships terribly.
Perfume, cologne and many scented products contain alcohol or another flammable solvent. USPS prohibits alcohol-based perfume in international mail, and courier services may require certified dangerous-goods handling that Stateside does not offer.
Cannot be forwarded
- Perfume, cologne and eau de toilette containing alcohol
- Alcohol-based body mist, fragrance mist and room spray
- Flammable home-fragrance oils and plug-in refills
- Flammable car-fragrance refills
- Nail polish, nail-polish remover and other flammable beauty products
Check first
Lotions, creams, solid perfume, wax melts, candles and alcohol-free products may be acceptable, but the exact formulation matters. Send the product link and, when available, its Safety Data Sheet before purchasing.
No medications to the UK or Ireland.
Stateside does not forward prescription or over-the-counter medications to the UK or Ireland. This is a Stateside Parcel Co. shipping policy and may be stricter than the destination country’s minimum import rules.
Please do not send medication to your Stateside address, even if it is sold over the counter in the United States or intended only for personal use.
Stateside will not forward
- Any prescription or over-the-counter medication to the UK or Ireland
- Melatonin
- Controlled drugs, narcotics or cannabis-derived medicines
- Loose, unlabelled, opened or repackaged pills
- Commercial quantities or products that appear intended for resale
Supplements
Vitamins and dietary supplements are not automatically treated as medications under this policy, but they may still require review depending on their ingredients, formulation, quantity and destination. Products marketed as supplements in the United States may be classified differently abroad.
Some snacks need a customs check.
Shelf-stable packaged foods are often possible, but meat and other animal products, fresh produce, seeds and plants can be restricted. These rules also apply to pet food and pet treats. Stateside does not provide refrigerated shipping.
- No fresh, frozen, refrigerated or temperature-sensitive food
- No products packed with dry ice
- No leaking, opened or homemade food
- Pet food and pet treats containing meat or other restricted animal products may not be forwardable and must be checked before ordering
- Meat, dairy, fresh produce, seeds and plants require destination-specific review
- Heavy beverages, cans and glass bottles may be accepted but can be very expensive to ship
Trader Joe’s or retailer availability does not determine import eligibility. A product can be available to purchase in the U.S. and still be unsuitable for international forwarding.
Hidden hazards count too.
Everyday products may be regulated as dangerous goods when transported by air. Always check first if an item contains a battery, compressed gas, fuel, alcohol or another flammable component.
- Aerosols and pressurised cans cannot be forwarded
- Loose lithium batteries and power banks require advance review and may be refused
- Electronics with installed batteries require the exact model and battery specification
- Lighters, matches, fuel, fire starters and gas cartridges cannot be forwarded
- Cleaning chemicals, paints, solvents, adhesives and automotive fluids require review and are often prohibited
Possible doesn’t always mean practical.
Oversized items are not automatically prohibited, but international carriers charge by actual or dimensional weight—whichever is greater. Large, light products can therefore cost far more to ship than expected.
Email the product link, packaged dimensions and weight before ordering. Stateside may decline items that cannot be stored, safely repacked or accepted by an available carrier. Fragile or unusually shaped items may require extra packaging at the customer’s expense.
Receiving it doesn’t make it shippable.
If a prohibited or unapproved item reaches Stateside, it will be held and will not be included in an international shipment. The customer must arrange an eligible retailer return or another approved resolution by the deadline provided.
- Retailer returns are subject to the current per-item return-handling fee unless Stateside chooses to waive it as a courtesy
- The customer is responsible for return postage, retailer fees and disposal costs
- The customer must provide the receipt, return authorisation, label or barcode
- Stateside cannot guarantee that a retailer will accept a return or issue a refund
- Unsafe, illegal or abandoned items may need to be surrendered or disposed of
Membership, shopping, handling and other completed-service fees are not refunded simply because an ordered product cannot be forwarded, except where required by law.
Rules can change.
Customers remain responsible for confirming that their purchases may legally enter the destination country. These official resources are useful starting points:
- USPS international shipping restrictions
- UK guidance for taking or receiving medicine
- UK banned and restricted goods
- Ireland: HPRA guidance on online prescription medicines
Stateside may apply a stricter business policy than the minimum legal rule when its available carriers, insurance or handling procedures cannot safely support an item.
Not sure about an item?
Send the exact product link, quantity and destination before ordering. I’d much rather check it now than tell you it can’t travel after it arrives.