Postage restrictions

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some bloke
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Postage restrictions

Post by some bloke » 05 Jun 2014, 08:33

Someone asked me for a price to post a threaded tube to the Netherlands - so I set about looking for a price and came across this little gem:

http://www.royalmail.com/netherlands:

Scroll down to the prohibited items list. :shock:



Here is an indication of prohibited items for mailing to Netherlands. For further information, or further clarification please refer to the Netherlands Post Office website Opens in new window or the UPU prohibitions & restrictions website Opens in new window .

You must not send any item addressed to a country in which the item is unlawful or prohibited. When an item is restricted you must comply with the restriction. Prohibitions and restrictions vary from country to country, and can sometimes apply to items which you may think are ordinary. The information below is provided in good faith, but Royal Mail is not responsible for it, and it should be viewed as a guide only. Specific restrictions and changes may be enforced at short notice, so for clarification please contact the destination country's trade, postal, and customs authorities as appropriate. Business customers are strongly recommended to do this.

Please remember that Royal Mail also prohibits and restricts certain categories of items. For more information read our guidelines on prohibited and restricted items.
Prohibited items

Prohibited products are not permitted in the mail under any circumstances.

Live animals
All live animals, except bees, leeches and silkworms
Meat and edible meat offal

Certain types of meat and delicatessen meat originating in countries designated on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fishery and the Ministry of Welfare, Health and Culture.

Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates
Live fish of all species.
Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included
Birds' eggs.
Vegetable products
Live trees and other plants; bulbs, roots and the like; cut flowers and ornamental foliage

Importation of plants and plant products originating in countries designated and described by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fishery.

Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers
Generally potato seedlings, new potatoes and potato seeds to be used as food for humans or other food.
Vegetable plaiting materials; vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included
Bark (only) from the following species: Conifers from non-European countries, Castanea from all countries, Quercus (except Quercus suber) from Romania, Russia, Canada, United States and Mexico, Populus from Latin American countries and Acer saccharum from United States.
Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes
Lard; other pig fat and poultry fat, rendered, whether or not pressed or solvent-extracted.
Fats of bovine animals, sheep or goats, raw or rendered, whether or not pressed or solvent extracted.
Prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits and vinegar; tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes
Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products
Pasta, stuffed or filled (whether or not cooked or otherwise prepared).
Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes
Cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Mineral products
Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials; lime and cement
Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes
Products of the chemical or allied industries
Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes
Radioactive materials and substances
Organic chemicals
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons originating in third countries not party to the Montreal Protocol.
Narcotics such as opium, morphine, cocaine, heroin, hashish and psychotropic substances such as amphetamines, LSD, benzoamphetamines, etc.
Pharmaceutical products
Serums and vaccines.
Non-approved pharmaceutical products.
Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins and their derivatives; dyes, pigments and other colouring matter; paints and varnishes; putty and other mastics; inks
Nitrocellulose-based paint, lake and raw materials; explosive or inflammable materials such as varnishes.
Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations
Gunpowder.
Prepared explosives.
Percussion and detonating caps, electric detonators and cartridge caps.
Fireworks, tracer bullets and flares, anti-hail and other rockets, firecrackers, fog signals, and other pyrotechnic articles.
Matches.
Other inflammable or explosive articles or substances.
Photographic or cinematographic products
Nitrocellulosic films.
Miscellaneous chemical products
Mixtures containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons originating in third countries not party to the Montreal Protocol.
Plastics and articles thereof
Waste or scraps of film.
Tubes, pipes, etc.
Plates, sheets, etc.
All nitrocellulose-based products.
Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans
Offensive or insulting writings, representations or objects such as publications harmful to children.
Obscene or immoral materials.
Documents concerning lotteries, tickets or publicity material for foreign games of chance which have not been authorised (Netherlands law regarding games of chance).
Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal and articles thereof; imitation jewellery; coin
Articles of goldsmiths' or silversmiths' wares or parts thereof in precious metal.
Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal
Flick knives, hunting knives, switch blades, throwing knives, etc.
Similar knives.
Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof
Bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines and other ammunition and projectiles.

That sounds more like restrictions to deter people from buying anything outside their own country. :o

Jirka
Posts: 680
Joined: 04 Jun 2014, 15:31
Location: Rijnland (Holland), Sudetenland (Bohemia)

Re: Postage restrictions

Post by Jirka » 05 Jun 2014, 09:47

It is very strange - I regularly receive books, airguns and many other items on the list from the UK. Also the Dutch site, that the Royal Mail page refers to does not contain the mentioned list - just a general ban on items that might be in conflict with the law.

spiralviral
Posts: 393
Joined: 27 Jul 2013, 21:23
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Postage restrictions

Post by spiralviral » 05 Jun 2014, 13:08

Did you see whether there were any restrictions on sending over the mother in law, Dave? :D :silent:Er, or other offensive articles??

Jirka
Posts: 680
Joined: 04 Jun 2014, 15:31
Location: Rijnland (Holland), Sudetenland (Bohemia)

Re: Postage restrictions

Post by Jirka » 05 Jun 2014, 13:22

Well, that is covered pretty explicitly, isn't it?
Prohibited products are not permitted in the mail under any circumstances.

Live animals
BTW: Czech for mother-in-law is „tchyně“ which is sometimes epxlained as combination of „tchoř“ (skunk) and „svině“ (swine).

spiralviral
Posts: 393
Joined: 27 Jul 2013, 21:23
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Postage restrictions

Post by spiralviral » 05 Jun 2014, 13:26

Da, dobre :D

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some bloke
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Joined: 27 Jan 2012, 16:14
Location: Leicester mostly but DEEP S.West sometimes

Re: Postage restrictions

Post by some bloke » 05 Jun 2014, 14:05

Jirka wrote:Well, that is covered pretty explicitly, isn't it?
Prohibited products are not permitted in the mail under any circumstances.

Live animals
BTW: Czech for mother-in-law is „tchyně“ which is sometimes epxlained as combination of „tchoř“ (skunk) and „svině“ (swine).


Haha.

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