Prohibited items in parcels

Migration, the growth of mail-order sales, and, in addition, the pandemic, the availability of air services are causing Poczta Polska customers to increasingly send parcels, including internationally. However, not everyone is aware of the restrictions that apply to shipping various items. 

In addition to regulations imposed by the destination countries—those to which a given shipment will be delivered according to its address—there are also regulations stemming from safety regulations, such as those related to air transport. Even with a general understanding of these circumstances, not everyone realizes that a simple battery can turn out to be an explosive or corrosive substance high above the ground. Therefore, batteries are prohibited from being shipped. Like many other items that seem harmless and safe at first glance.

Before selecting items to send in a parcel, customers should check for RHS warning pictograms on the labels. Almost all products prohibited for safety reasons are marked with distinctive symbols. These symbols warn of hazards, such as flammability or the possibility of explosion, which disqualifies them from being considered for postal delivery.

Fire and smoke

In addition to the batteries mentioned above, there is a large group of goods that cannot be shipped under any circumstances. These include drugs, psychotropic substances, and intoxicating substances, with the exception of popular stimulants like coffee and alcohol. Dangerous items during shipment include not only flares, flash bangers, fireworks, and sparklers, which customers often ship during the pre-Christmas and pre-New Year's Eve seasons—unaware that sparklers pose a fire hazard—but also perfume concentrates with high alcohol concentrations, aerosols, and paints in pressurized containers.

Radioactive substances or items constitute a separate category. It is also prohibited to send weapons, ammunition, and even disarmed projectiles, which are often considered collector's items, although it is not always certain whether they have been completely disarmed. Even replicas of these devices (e.g., weapons) are prohibited.

The banned group of items that pose a hazard, contaminate, or may damage other shipments or postal equipment includes, for example, the batteries mentioned in this text. Disposable batteries leak, lithium-ion batteries explode. Furthermore, paints and varnishes, as well as deodorants and aerosols, are hazardous in aircraft, as they are also prone to exploding, leaking, and contaminating under certain pressure and temperature conditions.

Transport ethics

Live animals, ashes, and remains—animal and human—are expressly prohibited. Other items requiring special handling during transport are prohibited, as are obscene and immoral items, such as pornographic recordings, counterfeit items, and pirated copies.

Not everything is available in the country either

We also remind customers that a number of prohibitions apply to domestic shipments. Many of these restrictions overlap with those for international shipments. Therefore, the following shipments are not accepted for transportation or delivery:

• containing dangerous items that may cause damage to persons, property or the environment, in particular: batteries, flammable, explosive and radioactive materials;
• corrosive, foul-smelling substances, weapons or ammunition, defunct weapons, other items resembling weapons;
• containing items whose unpackaged, visible parts or the packaging itself contain inscriptions or drawings that infringe upon legally protected goods;
• containing drugs, narcotics and psychotropic substances;
• containing human and animal corpses, remains and ashes;
• containing live animals, excluding insects and live birds, while parcels containing insects, live birds and live plants must be appropriately marked and cannot be addressed to collection points that are parcel machines or partner points;
• the packaging of which bears markings that make it difficult to read the address, similar to postal stamps and labels and forms used by both Poczta Polska and other postal operators, containing features of written correspondence, and in particular indicating the procedure for its transport and delivery;
• containing other items prohibited by law and whose content and image are prohibited by law;
• the packaging of which contains metal or plastic clasps, paper clips, staples and other similar materials;
• containing money, means of payment, securities, valuables, unless the sender declared the value when sending the shipment.

Detailed information can be found in the service regulations, which are available at: https://www.poczta-polska.pl/ and https://www.pocztex.pl/