What you can ship

63 items

• Allowed

  Textbooks and notes

  Not dangerous goods and not controlled. Used books are duty free in India.

  Pack books flat in one carton. A full book box is 22 to 25 kg.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Study

• Allowed

  Clothes

  Washed and dry clothes are fine. Consolidators refuse dirty used clothing.

  Fold, bag and label. Vacuum bags save space.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Home

• Allowed

  White coats and scrubs

  Clean clothing. Used coats are personal effects.

  Wash them first.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Study

• Allowed

  Bedding, pillows, towels

  Not controlled. Bulky and light, so sea is the better value.

  Vacuum bags halve the space. Mattresses do not fit the standard carton; ask us.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Home

• Allowed

  Kitchenware (pots, plates, cutlery)

  Not controlled. Must be clean and dry with no food residue.

  We wrap breakables. Tell us about glass.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Kitchen

• Allowed

  Kitchen knives

  Fine by sea when wrapped and declared. Some air couriers refuse knives, so by air we may leave them out.

  Wrap blades in cardboard and tape.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Restricted. Kitchen

• Allowed

  Scissors

  Not dangerous goods. Wrapped and declared.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Kitchen

• Allowed

  Rice cooker

  Mains appliance with no battery. Must be clean and dry.

  Pack in its own box if you still have it.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Kitchen

• Allowed

  Electric kettle

  Mains appliance with no battery. Must be dry.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Kitchen

• Allowed

  Induction cooktop or hot plate

  Mains appliance with no battery. Clean it first.

  A used one is a personal effect. A new one in its box may be dutiable in India.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Kitchen

• Prohibited

  Gas stove or camping stove with cylinder

  Pressurised gas containers are dangerous goods on every carrier list.

  An empty stove body with no cylinder and no fuel smell can go by sea; ask us.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Kitchen

• Allowed

  Hair dryer, straightener, trimmer (mains)

  Mains appliances with no battery are fine. 240 V works in India.

  Battery trimmers count as electronics with a battery: see below.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Electronics

• Restricted

  Laptop (battery inside)

  Allowed with the battery installed, switched off, declared on the inventory (UN3481). Limit of one laptop per student as used personal effects.

  Carry it in your cabin bag if you can. If you ship it, we pack it in a padded box and list the brand, model and serial number.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Restricted

  Mobile phone (spare or old)

  Allowed with the battery installed and declared. India wants brand, model and IMEI on the list.

  Carry your main phone yourself.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Restricted

  Tablet or e-reader

  Same as a laptop: battery installed, switched off, declared.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Prohibited

  Power bank

  A loose lithium battery (UN3480). Forbidden as cargo on passenger aircraft and refused by sea consolidators.

  Carry it in your cabin bag (up to 100 Wh).

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Electronics

• Prohibited

  Spare lithium batteries

  Loose lithium batteries are dangerous goods when shipped alone.

  Carry spares in your cabin bag with terminals taped.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Electronics

• Restricted

  Camera (battery inside)

  Allowed with the battery installed and declared. Spare batteries out.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Restricted

  Monitor or small TV

  Fine to ship, but a TV is never duty free in India unless cleared under transfer of residence. A used computer monitor is a personal effect.

  Original box if you have it. We crate screens.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Restricted

  Printer

  Allowed by sea with ink cartridges sealed in bags. Air carriers refuse ink cartridges.

  Remove cartridges for air.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Restricted

  Printer ink cartridges

  Sea only, sealed in a bag. Air cargo lists exclude ink cartridges of any type.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Prohibited. Electronics

• Restricted

  Bluetooth speaker or headphones

  Built-in lithium battery: allowed installed and declared. Large speakers with strong magnets may be refused by air.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Restricted

  Electric toothbrush, trimmer or shaver (rechargeable)

  Built-in battery: allowed installed and declared.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Electronics

• Allowed

  Table fan or stand fan

  Mains appliance. Bulky, so sea is the better value.

  We unscrew the stand.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Home

• Allowed

  Clothes iron

  Mains appliance with no battery. Empty the water.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Home

• Allowed

  Microwave or air fryer

  Fine by sea. By air the size usually makes it poor value.

  A new one in its box may be dutiable in India.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Restricted. Kitchen

• Restricted

  Mini fridge

  Sea only, defrosted, dry and declared. Compressor appliances are not accepted as air cargo without special handling.

  Usually better sold in Melaka. Ask us.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Prohibited. Home

• Prohibited

  Perfume, cologne, attar

  Alcohol-based perfume is a flammable liquid (Class 3). Consolidators and couriers refuse it.

  Carry it in your checked bag within airline limits.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Toiletries

• Prohibited

  Deodorant spray and other aerosols

  Aerosols are Class 2 dangerous goods on carrier lists.

  Roll-on deodorant is fine.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Toiletries

• Prohibited

  Nail polish and remover

  Flammable (Class 3) on every dangerous goods list.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Toiletries

• Prohibited

  Hand sanitiser (alcohol)

  Alcohol-based gel is a flammable liquid.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Toiletries

• Restricted

  Shampoo, lotion, cooking oil and other liquids

  Not dangerous goods but a leak risk. Sea: small volumes, sealed in bags. Air couriers refuse all liquids.

  Finish or give away opened bottles.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Toiletries

• Allowed

  Cosmetics, creams, powders (non-alcohol)

  Fine by sea. Air carriers may need a safety data sheet for gels and refuse alcohol-based products.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Restricted. Toiletries

• Restricted

  Medicines (your own prescription)

  Personal quantity with the prescription in your name. Some cold tablets (pseudoephedrine) need a Malaysian export licence and cannot go in the boxes.

  Carry medicines with you. India also limits quantities on import.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Health

• Restricted

  Supplements and vitamins (sealed)

  Not dangerous goods but treated as food. Small sealed quantities by sea only. Indian food safety rules can hold large quantities.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Health

• Restricted

  Dry packaged food (biscuits, noodles, tea, coffee)

  Small sealed quantities by sea, in airtight bags. Couriers restrict foodstuff by air.

  Keep it to a few kilos. No opened packets.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Food

• Restricted

  Spices

  Under 3 kg per shipment, sealed. Above that Malaysia needs an export certificate.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Food

• Prohibited

  Rice, rice flour, vermicelli, wheat flour

  Malaysia requires export permits for rice and flour products.

  Buy it at home.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Food

• Prohibited

  Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy

  Perishable and quarantine-controlled on both sides.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Food

• Prohibited

  Seeds, plants, soil

  Plant quarantine rules in Malaysia and India.

  Give the plants to a junior.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Food

• Prohibited

  Lighters and matches

  Flammable. On every dangerous goods list.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Hazardous

• Prohibited

  Paint, thinners, glue, fuel

  Flammable liquids (Class 3).

  Water-based craft glue in small sealed tubes can go by sea; ask.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Hazardous

• Allowed

  Fridge magnets and small magnets

  Fine by sea. Strong magnets are restricted by air because of their magnetic field.

  Souvenir fridge magnets are fine either way.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Restricted. Home

• Prohibited

  Drone

  India has banned drone imports since February 2022 except with government authorisation. The battery is also a problem.

  Sell it in Malaysia.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Electronics

• Prohibited

  E-cigarettes and vapes

  Banned for import, transport and storage in India since 2019. Also a lithium battery.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Hazardous

• Prohibited

  Alcohol

  Flammable above 24% and dutiable in India. Carriers refuse it in personal effects.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Hazardous

• Prohibited

  Cigarettes and tobacco

  Dutiable in India and refused by consolidators. Not worth the clearance risk.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Hazardous

• Prohibited

  Cash, cheques, cards

  Carriers prohibit cash. We will hand back any cash we find while packing.

  Check drawers and pockets before packing day.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Valuables and documents

• Prohibited

  Jewellery and gold

  Not covered as personal effects by carriers or protection, and India treats gold separately.

  Carry it yourself. Imitation jewellery is fine.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Valuables and documents

• Allowed

  Imitation jewellery

  Permitted. Pack in a small box.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Valuables and documents

• Prohibited

  Passport, certificates, original documents

  Carry originals yourself. Ship copies only.

  You need your passport for the customs paperwork anyway.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Valuables and documents

• Allowed

  Stethoscope, BP set, surgical instruments (used)

  Not controlled. One personal set, used and clean, listed as student instruments.

  Clean and dry. Keep to one set so it stays personal, not commercial.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Study

• Restricted

  Dental instruments and kits

  Instruments are fine. Dental alloys containing mercury need a Malaysian export licence, so leave amalgam capsules out.

  One personal kit, clean.

  Sea: Restricted. Air: Restricted. Study

• Prohibited

  Bone sets and specimens

  Human remains and biological specimens need permits on both sides. We do not pack them.

  Return them to the department or a junior.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Study

• Prohibited

  Syringes, needles, lab chemicals

  Sharps and chemicals are not accepted in personal effects.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Study

• Allowed

  Microscope

  Not dangerous goods unless it has a lithium battery. Fragile, so we crate it.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Study

• Allowed

  Shoes and bags

  Clean shoes are fine. A suitcase can be packed inside a carton or shipped as its own piece.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Home

• Allowed

  Bicycle (no motor)

  Fine by sea with pedals off and tyres deflated. By air the size makes it poor value. E-bike batteries are not accepted.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Restricted. Home

• Allowed

  Musical instruments

  Fine. Instruments with built-in batteries must be declared.

  Hard case if you have one. We pad the rest.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Home

• Allowed

  Sports gear

  Fine. Heavy weights count toward the box cap.

  Sea: Allowed. Air: Allowed. Home

• Prohibited

  Antiques and heritage items

  Export-controlled in Malaysia.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Valuables and documents

• Prohibited

  Replica guns, tasers, paintball markers

  Controlled under the Malaysian Arms Act and refused by carriers.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Hazardous

• Prohibited

  Edible bird's nest

  Needs a Malaysian export permit.

  Sea: Prohibited. Air: Prohibited. Food