What you can't ship from Japan to Uruguay
13 Japan Post import rules · verified · source: Japan Post
Short answer: Japan Post lists 11 item types that cannot be sent to Uruguay and 2 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
- 11
- Conditional
- 2
- Carrier-wide rules
- 278
These are the destination rules Japan Post publishes for Uruguay. 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.
Books & printed matter
2 prohibited
- Prohibited
Books and other items contrary to public morals
Books, pictures, and other articles that are contrary to public morals are prohibited from being shipped to Uruguay via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. This prohibition covers printed and visual materials deemed to violate standards of public decency.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Prohibited
Publications, photographs, records, etc. promoting Marxism or anti-democratic ideologies
Books, newspapers, magazines, documents, negatives, photographs, films, pictorial materials, records, audio tapes, and wires that promote Marxism or anti-democratic ideologies and aim to undermine the social or political order of Uruguay are prohibited. Such mail items are subject to confiscation under Uruguayan domestic law.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
Medicine & supplements
1 prohibited · 1 conditional
- Prohibited
Narcotics
Narcotics — including opium, morphine, cocaine, and other narcotic drugs — are prohibited from shipment to Uruguay via Regular and EMS services.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 29
- Conditional
Narcotics
Narcotics such as opium, morphine, and cocaine are conditionally permitted for shipment to Uruguay via parcel or EMS, but only when sent for medical or scientific purposes and with prior authorization from Uruguay's health authority (Direction de la Santé). Shipments not meeting both conditions are prohibited.
Conditions and documents
- Sent for medical or scientific purposes AND authorized by Uruguay's Direction de la Santé → permitted
Documents: Authorization from Uruguay's health authority (Direction de la Santé)
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 29
Plants & animals
1 prohibited · 1 conditional
- Prohibited
Litmus lichen (Roccella tinctoria)
Litmus lichen (Roccella tinctoria) is prohibited from shipment to Uruguay via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. No exceptions or conditions are stated in the source.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 14
- Conditional
Plants
Plants shipped to Uruguay may require an export inspection by a plant protection station and an import permit from the destination country. Shippers are advised to consult their nearest plant protection station or Uruguay's plant quarantine authority in advance.
Conditions and documents
- Export inspection by plant protection station completed and import permit from destination country obtained where required → conditional
Documents: Export inspection certificate issued by plant protection station (植物防疫所による輸出検査証明); Import permit from Uruguay's plant quarantine authority (名宛国の輸入許可証)
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 06
Currency & valuables
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Valuables
Valuables are prohibited for shipment to Uruguay via regular mail and parcel services. This includes coins, banknotes, currency, bearer securities, traveler's checks, platinum, gold, silver (worked or unworked), pearls, gemstones, and other precious items.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 71
Food
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Perishable and Fermentable Goods
Items that are liable to perish or ferment are prohibited from shipment to Uruguay via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. This covers any goods that may deteriorate, decompose, or undergo fermentation during transit.
Weapons
1 prohibited
- Prohibited
Weapons
Firearms and weapons of war are prohibited from shipment to Uruguay via regular mail, parcel, and EMS. This prohibition covers guns and military-grade weaponry.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 93
Other items
4 prohibited
- Prohibited
Goods subject to customs duties
Goods that may be subject to customs duties are not permitted to be sent as regular mail to Uruguay. This applies to both regular post and EMS shipments.
- Prohibited
Lottery Tickets
Lottery tickets are prohibited from being shipped to Uruguay via Regular mail, Parcel, and EMS. This prohibition applies to lottery tickets and related lottery vouchers.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Prohibited
Lottery Tickets
Lottery tickets are prohibited from being shipped to Uruguay via Regular mail and EMS. This restriction applies to physical lottery ticket documents.
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
- Prohibited
Mailpieces containing 5 or more identical privately-made postcards, business cards, engravings, or colored paintings
Mailpieces that contain five or more copies of the same type of privately-made postcard, business card, engraving, or colored painting are subject to customs duties. Such items are classified as prohibited under these shipping conditions.
Details and exceptions
- 5 or more copies of the same type of privately-made postcard, business card, engraving, or colored painting included in a single mailpiece → subject to customs duties (prohibited under applicable shipping types)
Source: Japan Post · HS chapter 49
Applies to every destination, including Uruguay
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 Uruguay?
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 Uruguay?
- Japan Post's import rules for Uruguay prohibit 11 item types, including Goods subject to customs duties; Mailpieces containing 5 or more identical privately-made postcards, business cards, engravings, or colored paintings; Litmus lichen (Roccella tinctoria); Valuables; Publications, photographs, records, etc. promoting Marxism or anti-democratic ideologies; Books and other items contrary to public morals; Lottery Tickets; Perishable and Fermentable Goods; and 3 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 Uruguay only under conditions?
- 2 item types are allowed only when Japan Post's stated conditions are met — for example Plants; 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 Uruguay?
- Not necessarily. This page lists the import rules Japan Post publishes for Uruguay; 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.