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Shipping to Zambia: what is not allowed

Zambia charges duty of up to 25% on finished consumer goods (medicines duty-free) and 16% VAT on value plus duty. No duty-free allowance for parcels is confirmed.

Not accepted for Zambia

  • Narcotics and pornography
  • Counterfeit goods
  • Second-hand underwear
  • Explosives and endangered-species products

Allowed, with conditions

  • Prescription medicines — original packaging with a doctor's letter; codeine, tramadol and some benzodiazepines need prior ZAMRA approval
  • Plants and seeds — phytosanitary certificate
  • Animal products — veterinary permit

Duty 0–5% on raw materials, 15% intermediate, 25% finished goods; medicines and computer parts duty-free. VAT 16% on customs value plus duty.

Duties are paid in kwacha before release; the recipient may be asked for a tax identification number (TPIN) at clearance.

Quick answers: shipping from India to Zambia

What can I not send from India to Zambia?

Zambia does not accept: narcotics and pornography; counterfeit goods; second-hand underwear; explosives and endangered-species products. 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 Zambia?

Yes, within limits: prescription medicines — original packaging with a doctor's letter; codeine, tramadol and some benzodiazepines need prior ZAMRA approval. Controlled and psychotropic medicines need clearance first, so ask us before you order them.

How long does a parcel from India to Zambia 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 Zambia?

Duty 0–5% on raw materials, 15% intermediate, 25% finished goods; medicines and computer parts duty-free. VAT 16% on customs value plus duty. Duties are paid in kwacha before release; the recipient may be asked for a tax identification number (TPIN) at clearance.

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 Zambia 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)

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