What you can't ship from Japan to Portugal
23 Japan Post import rules · verified · source: Japan Post
Short answer: Japan Post lists 15 item types that cannot be sent to Portugal and 8 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 August 1, 2026.
- Prohibited
- 15
- Conditional
- 8
- Carrier-wide rules
- 278
These are the destination rules Japan Post publishes for Portugal. 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.
Food
3 prohibited · 2 conditional
- Prohibited
Extracts for wine manufacturing
Extracts intended for use in wine manufacturing are prohibited from being shipped to Portugal via regular, parcel, and EMS services. This restriction applies specifically to grape wine production extracts.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 33
- Prohibited
Saccharin and similar substances, and foodstuffs containing saccharin or similar substances
Saccharin, substances similar to saccharin, and any foodstuffs containing saccharin or similar substances are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This prohibition covers both the pure substance and food products in which it is present as an ingredient.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 29
- Prohibited
Toxic / Public-Health-Hazardous Foodstuffs
Foodstuffs that are toxic or harmful to public health are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. No exceptions or conditions are stated in the source.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 21
- Conditional
Animal-origin products
Animal-origin products dispatched from regions where livestock infectious diseases are prevalent are subject to inspection upon arrival in Portugal. Depending on the inspection results, the items may be returned to sender or destroyed.
Conditions and documents
- Dispatched from a region where livestock infectious diseases are prevalent → Subject to inspection upon arrival; may be returned or destroyed depending on results
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 02
- Conditional
Foodstuffs (meat, milk, butter, margarine, fish)
Certain foodstuffs shipped to Portugal are subject to sanitary inspection upon arrival. The affected items are fresh, salted, or smoked meat; milk; butter; margarine; and fresh, salted, or smoked fish.
Conditions and documents
- fresh, salted, or smoked meat; milk; butter; margarine; fresh, salted, or smoked fish → subject to sanitary inspection in the destination country
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 02
Medicine & supplements
1 prohibited · 3 conditional
- Prohibited
Narcotics
Narcotics — including opium, morphine, cocaine, and other narcotic drugs — are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 29
- Conditional
Medicines / Pharmaceuticals
Medicines and pharmaceuticals are conditionally permitted for shipment to Portugal. They are allowed only when authorization has been obtained from the destination country's health authority.
Conditions and documents
- Authorization obtained from the destination country's health authority → permitted
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 30
- Conditional
Patent Medicine (Proprietary Medicine)
Patent medicines may be shipped to Portugal conditionally: packaging and labels must display the manufacturer's representative's name, the medicine's ingredients, and the market price in Portuguese. Patent medicines with undisclosed ingredients are only permitted with prior authorization from Portugal's Directorate-General of Health (Direção-Geral de Saúde).
Conditions and documents
- Packaging and labels display the manufacturer's representative's name, the medicine's ingredients, and the market price in Portuguese → permitted
- Ingredients are undisclosed AND prior authorization from Portugal's Directorate-General of Health (Direção-Geral de Saúde) has been obtained → permitted
- Ingredients are undisclosed AND prior authorization from Portugal's Directorate-General of Health (Direção-Geral de Saúde) has NOT been obtained → prohibited
Documents: Authorization from Portugal's Directorate-General of Health (Direção-Geral de Saúde) — required when ingredients are not disclosed on the label
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 30
- Conditional
Sera, Vaccines, and Similar Articles
Sera, vaccines, and similar biological articles are conditionally permitted for shipment to Portugal via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. Specific conditions governing their importation are not detailed in the source text.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 30
Weapons
1 prohibited · 2 conditional
- Prohibited
Tear Gas Guns and Related Items
Tear gas guns, tear gas grenades/projectiles, and toxic or lachrymatory substances are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. No exceptions are stated in the source.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 93
- Conditional
Weapons
Weapons are conditionally permitted for shipment to Portugal, provided the conditions established by the destination country are met. No further specific conditions are detailed in the source text.
Conditions and documents
- Conditions established by the destination country (Portugal) are met → permitted
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 93
- Conditional
Weapons
Weapons are conditionally permitted to Portugal, but only when authorization has been obtained from the destination country's customs authorities. Shipment via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services is subject to this condition.
Conditions and documents
- Authorization obtained from the destination country's customs authorities → permitted
Documents: Customs authority authorization from Portugal
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 93
Chemicals
2 prohibited
- Prohibited
Butane Gas / Lighters Filled with Butane Gas
Butane gas and lighters filled with butane gas are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This restriction covers both the raw gas and consumer products containing it.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 27
- Prohibited
Substances that cause harmful irritation to the skin
Substances that cause harmful irritation to the skin are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. No exceptions or conditions are stated in the source.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 28
Plants & animals
1 prohibited · 1 conditional
- Prohibited
Water Hyacinth
Water hyacinth (aquatic hyacinth) is prohibited from being shipped to Portugal via regular mail, parcel, and EMS services. This restriction applies to the water hyacinth plant.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 06
- Conditional
Plants (living plants, bulbs, seeds, cut flowers, cut branches, fruits, vegetables, timber, bark, etc.)
Plants and plant materials — including plants for cultivation, bulbs, seeds for sowing, cut flowers, cut branches, fruits (excluding pineapple, coconut, durian, banana, and dates), vegetables, timber, and bark — require a phytosanitary certificate to be imported into Portugal; importation is not permitted without one. An export inspection by a plant protection station and an import permit from the destination country may also be required under Japan's Plant Protection Act.
Conditions and documents
- Phytosanitary certificate is attached → importation permitted
- No phytosanitary certificate → importation not permitted
- Export inspection by plant protection station and/or import permit from destination country required under Japan's Plant Protection Act → may be required depending on item
Documents: Phytosanitary certificate (植物検疫証明書); Export inspection certificate from Japan Plant Protection Station (植物防疫所による輸出検査) — where applicable; Import permit from destination country (名宛国の輸入許可証) — where applicable
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 06
Currency & valuables
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Registered ordinary mail containing valuables
Registered ordinary mail items that contain coins, banknotes, currency, bearer securities, traveller's cheques, platinum, gold or silver (worked or unworked), pearls, gemstones, or other valuables are prohibited for regular shipping to Portugal. This prohibition applies to registered ordinary mail as a mailpiece type carrying any of these contents.
Tobacco
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Tobacco
Tobacco is prohibited from being shipped to Portugal via Regular and EMS services. No exceptions or conditions are stated.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 24
Other items
5 prohibited
- Prohibited
Copyright-infringing articles
Articles that violate the copyright laws of Portugal are prohibited from shipment via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. Items that infringe on intellectual property rights under Portuguese copyright law are not accepted for mailing to this destination.
- Prohibited
Counterfeit Trademark Goods
Goods bearing a trademark that violates the laws of Portugal are prohibited from shipment via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This covers any item affixed with a counterfeit or unauthorized trademark in breach of Portuguese law.
- Prohibited
Items contrary to public order and morals
Photographs, motion picture films, paintings, written works, and other items that are contrary to public order and morals are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. This applies across all listed shipping service types.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Prohibited
Labels resembling postage stamps
Labels that could be mistaken for postage stamps are prohibited from shipment to Portugal via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. Such items are not permitted regardless of shipping method.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Prohibited
Lottery tickets (issued outside Portugal or its overseas territories)
Lottery-related articles issued by a country or overseas territory other than Portugal are prohibited from being sent to Portugal via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This restriction applies to all lottery materials originating from outside Portugal or its overseas territories.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
Applies to every destination, including Portugal
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 Portugal?
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 Portugal?
- Japan Post's import rules for Portugal prohibit 15 item types, including Extracts for wine manufacturing; Tear Gas Guns and Related Items; Saccharin and similar substances, and foodstuffs containing saccharin or similar substances; Tobacco; Water Hyacinth; Butane Gas / Lighters Filled with Butane Gas; Labels resembling postage stamps; Items contrary to public order and morals; and 7 more. 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 Portugal only under conditions?
- 8 item types are allowed only when Japan Post's stated conditions are met — for example Animal-origin products; Medicines / Pharmaceuticals; Sera, Vaccines, and Similar Articles; Plants (living plants, bulbs, seeds, cut flowers, cut branches, fruits, vegetables, timber, bark, etc.); Foodstuffs (meat, milk, butter, margarine, fish); Patent Medicine (Proprietary Medicine); Weapons; Weapons. 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 Portugal?
- Not necessarily. This page lists the import rules Japan Post publishes for Portugal; 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.