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Which Indian sweets you can send abroad, and which you cannot

Most mithai is made with milk or ghee, and that decides where it can go. Dairy-free Indian sweets travel almost anywhere.

Yes — you can buy Indian sweets from Indian shops even if they do not deliver to your country. India Rabbit gives you a free delivery address in India. You order to that address as an ordinary domestic customer, we receive and hold the parcel free for 30 days, combine it with anything else you buy, and forward the lot to you.

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Why this is hard to buy where you are

Indian sweet shops abroad make mithai fresh with local milk, so what people miss from home is the regional and dairy-free side: Kozhikode halwa, Agra petha, jaggery chikki and gajak, and Kerala's sharkara varatti and achappam, made by the makers they grew up with and packed to keep. Milk sweets are different. Barfi, peda, rasgulla, gulab jamun and kalakand are dairy, and ghee-rich sweets such as Mysore pak and many laddoos count as dairy too in the countries that ban it.

Related pages

Kerala Snacks: banana chips, achappam and Kerala halwa from Kerala makers.
Indian Spices: masala, pepper and cardamom, which travel almost everywhere.

Where to buy it

Shop	What they are good for
Haldiram's and Bikanervala	Large sweet and snack makers with factory-sealed packs, printed ingredients and long shelf life.
Kozhikode halwa makers	Calicut halwa from the city's old sweet street, sold in sealed boxes by flavour.
Agra petha makers	Ash gourd sweets, dry and syrup-free kinds, which keep well and usually contain no dairy.
Chikki makers in Lonavala and elsewhere	Peanut, sesame and dry-fruit chikki in sealed packs. If any of these cannot deliver to your country, your Indian address makes it a domestic order.

Sweet makers sell mainly inside India and many pack for domestic courier only. Your Indian address makes every order local.

What to check before you order

Read the ingredients for milk, milk solids, khoa, chhena, ghee or butter. Any one of them makes the sweet dairy in the UK, the EU and Australia.
Buy factory-sealed packs with a printed ingredients list and a best-before date. Homemade sweets and loose sweets from a counter are the ones customs stops.
Check the shelf life against the whole trip: delivery to us, the wait for the rest of your shopping, and transit. Halwa, petha and chikki keep for weeks; fresh milk sweets keep for days.
To the Gulf in summer, jaggery sweets and halwa soften in the heat. Order them in the cooler months, or tell us on the pre-alert so we pack for it.

Weight, customs and getting it here intact

Weight

Dense. A kilo of halwa or chikki is a small, heavy box.

Volume

Sweet boxes are compact, so they ship on their real weight.

Customs

Declared item by item as packaged food. Dairy-free, factory-sealed sweets are allowed in most of our destinations. Milk sweets and ghee are not allowed into the UK, the EU or Australia, and are decided case by case in the USA and Canada. Your country's prohibited-items page has the full list. Check what your destination allows.

Condition

Sweets stay sealed, packed away from clothing, and anything that can soften is kept upright and padded.

Work out the exact cost to your country

Indian Sweets by country

Indian Sweets to the UK

Indian sweet shops in Southall, Wembley, Leicester and Birmingham make mithai fresh, so what people order from India is what those shops do not make: Kozhikode halwa, Agra petha, chikki and gajak, and Kerala jaggery sweets. Great Britain does not permit personal imports of dairy from India, so milk sweets and ghee-based sweets stay out of the box. For goods up to £135, UK VAT at 20% is normally charged by the seller at checkout; above £135, the courier collects VAT and any duty before delivery. Since 15 July 2026 the UK–India trade agreement has cut or removed duty on many goods made in India where the origin rules are met. VAT still applies.

Transit: typically 4 to 10 business days once the box leaves our warehouse in Kerala. Shipping to the UK · What the UK will not let in

Can I send milk sweets to the UK?

No. Great Britain does not permit personal imports of dairy from India, which covers milk sweets such as barfi, peda and rasgulla, and ghee. Halwa, petha, chikki and jaggery sweets in sealed packs are fine.

How do I order Indian sweets to the UK?

Order sealed packs from Indian sweet makers to your free India Rabbit address in Kerala. We hold them with the rest of your shopping and ship everything to the UK in one box, typically 4 to 10 business days after dispatch.

Will I pay VAT on it in the UK?

Usually. Above £135 the courier collects 20% VAT and any duty before delivery. The UK–India trade deal has cut duty on many Indian-made goods since 15 July 2026, but VAT still applies.

Indian Sweets to France

Paris has Indian sweet shops around La Chapelle, with a small range made locally. Dairy-free sweets from India, such as halwa, petha, chikki, gajak and Kerala jaggery sweets, travel to France in sealed packs. The EU does not allow personal imports of dairy from outside the EU, so milk sweets and ghee-based sweets stay out of the box. Import VAT of 20% applies to almost all goods, and since 1 July 2026 parcels up to €150 also pay a €3 customs duty per item category; normal duty applies above €150. The recipient usually pays before delivery.

Transit: typically 4 to 12 business days once the box leaves our warehouse in Kerala. Shipping to France · What France will not let in

Can I send milk sweets to France?

No. The EU does not allow personal imports of dairy from outside the EU, which covers milk sweets such as barfi, peda and rasgulla, and ghee. Halwa, petha, chikki and jaggery sweets in sealed packs are fine.

How do I order Indian sweets to France?

Order sealed packs from Indian sweet makers to your free India Rabbit address in Kerala. We hold them with the rest of your shopping and ship everything to France in one box, typically 4 to 12 business days after dispatch.

Will I pay VAT on it in France?

Yes. 20% import VAT applies to almost all goods, and since 1 July 2026 parcels up to €150 also pay a €3 customs duty per item category.

Indian Sweets to Germany

Germany has few Indian sweet shops outside the largest cities. Dairy-free sweets from India, such as halwa, petha, chikki, gajak and Kerala jaggery sweets, travel to Germany in sealed packs. The EU does not allow personal imports of dairy from outside the EU, so milk sweets and ghee-based sweets stay out of the box. Import VAT of 19% applies to almost all goods, and since 1 July 2026 parcels up to €150 also pay a €3 customs duty per item category; normal duty applies above €150. The recipient usually pays before delivery.

Transit: typically 4 to 12 business days once the box leaves our warehouse in Kerala. Shipping to Germany · What Germany will not let in

Can I send milk sweets to Germany?

No. The EU does not allow personal imports of dairy from outside the EU, which covers milk sweets such as barfi, peda and rasgulla, and ghee. Halwa, petha, chikki and jaggery sweets in sealed packs are fine.

How do I order Indian sweets to Germany?

Order sealed packs from Indian sweet makers to your free India Rabbit address in Kerala. We hold them with the rest of your shopping and ship everything to Germany in one box, typically 4 to 12 business days after dispatch.

Will I pay VAT on it in Germany?

Yes. 19% import VAT applies to almost all goods, and since 1 July 2026 parcels up to €150 also pay a €3 customs duty per item category.

Indian Sweets to Australia

Harris Park in Sydney and Dandenong in Melbourne have sweet shops making mithai locally. From India, people order the dairy-free side: Kozhikode halwa, Agra petha, chikki and gajak, and Kerala jaggery sweets. Australia is our strictest destination for food. Dairy is not allowed, every food item must be declared, and nothing homemade should be sent; factory-sealed, labelled sweets are the ones that clear. GST and duty generally apply to goods valued over AUD 1,000. Australian biosecurity is the strictest of any country we ship to: wood, cane, seeds, honey and plant material are inspected and may be refused.

Transit: typically 4 to 14 business days once the box leaves our warehouse in Kerala. Shipping to Australia · What Australia will not let in

Can I send milk sweets to Australia?

No. Australia does not allow dairy in personal food imports, which covers milk sweets such as barfi, peda and rasgulla, and ghee. Sealed, labelled halwa, petha, chikki and jaggery sweets, declared, are the ones that clear.

How do I order Indian sweets to Australia?

Order sealed packs from Indian sweet makers to your free India Rabbit address in Kerala. We hold them with the rest of your shopping and ship everything to Australia in one box, typically 4 to 14 business days after dispatch.

Will I pay GST on it in Australia?

GST and duty generally apply to goods valued over AUD 1,000.

Indian Sweets to Canada

Brampton, Mississauga and Surrey have sweet shops making mithai locally. From India, people order the dairy-free side: Kozhikode halwa, Agra petha, chikki and gajak, and Kerala jaggery sweets. Canada limits dairy content rather than banning it outright, so sealed dairy-free sweets are the safe choice, and every item should be declared by name. Duty and GST usually apply to parcels valued above CAD 20, and genuine gifts up to CAD 60 may be exempt. Because the threshold is low, one consolidated box is better value than several small parcels.

Transit: typically 4 to 14 business days once the box leaves our warehouse in Kerala. Shipping to Canada · What Canada will not let in

Can I send milk sweets to Canada?

Dairy content is limited in Canada rather than simply allowed, so milk sweets are a risk. Sealed dairy-free sweets such as halwa, petha, chikki and jaggery sweets are the safe choice.

How do I order Indian sweets to Canada?

Order sealed packs from Indian sweet makers to your free India Rabbit address in Kerala. We hold them with the rest of your shopping and ship everything to Canada in one box, typically 4 to 14 business days after dispatch.

Will I pay duty on it in Canada?

Usually, above CAD 20 for duty and GST. Genuine gifts up to CAD 60 may be exempt.

Indian Sweets to the USA

Edison, Jackson Heights and Devon Avenue have sweet shops making mithai with American milk. What people order from India is what those shops do not make: Kozhikode halwa, Agra petha, chikki and gajak, and Kerala jaggery sweets, sealed by the makers they grew up with. In the USA meat is the absolute line, while ghee and milk sweets are decided case by case, so sealed dairy-free sweets with a printed ingredients list are the safe choice. Bought food sent to the USA is generally subject to FDA prior notice, which we file from the details on your pre-alert. There is no duty-free allowance for parcels from India: the USD 800 exemption was suspended in August 2025, and since 24 July 2026 Indian goods also carry an extra 10% duty on top of the normal rate. The courier collects it before delivery.

Transit: typically 4 to 12 business days once the box leaves our warehouse in Kerala. Shipping to the USA · What the USA will not let in

Can I send Indian sweets from India to the USA?

Yes, sealed packaged sweets with a printed ingredients list. Order them to your free India Rabbit address in Kerala; we hold them with the rest of your shopping and ship everything to the USA in one box, typically 4 to 12 business days after dispatch.

Can I send milk sweets to the USA?

They are decided case by case at US customs, so barfi, peda, rasgulla and ghee sweets are a risk. Dairy-free sweets such as halwa, petha, chikki and jaggery sweets are the safe choice.

Do I need FDA prior notice for sweets?

Bought food sent to the USA is generally subject to FDA prior notice. We file it from the details you give us on the pre-alert, so list each item by name.

Will I pay US customs duty on it?

Usually yes. The US has no duty-free allowance for parcels from India since August 2025, and Indian goods carry an extra 10% duty since 24 July 2026. The courier collects it at delivery; it is not part of our shipping charge.

Where we send it

Pick your country for transit times and customs notes.

Questions

Which Indian sweets have no dairy?

Agra petha, most chikki and gajak, Kozhikode halwa made with coconut oil, sharkara varatti and achappam. Check each label, because some makers add ghee or milk.

Can I send mithai such as barfi or rasgulla?

Not to the UK, the EU or Australia, because they are dairy. In the USA and Canada milk sweets are decided case by case. Dairy-free sweets are the safe choice everywhere.

How long do the sweets need to last?

Long enough for delivery to us, any wait while the rest of your shopping arrives, and transit. Sealed halwa, petha and chikki keep for weeks; fresh milk sweets do not.

Can I send sweets with my other shopping?

Yes. Order them to your India Rabbit address and they ship in one box with everything else.

Order it like you live in Kerala

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