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Shipping to Kenya: what is not allowed

Kenya has no duty-free threshold: parcels pay duty under the East African tariff, 16% VAT, a 2.5% import declaration fee and a 2% railway development levy. Medicines and supplements need a permit before shipping.

Not accepted for Kenya

  • Cosmetics containing mercury
  • Single-use plastic bags
  • Used undergarments, socks, stockings, sleepwear and bath towels
  • Counterfeit goods, narcotics and obscene material
  • Matches made with white phosphorus

Allowed, with conditions

  • Medicines, supplements and psychotropics — Pharmacy and Poisons Board permit, in place before shipping
  • GMOs and agricultural inputs — KEPHIS approval
  • Electrical goods — Anti-Counterfeit Authority permit

Duty 0–35% under the EAC tariff, 16% VAT, 2.5% IDF and 2% RDL. No duty-free threshold; the recipient pays before release.

Courier parcels under USD 1,000 and 70 kg are exempt from the certificate-of-origin rule in force since July 2025.

Quick answers: shipping from India to Kenya

What can I not send from India to Kenya?

Kenya does not accept: cosmetics containing mercury; single-use plastic bags; used undergarments, socks, stockings, sleepwear and bath towels; counterfeit goods, narcotics and obscene material; matches made with white phosphorus. On every route, we also cannot carry anything with a battery, mobile phones and laptops, real gold, silver or diamond jewellery, or anything flammable or pressurised such as perfume, aerosols and nail polish.

Can I send medicines from India to Kenya?

Yes, within limits: medicines, supplements and psychotropics — Pharmacy and Poisons Board permit, in place before shipping. Ask us before you order anything controlled.

How long does a parcel from India to Kenya take?

Normal transit on this route is 4 to 6 business days from our warehouse in Kerala.

Will I pay customs duty or tax in Kenya?

Duty 0–35% under the EAC tariff, 16% VAT, 2.5% IDF and 2% RDL. No duty-free threshold; the recipient pays before release.

Never accepted, wherever you are

These are refused by the airlines, by Indian export rules or by us, so they cannot leave our warehouse for any destination.

Prohibited, restricted and dangerous goods, in one line each. Prohibited means it cannot be sent at all. Restricted means it can travel, but only under conditions your country sets, such as a personal quantity, a prescription or a declaration; those are listed under each destination. Dangerous goods are what airlines treat as a hazard on board: anything flammable, corrosive or pressurised. We also cannot ship anything with a battery, or anything that burns, such as agarbatti and camphor.

  • Cash, currency, cheques, bullion, and loose precious stones
  • Narcotics, illegal drugs, and psychotropic substances
  • Firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, and weapons (including replicas)
  • Anything with a battery, including power banks, battery-operated toys and watches
  • Mobile phones and laptops
  • Real gold, silver and diamond jewellery
  • Flammable, corrosive, or pressurised goods — perfumes/deodorant sprays, aerosols, nail polish and remover, paints, thinners, fuel, gas cylinders, lighters, and matches
  • Anything that burns: agarbatti (incense sticks), dhoop, camphor, sambrani and candles
  • Live animals, plants, seeds, soil, and products of endangered species (CITES)
  • Pornographic, obscene, or seditious material
  • Counterfeit goods and pirated media
  • Human remains, biological samples, and infectious substances
  • Radioactive and toxic substances

Medicines and supplements are the one thing to check before you order. They are not banned — almost every destination lets a personal quantity through in its original packaging with a copy of the prescription. What changes from country to country is how much counts as personal, whose name the prescription has to be in, and which ingredients need clearance from that country's health authority first.

The rule for Kenya is under Allowed, with conditions above. Controlled and psychotropic medicines are a separate case: several countries want their own health authority to clear the parcel first, so check with us before you order rather than after it arrives with us.

If you are not sure about something, ask on WhatsApp before you order it.

The same list, talked through

Three and a half minutes on what cannot leave India, what your own country will not let in, and the things that travel perfectly well once the paperwork is right.

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What You Can and Can't Ship From India (Full List)

Rules for other destinations