What you can't ship from Japan to Gabon
13 Japan Post import rules · verified · source: Japan Post
Short answer: Japan Post lists 8 item types that cannot be sent to Gabon and 5 that can be sent only under conditions. Separately, Japan Post applies 278 carrier-wide rules to every destination, covering dangerous goods and items banned from international mail — perfume, aerosols and lithium batteries among them. Rules last verified against Japan Post on October 1, 2026.
- Prohibited
- 8
- Conditional
- 5
- Carrier-wide rules
- 278
These are the destination rules Japan Post publishes for Gabon. They do not repeat the items Japan Post refuses to every country — those are on one shared page, linked below. A rule marked conditional allows the item only when the stated conditions hold; whether your product qualifies is what the ShipMate GO app works out before you book.
Medicine & supplements
1 prohibited · 2 conditional
- Prohibited
Contraceptive articles
Contraceptive articles are prohibited from being shipped to Gabon via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This applies to all contraceptive items as described.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 90
- Conditional
Narcotics
Narcotics — including opium, morphine, and cocaine — are only permitted when sent for medical or scientific purposes and addressed to a pharmacist; shipments addressed to private individuals are not permitted even when sent for medical purposes.
Conditions and documents
- Sent for medical or scientific purposes AND addressed to a pharmacist → permitted
- Sent for medical purposes but addressed to a private individual → prohibited
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 29
- Conditional
Pharmaceuticals / Medicines
Medicines and pharmaceutical products may only be shipped to Gabon if addressed to a qualified pharmacist. Shipments to other recipients are not permitted.
Conditions and documents
- Addressed to a qualified pharmacist → permitted
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 30
Weapons
1 prohibited · 1 conditional
- Prohibited
Military weapons and military ammunition
Military weapons and military ammunition are prohibited from shipment to Gabon via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. This restriction applies to all applicable shipping types.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 93
- Conditional
Weapons and Ammunition
Weapons and ammunition (excluding military items) are permitted only when authorization has been obtained from the relevant authorities of the destination country.
Conditions and documents
- non-military weapons and ammunition with authorization from the relevant authorities of the destination country (Gabon) → permitted
Documents: Authorization from the relevant authorities of the destination country (Gabon)
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 93
Alcohol
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Absinthe
Absinthe and similar products are prohibited from shipment to Gabon via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This prohibition covers absinthe as well as items closely resembling or associated with it.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 22
Currency & valuables
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Registered ordinary mail containing valuables
Registered ordinary mail items containing coins, banknotes, currency, bearer securities, traveler's checks, platinum, gold or silver (worked or unworked), pearls, gemstones, or other valuables are prohibited for shipment to Gabon. This restriction applies to regular shipping.
Food
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Canned goods (without country-of-manufacture labeling, or in boxes exceeding 1 kg)
Canned goods are prohibited when they lack a display of the country of manufacture, or when they are packed in a box whose total weight exceeds 1 kilogram. Both conditions independently trigger the prohibition.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 16
Plants & animals
1 conditional
- Conditional
Plants
Plants are conditionally permitted for shipment to Gabon only when authorization has been obtained from the relevant authorities of the destination country.
Conditions and documents
- Authorization obtained from the relevant authorities of the destination country (Gabon) → permitted
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 06
Tobacco
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Tobacco Products
Pipe tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes are prohibited from shipment to Gabon via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This prohibition covers all listed tobacco product types.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 24
Other items
2 prohibited · 1 conditional
- Prohibited
Documents harmful to the prestige of UDEAC member states
Documents that could harm the prestige of member states of the Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC) are prohibited from shipment to Gabon via all shipping types. This applies to all such written or printed materials regardless of format.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Prohibited
Postage Stamps and Meter Strips (enclosed in mailpieces)
Printed matter, braille mail, and small packets containing cancelled or uncancelled postage stamps or postage meter strips are prohibited to Gabon via Regular mail and EMS. An exception applies to printed matter, cards, envelopes, or wrappers bearing the sender's name and address and affixed with return-postage stamps of the destination country.
Details and exceptions
- Printed matter, card, envelope, or wrapper bearing the sender's name and address AND affixed with return-postage stamps of the destination country → permitted
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Conditional
Scales and Measuring Rules (Rulers/Measuring Instruments)
Scales and measuring rules (rulers/measuring instruments) may only be shipped to Gabon if prior authorization has been obtained from the Director of the Measuring Instruments Control Service (Chef du service du controle des instruments de mesure). Import is conditional on holding this official permit.
Conditions and documents
- Authorization obtained from the Director of the Measuring Instruments Control Service (Chef du service du controle des instruments de mesure) of the destination country → permitted
Documents: Authorization from the Chef du service du controle des instruments de mesure (Director of the Measuring Instruments Control Service of Gabon)
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 90
Applies to every destination, including Gabon
Japan Post applies 278 carrier-wide rules to every country on top of the rules above — outright bans on dangerous goods such as perfume, aerosols and lighters, and conditions on items such as lithium batteries.
Not sure about a specific item for Gabon?
This page lists Japan Post's rules. The ShipMate GO app checks your actual item against them, asks the one or two questions a conditional rule needs, and tells you the outcome before anything is charged. Sending a parcel from Japan? Booking is free and you pay once, after weighing. Shopping from abroad with Shop for Me? Anything that can't ship is dropped from your order before you pay for the goods.
Common questions
- What can't I ship from Japan to Gabon?
- Japan Post's import rules for Gabon prohibit 8 item types, including Absinthe; Canned goods (without country-of-manufacture labeling, or in boxes exceeding 1 kg); Tobacco Products; Registered ordinary mail containing valuables; Contraceptive articles; Military weapons and military ammunition; Documents harmful to the prestige of UDEAC member states; Postage Stamps and Meter Strips (enclosed in mailpieces). On top of these, Japan Post refuses dangerous goods such as perfume, aerosols and loose lithium batteries to every destination.
- Which items can be shipped to Gabon only under conditions?
- 5 item types are allowed only when Japan Post's stated conditions are met — for example Scales and Measuring Rules (Rulers/Measuring Instruments); Pharmaceuticals / Medicines; Plants; Weapons and Ammunition; Narcotics. Whether a specific product qualifies depends on the item, which is what the ShipMate GO app checks before you book.
- Does an item that isn't listed here ship freely to Gabon?
- Not necessarily. This page lists the import rules Japan Post publishes for Gabon; an item that isn't named has no specific rule here, but it may still fall under Japan Post's carrier-wide bans or a general category such as food or medicine. Check the exact item in the ShipMate GO app, which reads these rules live and asks the follow-up questions a conditional rule needs.