As a global shipping platform committed to helping you make more efficient deliveries, we believe that knowledge is power.
In this article, we arm you with information about prohibited and restricted items across our major shipping routes and all Topship services.
This list is non-exhaustive. If your region is not listed, please contact our support team via hello@topship.africa before you book a shipment.
Prohibited Items across Topship services
1. Express
i. Express – Domestic deliveries
These items cannot be delivered across Nigeria with the Topship Express service
- Cooked meals
- Alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks
- Pets
- Fruits and vegetables
- Ammunition
- Milk & dairy products
- Bank bills, notes, or currency
- Fireworks
- Hazardous waste
- Perishables
- Radioactive materials
- Illegal items, according to law enforcement
ii. Express – International deliveries
These items cannot be shipped internationally with the Topship Express service
- Cooked meals
- Raw meat
- Snails
- Fruits & vegetables
- Pets
- Alcohol
- Milk & dairy products
- Grains
- Pasta (noodles)
- Perfumes
- Gold
- Minerals & precious stones
- Ammunition
- Bank bills, notes or currency
- Fireworks
- Hazardous waste
- Perishables
- Radioactive materials
- Illegal items, according to law enforcement
These items require supporting documents and certain considerations to be shipped
- Original artworks: Requires a museum certificate
- Herbs/Herbal medicine: Requires a phytosanitary/quarantine certificate
- Medication: Prohibited in Canada and the USA. For other countries, a signed and stamped doctor’s prescription is required
- Dried Fish: Can be shipped but must not exceed 10kg per waybill
- Skincare: Spain requires the receiver to have a sanitary import license for customs clearance
2. Saver
These items cannot be shipped with the Topship Saver service
- Sesame seeds
- Locust beans
- Beans – flour/broken down
- Palm oil
- Pressurized cans and containers
- Perfumes
- Match sticks
- Candles
- Herbs/ Agbo
- Alcoholic beverages
- Lithuium metal batteries
- Minerals & precious stones
- Ammunition
- Bank bills, notes or currency
- Fireworks
- Hazardous waste
- Perishables
These items require supporting documents and certain considerations to be shipped
- Fish: Prohibited in the UK. Acceptable for other countries with strict packaging requirements
- Milk: Health Certificate is required for clearance. Total weight must not exceed 2kg.
- Shea Butter: Health Certificate is required for clearance. Total weight must not exceed 2kg.
- Antique Goods: Requires an International Special Commodities Contract
- Original artworks: Requires an International Special Commodities Contract
- Jewelry: Value must not exceed US$500.00 (or the local currency equivalent) per package
3. Cargo and Budget
These items cannot be shipped with the Topship Cargo and Budget services. These differ by route.
United Kingdom
- Fruits and vegetables
- Ammunition
- Bank bills, notes, or currency
- Fireworks
- Hazardous waste
- Radioactive materials
- Illegal items, according to law enforcement
- Perfumes
- Unground Ogbono, pepper, melon
- Dairy products
- Yam
- Beef/Ponmo
- Medication (Doctor’s prescription is required)
- Luxury goods (This applies to internationally recognized brands only. May require additional cost to ship, please contact support)
USA
- Fruits and vegetables
- Ammunition
- Bank bills, notes, or currency
- Fireworks
- Hazardous waste
- Radioactive materials
- Illegal items, according to law enforcement
- Perfumes
- Unground Ogbono, pepper, melon
- Dairy products
- Yam
- Beef/Ponmo
- Medication (Doctor’s prescription is required)
- Luxury goods (This applies to internationally recognized brands only. May require additional cost to ship, please contact support)
Canada
- Fruits and vegetables
- Ammunition
- Bank bills, notes, or currency
- Fireworks
- Hazardous waste
- Radioactive materials
- Illegal items, according to law enforcement
- Perfumes
- Unground Ogbono, pepper, melon
- Dairy products
- Yam
- Beef/Ponmo
- Medication (Doctor’s prescription is required)
- Luxury goods (This applies to internationally recognized brands only. May require additional cost to ship, please contact support)
If your region is not listed or you’re unsure about your package, please contact our support team via hello@topship.africa or 0908 077 7728.
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📲 Reach out to us via email — hello@topship.africa or call our support line — 0908 077 7728
