Changes to restricted and prohibited items overseas - what members need to know

Last week, the NFSP contacted Post Office Ltd (PO) after many members on our social media channels commented that overseas prohibited and restricted items guidelines appeared to be changing for various destinations. 

The NFSP understands that many European countries are taking a harder line on enforcing restrictions than in the past. As a result, Royal Mail (RM) is updating their customer information and PO is updating Horizon Help.

Recent changes have mainly covered restrictions relating to toys and printed materials – as follows (via PO’s memoview):

- Ireland: Indecent or obscene books, counterfeits of legal tender notes, consolidated bank notes and fictitious stamps, indecent or obscene cards, indecent or obscene photographs.
- France: Bank notes.
- Germany: Print with propaganda, racism, pornography or violence, toy weapons.
- Greece: Playing cards and fireworks

The NFSP’s advice is to check RM’s country sending guides HERE.

You should also remember that it is the customer’s responsibility to ensure the contents of their mail are compliant with the destination’s rules. The NFSP has flagged to PO that materials such as posters that provide this message to customers would be useful.

PO has said that further details will be provided in this week’s Branch Focus.