What you can't ship from Japan to Kiribati
14 Japan Post import rules · verified · source: Japan Post
Short answer: Japan Post lists 7 item types that cannot be sent to Kiribati and 7 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
- 7
- Conditional
- 7
- Carrier-wide rules
- 278
These are the destination rules Japan Post publishes for Kiribati. 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.
Chemicals
2 conditional
- Conditional
Matches (Yellow Phosphorus Matches)
Matches are conditionally restricted for shipment to Kiribati via regular and parcel services. Specifically, yellow phosphorus matches are subject to restrictions.
Conditions and documents
- yellow phosphorus matches → conditional
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 36
- Conditional
Tar (coal tar and its derivatives)
Coal tar and its derivatives are conditionally restricted for shipment to Kiribati via regular and parcel shipping. Specific conditions governing import must be met for these substances to be permitted.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 27
Currency & valuables
1 prohibited · 1 conditional
- Prohibited
Counterfeit Currency
Counterfeit currency is prohibited from being shipped to Kiribati via regular mail and parcel services. This restriction applies to all forms of forged or fake monetary instruments.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Conditional
Valuables
Valuables such as jewels, precious metals, pearls, certificates, coins, and other negotiable securities are subject to conditional acceptance for shipment to Kiribati. Shippers should verify applicable requirements before sending such items via regular or parcel post.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 71
Food
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Foodstuffs declared unfit for consumption by the competent health authority of the destination country
Foodstuffs that have been declared unfit for human consumption by Kiribati's competent health authority are prohibited from being shipped via regular and parcel services. This prohibition applies to any food products carrying such a declaration.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 21
Medicine & supplements
1 conditional
- Conditional
Narcotics
Postal items containing narcotics such as opium, morphine, or cocaine are permitted only when sent for medical or scientific purposes, addressed to a pharmacist, and accompanied by a special permit issued by the government of the destination country.
Conditions and documents
- Sent for medical or scientific purposes, addressed to a pharmacist, and accompanied by a special permit from the government of the destination country → permitted
Documents: Special permit issued by the government of the destination country (Kiribati)
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 29
Other items
5 prohibited · 3 conditional
- Prohibited
Counterfeit postage stamps and instruments for their manufacture
Counterfeit postage stamps and any instruments or equipment used to manufacture such stamps are prohibited from being sent to Kiribati via regular mail and parcel services. This prohibition covers both the fraudulent stamps themselves and the means of producing them.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Prohibited
Gold
Gold is prohibited from being shipped to Kiribati via regular shipping. This restriction applies specifically to gold bullion.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 71
- Prohibited
Goods bearing the British Royal Coat of Arms or similar emblems
Goods bearing the British Royal Coat of Arms, or emblems closely resembling it, are prohibited unless the manufacturer has obtained authorisation to use the emblem. This restriction applies to both regular and parcel shipments to Kiribati.
Details and exceptions
- Manufacturer has obtained permission to use the emblem → permitted
- Prohibited
Opium smoking apparatus and opium manufacturing equipment
Opium smoking devices and opium manufacturing instruments are prohibited from shipment to Kiribati via regular and parcel post. These items may not be sent through any applicable shipping channel.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 96
- Prohibited
Shaving brushes and all goods packaged together with them
Shaving brushes, and any goods packaged together with shaving brushes, are prohibited from shipment to Kiribati via regular and parcel shipping. This prohibition applies to the shaving brush itself as well as any items co-packaged with it.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 96
- Conditional
Articles Contrary to Public Morals
Printed matter, paintings, photographs, books, covers, lithographs, engravings, and other articles contrary to public morals are subject to conditional restrictions for shipments to Kiribati. These items may only be shipped under applicable conditions via regular and parcel services.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Conditional
Goods bearing trademarks identical to those used in the United Kingdom or its colonies
Goods manufactured outside the United Kingdom or its colonies that bear a trademark identical to one used in the UK or its colonies are subject to conditional restrictions when shipping to Kiribati. The restriction does not apply if the goods are clearly marked as having been manufactured in the UK or its colonies.
Conditions and documents
- Goods manufactured outside the UK or its colonies bearing a trademark identical to one used in the UK or its colonies, without any indication that they were manufactured in the UK or its colonies → conditional (restricted)
- Goods bear a clear indication that they were manufactured in the UK or its colonies → permitted
- Conditional
Goods prohibited by the laws of the destination country
Goods whose importation is prohibited under the laws of Kiribati are subject to restriction. Shipment of such items via regular mail or parcel post is conditional on compliance with applicable destination-country import regulations.
Conditions and documents
- Importation is prohibited under the laws of the destination country (Kiribati) → conditional
Applies to every destination, including Kiribati
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 Kiribati?
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 Kiribati?
- Japan Post's import rules for Kiribati prohibit 7 item types, including Opium smoking apparatus and opium manufacturing equipment; Shaving brushes and all goods packaged together with them; Counterfeit Currency; Gold; Foodstuffs declared unfit for consumption by the competent health authority of the destination country; Goods bearing the British Royal Coat of Arms or similar emblems; Counterfeit postage stamps and instruments for their manufacture. 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 Kiribati only under conditions?
- 7 item types are allowed only when Japan Post's stated conditions are met — for example Tar (coal tar and its derivatives); Matches (Yellow Phosphorus Matches); Goods prohibited by the laws of the destination country; Valuables; Goods bearing trademarks identical to those used in the United Kingdom or its colonies; Narcotics; Articles Contrary to Public Morals. 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 Kiribati?
- Not necessarily. This page lists the import rules Japan Post publishes for Kiribati; 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.