Should a parent need to ship a package to their student abroad, it is necessary to comply with any instructions given by postal authorities. Nevertheless, despite parents’ efforts to pay all fees when shipping a package to their student abroad, sometimes students have been charged extra fees when receiving their packages.
Here are some suggestions on how to mail packages from home to your student abroad:
Private/used items such as clothing
Declare only a minimal amount of value and list such contents as used, private clothes, etc. on the shipping documents. Make sure that any original packaging materials are taken off the items in order to demonstrate that the package contains used items and not new ones that could be used for resale abroad (as the customs officers will assume).
Medications and pharmaceutical items
Most governments require an import license for all medication and this requirement may even concern non-prescription medications that can be purchased over the counter at US pharmacies. The typical procedure to obtain this license usually takes some weeks and is very complicated. If possible, do NOT ship medicine to your student abroad. The best option is for your student to travel with medicine on him/her. For more information on how to travel with prescription medicine, visit What to Pack in FAQs. If medicine is shipped, it is important not to package it with the above mentioned items of personal clothing as this may cause the entire package to be delayed. In past cases, such packages have not been allowed to proceed to the students until the medicines have been removed and destroyed.