Prohibited & Restricted Items When Shipping to Korea
A clear list of what you cannot ship from India to South Korea, plus restricted items that need permits or extra documentation.
Key takeaways
- Hazardous goods, weapons, narcotics, currency and counterfeits are always prohibited.
- Medicines, bulk cosmetics, commercial food, plants and seeds are restricted (need paperwork).
- When unsure, message us with a description before you ship.
Quick answer
Prohibited items to South Korea include hazardous and flammable goods, weapons, narcotics, currency, counterfeit goods, and certain foods, plants and seeds. Restricted items — medicines, bulk cosmetics, commercial food quantities, and some electronics — can be sent but need documentation or permits. When in doubt, check with ShipKorea.in before you ship.
Always prohibited
Explosives, flammable liquids and gases, loose lithium batteries, weapons and ammunition, illegal drugs and narcotics, counterfeit products, live animals, plants and seeds without permits, and cash or currency. These cannot be shipped under any circumstances and will be seized if found.
Restricted (needs paperwork)
Prescription medicines, bulk cosmetics, commercial food quantities, high-value electronics, and certain herbal products can be shipped but require prescriptions, commercial invoices, HS codes or extra declarations. We prepare this documentation so restricted-but-allowed items clear cleanly.
Air-transport (dangerous goods) restrictions
Alcohol-based perfumes, aerosol sprays, nail polish, lighters and power banks / loose lithium batteries are classed as dangerous goods for air freight. Small personal amounts of some items may be possible with special handling — always confirm before shipping rather than risk the whole parcel.
Electronics and batteries
Phones, laptops and gadgets with batteries installed inside the device are generally acceptable; loose spare batteries and power banks are heavily restricted by air. Declare electronics accurately with model and value — high-value items may attract duty, which we handle under DDP.
Grey areas to check first
Items that surprise people: replica or branded goods (counterfeit risk), certain supplements, large quantities of a single product (looks commercial), drones, and anything with a lithium battery. A 30-second WhatsApp check saves days of customs trouble.
Why honest declaration matters
Mis-declaring or hiding restricted items risks seizure of the ENTIRE parcel (not just the offending item), delays, fines and future scrutiny. Accurate, honest declarations keep your shipment — and everything else packed with it — moving smoothly.
Not sure about your item?
Message us on WhatsApp with a photo and description before you pack. We'll confirm whether it can ship, what documentation is needed, and the safest, most compliant way to send it to South Korea.
Absolutely prohibited (never ship)
Weapons and replicas, live plants and animals, live or dead insects, illicit drugs, radioactive materials, currency and negotiable instruments (cash, bearer bonds), counterfeit goods, obscene material, human/animal remains, ivory and any CITES-listed wildlife products. These are seized and can lead to legal action in both India and Korea.
Restricted — permit or special handling needed
Medicines and health supplements (need Korean import permission for large quantities), plant/seed items (phytosanitary certificate), high-value gold and jewellery (declaration + duty implications), used electronics in bulk (may require CE/KC compliance), and pet food or animal products (KAHIS approval). Small personal quantities may be allowed — always ask before booking.
Batteries and 'dangerous goods'
Loose lithium-ion or lithium-metal batteries are prohibited on our normal service. Devices with built-in batteries (phones, laptops, cameras, earbuds, power banks up to 100 Wh) are usually fine — we ship them daily. Bulk battery-only shipments require a specialised DG (dangerous goods) service and paperwork; ask the team first.
Aerosols, flammables and alcohol-based liquids
No aerosols (spray deodorants, spray perfumes), no gas cylinders, no lighters or lighter fluid, no paint or thinners. Perfume with alcohol content is restricted on air — many customers switch to alcohol-free 'perfume oils' or shipped-locally alternatives. Nail-polish remover, hair sprays and dry shampoos with propellant are also out.
Cosmetics — mostly fine, with limits
Sealed, retail-packaged cosmetics (sheet masks, moisturisers, sunscreens, lipsticks, foundations) travel well and are one of our most-shipped categories. Bulk quantities can look commercial to customs and trigger KFDA-related questions — for volumes above ~10 units of the same item, brief us on WhatsApp so we can advise the correct declaration.
Food — sealed and non-perishable only
Factory-sealed sweets, snacks, chocolates, tea, coffee, spices and dry lentils/pulses are generally OK for personal quantities. Homemade food, fresh produce, meat, dairy, eggs, honey (regulated), fish/seafood, and anything perishable are not accepted. Sealed packaged pickles and ready-to-eat pouches are usually fine — send us a photo if unsure.
Medicines and Ayurveda
Personal-use medicines in original packaging with a doctor's prescription and clear labelling can go. Ayurvedic and herbal products should be commercially packaged with ingredient labels; large quantities may trigger KFDA queries. Don't ship narcotics, anabolic steroids or any Schedule-restricted substance under any circumstances.
Cash, gold and high-value jewellery
Cash and negotiable instruments are prohibited on couriers. Gold and silver jewellery can be shipped but attract meaningful Korean duty and stricter customs checks; always declare the true value and consider insurance. Bulk unset stones or bullion are commercial and require formal export/import channels — not standard courier.
Data, media and 'grey' items
Regular books, music, films and games are fine. Devices containing personal data (used laptops, phones) should be reset to factory defaults before shipping for privacy. Adult content, pirated media and unlicensed software are prohibited. Educational or open-source hardware in reasonable quantities is fine but declare it accurately.
How to check before you ship
The simplest safety check: send a photo of your item on WhatsApp to our India–Korea team. In minutes, we'll confirm if it's allowed, restricted or prohibited under our current air network and Korean customs rules — and suggest a compliant alternative if needed. That single message saves days of drama.
Alternatives when your item is restricted
If your first choice can't be shipped (aerosol perfume, homemade sweets, alcohol-based skincare), we'll suggest a compliant alternative: perfume oils instead of sprays, factory-sealed sweets instead of homemade, alcohol-free skincare from the same brand, or shipping in smaller compliant quantities. We rarely say 'no' outright — usually 'yes, but with this small change'.
Special handling and DG service
For genuine dangerous goods (large batteries, chemicals, certain adhesives), we don't run a standard DG service, but our team can advise on the right specialised freight forwarder. For everything else on our normal air network, if you're unsure, one WhatsApp photo and we'll answer within minutes.
Why these rules exist
Prohibited and restricted item lists exist for safety (aviation, human health), regulatory (KFDA, KAHIS, MFDS) and trade-policy reasons. Following them isn't just paperwork — it keeps aircraft safe, protects Korean consumers, and keeps your parcel out of an indefinite customs hold. Every rule below is enforced by Korean Customs Service (KCS) and airline security in India.
Personal quantity vs commercial quantity
Korean customs treats 'personal quantity' (a few units for the recipient's own use) very differently from 'commercial quantity' (multiple identical units suggesting resale). Cosmetics, supplements and food are fine at personal levels but can trigger KFDA/import-permit questions at scale. Message us on WhatsApp with quantities before booking bulk shipments.
What to do if you're unsure — the golden rule
One WhatsApp photo of the item and its packaging, sent to our India–Korea team, gets a same-day answer on whether it's allowed, restricted, or prohibited under the current Korean import rules. Don't guess — one message saves hours of customs stress and possible seizure.
The compliant shipping mindset
Ship what's clearly allowed, declare accurately, keep quantities sensible, use retail packaging where possible, and let a specialist courier handle the customs interaction. Do this and 99% of India → Korea parcels move through smoothly. Get an instant DDP quote and book a free pickup for your next compliant shipment.
