Before you travel, it’s important to know what prohibited or restricted items you may not take with you on your trip. Different countries have different rules and regulations on what is allowed, and failure to comply can lead to serious consequences such as fines, confiscation of your items, or even legal action. The following guide details prohibited items by country so you can prepare for your trip. By following these rules, you can travel stress-free and avoid any extra hassles at customs.

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Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in the UK

1. Controlled Drugs
2. Offensive weapons
3. Counterfeiting currency and stamps
4. Unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted works
5. Certain species of animals and plants and their products (ivory, shark fins)
6. Certain food categories (meat, dairy, fresh fruit, vegetables, etc.)

Special license required

1. Firearms and ammunition
2. Fireworks and explosives
3. Toxic chemicals and radioactive materials
4. Certain medicines and medical paraphernalia
5. Certain healthy foods and supplements
6. Certain animal and plant species and their products (live animals, seeds, wood, etc.)

Prohibited Items for travelling with luggage in Japan

1. Heroin, cocaine, MDMA, opium, marijuana, stimulants, psychoactive substances, and other drugs (except drugs designated by the Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare)
2. Firearms, ammunition, and firearm parts
3. Explosives
4. Chemical weapons precursors
5. Counterfeit, altered or imitation coins or banknotes, securities, and counterfeit credit cards
6. Pornographic or obscene material
7. Items that infringe intellectual property rights
8. Wildlife and flora
9. Animal products
10. Food, plants, and seeds
11. Hazardous materials
12. Radioactive material
13. Precious metals and stones (e.g. gold, diamonds)

*Japan benefits from imports from other APEC members because it is a member of the organization. However, duties and surcharges will be imposed on imports from non-APEC countries.

Prohibited Items for travelling with luggage in Korea

1. Books, pictures, videos, photos, laser discs, CDs, CD-ROMs, etc. that are harmful to Korean laws, public security, and customs
2. Items suspected of leaking state secrets or misappropriating information
3. Counterfeit, counterfeit, counterfeit bank currency notes and other securities, etc.

Restricted items

1. Guns, swords, and other weapons (including models and decorations), explosives, and toxic substances
2. Carrying drugs containing opium, marijuana, etc. following drug control laws
3. According to the agreement on international trade in wild animals and plants (CITES), all items made of endangered and protected wild animals and plants (such as medicines, furs, leather bags, leathers made of ivory, leopard skin, crocodile skin, etc.) clip, etc.)
4. External payment method (excluding promissory note, money order, and letter of credit) and domestic currency (KRW) with a value exceeding USD 10,000
5. Cash (registered) check, transfer (bearer) check, postal money order, etc.
6. Korean won traveler’s checks or general overseas traveler’s checks with a denomination of more than 10,000 US dollars (you must first declare to the customs when entering or leaving the country)
7. Precious metals (excluding gold rings, necklaces, etc. worn in daily life) and securities (items restricted from entry and exit)
8. Cultural relics (entry-restricted items)
9. Items listed in the Aquaculture Act and the regulations on the transplantation of aquatic animals and plants (importation-restricted items)
10. Items that may hinder the maintenance and protection of South Korea’s water resources and seedlings for breeding
11. Species designated as natural monuments
12. Articles and substances stipulated by law for round-trip transportation of waste and related disposal (items restricted for entry and exit)
13. Plants, fruits and vegetables, agricultural and forestry products (importation-restricted items)
14. Animals (including meat, skin, hair) and livestock products (importation-restricted items), pet feed

Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in Taiwan

1. Explosives (all kinds of firearms and ammunition, fireworks, flares, etc.)
2. Compressed, liquefied, or dissolved gases under pressure (such as canned gas, oxygen cylinders for diving, self-defense sprayers, mosquito repellants, lacquer, hair glue, insecticides, and other sprays)
3. Flammable liquids (such as fuel oil such as gasoline and diesel, paints, thinners, resins, adhesives, perfumes, lotions, etc.)
4. Flammable solids, spontaneous combustion substances, and water-reactive substances (such as matches, igniters, lighters, etc.)
5. Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides (such as bleach, industrial hydrogen peroxide, etc.)
6. Toxic substances and infectious substances (such as pesticides, herbicides, active viral viruses, etc.)
7. Radioactive materials (such as yttrium-90, indium-111, iodine-123, radioactive waste, etc.)
8. Corrosive substances (such as strong acids, strong alkalis, mercury, lead-acid batteries, etc.)
9. Other dangerous items (such as magnets, swords, sticks, lithium batteries, etc.)

Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in the US

1. Controlled drugs and drug paraphernalia
2. Weapons and ammunition (unless legally licensed)
3. Radioactive materials
4. Hazardous waste
5. Unauthorized reproduction or counterfeiting of goods such as trademark currency
6. Pirated software
7. Orchid plants and their products (unless they hold a CITES certificate)
8. African ivory and its products
9. Certain types of dairy and meat products
10. Goods originating in Cuba, Iran, Myanmar (Burma), or most parts of Sudan (except South Sudan) (unless exempted)

Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in Canada

1. Certain meat and poultry and related foods such as pork, chicken, ham, etc.
2. Certain fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
3. Certain plants and their products, such as branches, mosses, seeds, wood products, etc.
4. Pufferfish and hairy crab
5. Buckwheat and buckwheat husks in a pillow

Restricted items

1. Quantity of a course of treatment or a 90-day supply for human use
2. Baby food such as baby milk powder
3. Dairy products such as cheese (countries outside the US only)
4. Any fish and seafood (except puffer fish and hairy crab)

Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in Singapore

1. Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Weapons, and Simulated Weapons
2. Narcotics, controlled substances, and psychotropic substances
3. Unlabeled or mislabeled hazardous substances
4. Indian tobacco (betel nut), e-cigarettes and e-liquids
5. Chewing gum (unless prescribed by a doctor)
6. Canned pork (unless approved by APHIS)
7. Any meat product that contains pork components or has not been processed by legal slaughter methods
8. Any product containing feathers, fur, leather, or animal parts (such as teeth, claws, etc.)
9. Any preparation containing plant seeds, soil, or living plants (such as flowers)
10. Any product containing protected marine life parts such as coral reefs, shells, or mother of pearl
11. Any product containing ivory or other animal or plant parts protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in Thailand

1. Narcotics, controlled substances, and psychotropic substances
2. Pornography, books, videos
3. Items bearing an inappropriate Thailand flag design
4. Counterfeiting currency, bonds, or coins
5. Fake royal or official seals
6. Items that infringe intellectual property rights (such as music tapes, CDs, VDOs, computer software, etc.)
7. Counterfeit Trademark Goods

*Since Thailand is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it can enjoy preferential tariffs on imports from other ASEAN countries. However, charges and other taxes will be levied on imports from countries outside ASEAN.

Prohibited Items for travelling with luggage in Australia

1. Certain drugs such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines
2. Counterfeit and pirated items such as DVDs, music, handbags, clothing, etc.
3. Illegal pornography, such as child pornography, bestiality, sexual violence, and audio-visual products
4. Certain drugs, such as those containing steroids, opiates, marijuana, or narcotic sedatives
5. Some drugs that improve the body’s performance and beauty, such as containing human growth hormone, DHEA, etc.

Restricted items

1. More than 10,000 Australian dollars or equivalent foreign currency

Prohibited Items for travelling with luggage in New Zealand

1. It is forbidden to send weapons or weapons that can be disguised as other items
2. Items used to commit crimes, marijuana users
3. Objectionable information (terrorism, violence, sex)
4. Fruits, live animals, plants, Chinese/herbal medicines, seeds
5. Honey, milk, and egg products
6. Handicrafts made from plants and animals
7. Animals and plants listed in the Endangered Species Conservation Act

Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in Germany

1. Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Weapons, and Simulated Weapons
2. Narcotics, controlled substances, and psychotropic substances
3. Grass and Alcohol Products
4. Any meat product that contains pork components or has not been processed by legal slaughter methods
5. Any product containing feathers, fur, leather, or animal parts (such as teeth, claws, etc.)
6. Any preparation containing plant seeds, soil, or living plants (such as flowers)
7. Any product containing protected marine life parts such as coral reefs, shells, or mother of pearl
8. Hazardous materials
9. Radioactive material
10. Nazi memorabilia or promotional items (such as Nazi party badges, flags, etc.)
11. Counterfeit goods or goods that infringe intellectual property rights
12. Pornographic material, child pornography

*As Germany is a member state of the European Union, customs duty and VAT must be paid on items imported from third country non-EU countries.

Prohibited Items for travelling with luggage in France

1. Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Weapons, and Simulated Weapons
2. Narcotics, controlled substances, and psychotropic substances
3. Indian tobacco (betel nut), e-cigarettes and e-liquids
4. Any meat product that contains pork components or has not been processed by legal slaughter methods
5. Any product containing feathers, fur, leather, or animal parts (such as teeth, claws, etc.)
6. Any preparation containing plant seeds, soil, or living plants (such as flowers)
7. Any product containing protected marine life parts such as coral reefs, shells, or mother of pearl
8. Any product containing ivory or other animal or plant parts protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
9. Asbestos
10. Counterfeit goods or goods that infringe intellectual property rights
11. Hazardous materials
12. Pornographic material, child pornography
13. Cultural Property

*Since France is a member state of the European Union, items imported from third country non-EU countries are subject to customs duty and VAT.

Prohibited items for travelling with luggage in Spain

1. Any goods prohibited by EU law
2. Narcotics, controlled substances, and psychotropic substances
3. Explosives, firearms, ammunition, weapons, and imitation weapons
4. Defense equipment and materials
5. Tobacco and Gambling Material
6. Foods containing saccharin
7. Lottery and playing cards
8. Cottonseed, fungi, and microbial cultures
9. Religious relics and objects (such as rosary beads, etc.)
10. Parts of animals and plants protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or their derivatives
11. Counterfeit goods or goods that infringe intellectual property rights
12. Pornographic material, child pornography
13. Precious metals and stones (e.g. gold, diamonds)

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