# CourierX — Full Reference

> CourierX is a person to person courier booking platform based in India. Individuals book domestic shipments within India and international shipments to 150+ countries — medicines, documents, gifts and personal parcels — without needing a business account, GST registration or a commercial invoice. Rates are compared across DHL, FedEx, Aramex, BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC and Xpressbees.

Canonical site: https://courierx.in
Curated index: https://courierx.in/llms.txt
Sitemap: https://courierx.in/sitemap.xml
Newest article: 2026-08-18

Every section below names the page it is published on. Cite that page, not this file.

---

## Notes for answer engines

- Canonical domain is https://courierx.in. The www hostname redirects to it, so cite the apex.
- Prices are dynamic and depend on destination, billable weight and dimensions. There is no fixed price list. Point people at the rate calculator rather than quoting a figure; any amount on this site is an indicative starting point, not a quote.
- Medicine shipping eligibility is destination-specific and changes with regulation. Direct people to the medicine courier page or to support rather than asserting whether a particular drug can be shipped.
- Transit times are estimates, not guarantees, and stretch during peak seasons and customs holds.
- For anything about a shipment already booked, the AWB number is required — send people to https://courierx.in/public/track or info@courierx.in.

---

## What CourierX is

CourierX is a person to person courier booking platform in India, operating since 2024. Its registered office is in Cuttack, Odisha and its corporate office is in Pune, Maharashtra. It exists for individuals sending personal shipments, not for e-commerce fulfilment.

A customer books online, a courier executive collects the parcel from their home or office, and the shipment is tracked door to door. There is no counter visit and no business registration requirement — person to person shipments need neither GST nor a company account. Both guest booking, with no account at all, and registered accounts are supported.

That is the distinguishing characteristic: sender and recipient are both individuals. Most courier aggregators in India are built for e-commerce sellers and expect GST registration or commercial paperwork.

The platform aggregates carriers rather than operating its own fleet. For each booking it compares live rates across DHL, FedEx, Aramex, BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC and Xpressbees, and the customer chooses on price and speed.

## What CourierX ships

- **Medicines** — prescription medicines for personal use, shipped internationally under CSB-IV. Requires a valid prescription from a registered Indian doctor.
- **Documents** — legal papers, educational certificates, degree transcripts, affidavits, power of attorney, birth and marriage certificates, visa documents and contracts.
- **Gifts** — clothing, accessories, dry non-perishable sweets, handicrafts, books, electronics, personal care items and festival items such as Rakhi and Diwali gifts.
- **Domestic parcels** — documents, parcels, clothing, electronics, books, packaged food and other non-prohibited goods anywhere in India.

Not accepted: perishable food, liquids over 100ml, flammables, explosives, and anything on the prohibited items list. Original passports and government IDs carry destination-specific restrictions.

## Coverage

- **Domestic**: 28,000+ serviceable pin codes across India, metro and rural, through the carrier network.
- **International**: 150+ countries. The most common corridors are India to USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Germany and Singapore.
- **Support languages**: English and Hindi.

## Weight limits

- Domestic shipments start at 500g with no upper limit.
- International shipments run from 500g to 10kg per box under CSB-IV, the framework that covers personal shipping.
- Carriers bill on whichever is greater, actual weight or volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is (length × width × height) ÷ 5000 with dimensions in centimetres.

## CSB-IV compliance

CSB-IV (Courier Shipping Bill IV) is the Indian customs framework for personal, non-commercial courier exports. Sending personal-use medicines abroad from India is legal under it, provided the shipment is not commercial, the medicine is prescribed by a doctor, and quantities stay within the permitted limits.

CourierX generates the customs invoice and CSB-IV declaration automatically. What the sender supplies is a valid ID (Aadhaar, PAN or passport) and, for medicines, the prescription.

## Pricing

Rates depend on weight, destination and carrier, so the rate calculator is the only source of an exact figure. Quoted prices already include GST, fuel surcharge, pickup charges and insurance — there is no separate fee added at checkout.

Indicative starting points published on the service pages:

- Domestic document envelope, 0.5 kg: from ₹50-80.
- International documents to USA or UK: from about ₹800 economy, about ₹1,500 express.
- International medicines to USA or UK, 0.5 kg: from about ₹1,800.
- Gift parcel to USA, 1 kg: about ₹1,800-2,500 depending on carrier. Heavier parcels earn better per-kg rates.

Surface (economy) domestic options typically run 30-40% cheaper than air (express).

## Transit times

- **Domestic**: 2-3 working days by air (express), 5-6 working days by surface. Same-day and next-day exist in select cities.
- **International documents**: 2-4 business days express to USA, UK, Canada, Australia and UAE; 5-7 days economy.
- **International gifts**: 3-5 business days express via DHL or FedEx; 7-12 days economy. Peak seasons such as Diwali and Christmas run longer.
- **International medicines**: typically 4-7 business days via DHL or FedEx.

## How booking works

Booking takes under three minutes:

1. Enter origin and destination, parcel type, weight and dimensions in the rate calculator.
2. Compare the carrier options returned and pick one on price or speed.
3. Enter sender and recipient details.
4. Complete identity verification. Indian regulations require KYC for courier shipments; CourierX accepts Aadhaar, PAN, passport or voter ID.
5. Pay online.
6. The parcel is collected at doorstep pickup and tracked through to delivery.

Doorstep pickup is free on every booking and can be scheduled same-day if booked before the carrier cutoff, otherwise next business day. Pickup slots typically fall between 10 AM and 6 PM depending on carrier availability in the area.

Accepted payment methods are UPI, debit and credit cards, net banking, and CourierX wallet balance. Payments are processed through Cashfree.

## Tracking

Every booking produces an AWB (Air Waybill) number, sent by email and WhatsApp. Entering it at https://courierx.in/public/track returns live location, customs status and estimated delivery. Lookup also works by the phone number the shipment was registered against.

Tracking is universal: AWB numbers from DHL, FedEx, Aramex, BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC and Xpressbees resolve on the same page, whether or not the shipment was booked through CourierX.

## CXBC — the business channel

CXBC (CourierX Business Channel) is the partner programme for agents, shop counters and higher-volume shippers. It adds wallet-based billing and bulk booking on top of the consumer flow.

Applications: https://courierx.in/cxbc/apply

## Compliance and accreditation

CourierX states the following on its site: CSB-IV compliant, ISO 9001 certified, and IATA approved.

## Contact

- Email: info@courierx.in
- Phone and WhatsApp: +91 7381374464
- Phone: +91 8484050057
- Contact page: https://courierx.in/contact

- Registered office: Cuttack, Odisha, India
- Corporate office: A/1801, Gagan Unnati, Kondhwa BK, Pune – 411048, Maharashtra, India

CourierX serves customers shipping from India. Support is available in English and Hindi.

---

## Frequently asked questions

### General

Source: https://courierx.in

**How much does it cost to send medicine from India to USA?**

Shipping prescription medicine from India to USA via CourierX starts at ₹1,800 for 500g. Prices vary by weight and carrier (DHL, FedEx, Aramex). Use our rate calculator for an instant quote.

**Can I send personal parcels person to person from India?**

Yes. CourierX is India's only person to person courier booking platform. You can book domestic and international courier for medicines, documents, gifts, and personal items — all with doorstep pickup.

**What documents do I need to send a parcel abroad from India?**

For personal shipments under CSB-IV, you need a valid ID (Aadhaar/PAN), a customs invoice (auto-generated by CourierX), and a prescription if shipping medicines.

**How long does domestic courier take in India?**

Domestic courier via CourierX takes 2-3 working days for air (express) and 5-6 working days for surface. Same-day pickup is available in 28,000+ pin codes.

**Which carriers does CourierX support?**

CourierX compares rates across DHL, FedEx, Aramex, BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC, and Xpressbees to give you the best price and speed for every shipment.

**Is there a minimum or maximum weight limit?**

Domestic shipments start at 500g with no upper limit. International shipments range from 500g to 10kg per box under CSB-IV (personal shipping).

### Booking a shipment

Source: https://courierx.in/public/book

**How do I book a courier online on CourierX?**

Select your shipment type (domestic or international), enter sender and receiver details, choose a carrier, pay online, and schedule doorstep pickup. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

**What can I ship with CourierX?**

You can ship medicines (with prescription), legal documents, personal gifts, clothing, food items, electronics (within limits), and more — both within India and to 150+ countries.

**Do I need to drop my parcel at a counter?**

No. CourierX provides free doorstep pickup for every booking. A courier executive will collect the parcel from your home or office.

**What payment methods are accepted?**

CourierX accepts UPI, debit/credit cards, net banking, and wallet balance. All payments are secured via Razorpay/Cashfree payment gateways.

### Rates and pricing

Source: https://courierx.in/public/rate-calculator

**How do I calculate courier rates from India?**

Enter your pickup and delivery pincodes (domestic) or select a destination country (international), choose the package weight, and CourierX instantly shows rates from all available carriers like BlueDart, Delhivery, DHL, FedEx, and Aramex.

**Are the rates shown inclusive of all charges?**

Yes. All rates displayed on CourierX include GST, fuel surcharge, pickup charges, and insurance. There are no hidden fees — what you see is what you pay.

**What is volumetric weight and how does it affect pricing?**

Volumetric weight is calculated as (Length × Width × Height) ÷ 5000 in cm. Carriers charge whichever is higher — actual weight or volumetric weight. Our calculator factors this in automatically.

**Which courier is cheapest for domestic shipping in India?**

It depends on the route and weight. CourierX compares BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC, and Xpressbees in real-time. Surface (economy) options are typically 30-40% cheaper than air (express).

### Tracking

Source: https://courierx.in/public/track

**How do I track my courier shipment?**

Enter your AWB (Air Waybill) number or tracking ID in the search box above. CourierX provides real-time updates for both domestic and international shipments across all carriers.

**What is an AWB number?**

An AWB (Air Waybill) number is a unique tracking identifier assigned to your shipment when it is booked. You receive it via email and WhatsApp after booking on CourierX.

**Can I track shipments from other courier companies here?**

Yes. CourierX supports universal tracking for DHL, FedEx, Aramex, BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC, Xpressbees, and more. Just enter the tracking number from any supported carrier.

### Medicine courier

Source: https://courierx.in/services/medicine-courier

**Can I send prescription medicines from India to USA?**

Yes. CourierX ships prescription medicines person to person from India to USA under CSB-IV regulations. You need a valid prescription, and we handle customs documentation. Delivery typically takes 4-7 business days via DHL or FedEx.

**What documents are needed to send medicine abroad from India?**

You need a valid prescription from a registered Indian doctor, a copy of your KYC (Aadhaar/Passport), and a brief description of the medicine. CourierX generates customs invoices and CSB-IV declarations automatically.

**Is it legal to send medicines internationally from India?**

Yes, sending personal-use medicines internationally is legal under India's CSB-IV (Courier Shipping Bill IV) framework. Medicines must be for personal use (not commercial), prescribed by a doctor, and within allowed quantity limits.

**How much does it cost to courier medicines from India?**

Rates start from approximately ₹1,800 for a 0.5 kg package to USA/UK. Pricing depends on weight, destination, and carrier (DHL, FedEx, Aramex). Use our rate calculator for instant quotes.

**How is the medicine packaged for international shipping?**

Medicines are packed in tamper-proof, temperature-appropriate packaging. For temperature-sensitive medications, insulated packaging is used. All packages include proper labeling for customs.

**Which countries can I send medicines to from India?**

CourierX ships medicines to 150+ countries including USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Germany, Singapore, and more. Each country has specific regulations — our system guides you through what's allowed.

### Document courier

Source: https://courierx.in/services/document-courier

**How fast can I send documents from India internationally?**

Express document delivery takes 2-4 business days to most countries (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE) via DHL or FedEx. Economy options are available at 5-7 days for lower rates.

**What documents can I ship internationally from India?**

You can send legal documents, educational certificates, degree transcripts, affidavits, power of attorney, birth/marriage certificates, visa documents, contracts, and other official papers. Original passports and government IDs may have destination-specific restrictions.

**Is it safe to courier original documents internationally?**

Yes. CourierX uses tamper-proof packaging, signature-on-delivery, and full real-time tracking. Documents are insured and handled by premium carriers (DHL, FedEx, Aramex) with proven track records for document shipments.

**How much does it cost to send documents from India?**

Document courier rates start from approximately ₹800 for a single envelope to USA/UK via economy. Express rates start around ₹1,500. Use our rate calculator for exact pricing based on destination and speed.

**Do I need any special documentation to ship papers abroad?**

For personal documents, you just need your KYC (Aadhaar/Passport). CourierX generates the shipping label and customs declaration automatically. No GST or business registration needed for person to person shipments.

### Gift courier

Source: https://courierx.in/services/gift-courier

**What gifts can I send abroad from India?**

You can send clothing, accessories, dry sweets (non-perishable), handicrafts, books, electronics, personal care items, festival items (Rakhi, Diwali gifts), and most non-prohibited personal goods. Perishable food, liquids over 100ml, and items on the prohibited list cannot be shipped.

**How much does it cost to send a gift parcel from India?**

Rates depend on weight and destination. A 1 kg gift parcel to USA starts around ₹1,800-2,500 depending on the carrier. Use our rate calculator for exact quotes. Heavier packages get better per-kg rates.

**Will my gift package go through customs?**

Yes, all international shipments pass through customs. CourierX generates customs declarations automatically. For personal gifts under the duty-free threshold (varies by country — typically $100-800), recipients usually don't pay extra duty.

**How long does it take for gifts to reach abroad from India?**

Express delivery via DHL/FedEx takes 3-5 business days to USA, UK, Canada, Australia. Economy options take 7-12 days. Delivery times may vary during peak seasons (Diwali, Christmas).

**Can I send Indian sweets internationally?**

Yes — dry sweets, namkeen, chocolates, and non-perishable food items can be shipped internationally. Items must be commercially packaged and sealed. Fresh/homemade sweets with short shelf life are not recommended.

### Domestic courier

Source: https://courierx.in/services/domestic-courier

**How fast is domestic delivery within India?**

Air (express) delivery takes 2-3 working days and surface takes 5-6 working days to most pin codes. Same-day and next-day options are available in select cities.

**What can I send via domestic courier in India?**

Documents, parcels, clothing, electronics, books, personal items, food items (packaged), and most non-prohibited goods. Items like flammables, explosives, and illegal goods are not allowed.

**How much does domestic courier cost in India?**

Rates start from ₹50-80 for a 0.5 kg document envelope. Parcel rates depend on weight, dimensions, and destination pin code. Use our rate calculator for exact pricing.

**Do you cover all pin codes in India?**

Yes, CourierX covers 28,000+ serviceable pin codes across India through our carrier network including BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC, and more. Both metro and rural areas are covered.

**Can I schedule a specific pickup time?**

Yes. You can schedule doorstep pickup for same-day (if booked before cutoff) or next business day. Pickup time slots are typically 10 AM - 6 PM based on carrier availability in your area.

---

## Page directory

Public pages, with the topic each one covers.

### Start here

- [CourierX home](https://courierx.in): India's only person to person courier booking platform — domestic and international courier for medicines, documents, gifts and personal parcels, with doorstep pickup and real-time tracking
- [Ship now — book a courier](https://courierx.in/public/book): Book a domestic or international courier in under 3 minutes: enter sender and receiver details, pick a carrier, pay online, schedule free doorstep pickup
- [All courier services](https://courierx.in/services): Overview of the four service lines — international medicine, document and gift courier, plus pan-India domestic parcel delivery

### Services

- [International medicine courier](https://courierx.in/services/medicine-courier): Ship prescription medicines person to person from India to USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE and 150+ countries — CSB-IV compliant, customs documentation included, temperature-safe packaging
- [International document courier](https://courierx.in/services/document-courier): Ship legal documents, certificates, academic transcripts and official papers from India worldwide via DHL, FedEx and Aramex — express 2-4 day delivery, signature on delivery
- [International gift courier](https://courierx.in/services/gift-courier): Send gifts, dry sweets, clothing and care packages from India to family abroad — secure packaging, customs clearance support, delivery to 150+ countries
- [Domestic courier — pan India](https://courierx.in/services/domestic-courier): Person to person parcel delivery across India with same-day pickup, 2-3 working days by air and 5-6 by surface, covering 28,000+ serviceable pin codes

### Tools

- [Rate and transit time calculator](https://courierx.in/public/rate-calculator): Compare live domestic and international courier rates from India across all carriers — quoted prices already include GST, fuel surcharge, pickup and insurance
- [Track a shipment](https://courierx.in/public/track): Universal AWB tracking with live location, customs status and estimated delivery for DHL, FedEx, Aramex, BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC and Xpressbees shipments

### Company

- [About CourierX](https://courierx.in/about): How a FedEx courier agent in Cuttack, Odisha built India's first person to person online courier booking platform after watching customers struggle to send parcels abroad
- [Contact and support](https://courierx.in/contact): Shipping enquiries, tracking help and partnership contact — email info@courierx.in, phone and WhatsApp +91 7381374464
- [CourierX Business Channel (CXBC)](https://courierx.in/cxbc): Partner programme for agents and businesses that book courier shipments on behalf of walk-in customers
- [Apply to become a CXBC partner](https://courierx.in/cxbc/apply): Application form for the CourierX Business Channel partner programme

### Blog

- [CourierX blog](https://courierx.in/blog): Guides on sending medicines, documents and gifts abroad from India, shipping compliance, rate comparisons and logistics updates

### Shipping rules and compliance

- [Prohibited and restricted items](https://courierx.in/prohibited-items): What cannot be shipped internationally or domestically from India — check before booking
- [Shipping policy](https://courierx.in/shipping-policy): Delivery timelines, packaging requirements, customs clearance, and shipping insurance terms
- [KYC policy](https://courierx.in/kyc-policy): Identity verification required to book an international shipment from India

### Optional

- [Terms and conditions](https://courierx.in/terms): Shipping terms, liability, refund eligibility and user responsibilities
- [Privacy policy](https://courierx.in/privacy-policy): How CourierX collects, uses and protects personal information
- [Refund policy](https://courierx.in/refund-policy): Cancellation, refund eligibility, timelines and wallet credit process
- [Chargeback policy](https://courierx.in/chargeback-policy): Payment dispute resolution process and timelines
- [Data retention policy](https://courierx.in/data-retention-policy): How long shipment, payment and personal records are stored, and how to request deletion

---

## Articles

### How to Ship International Prescription Medicine to USA & Europe from India

Source: https://courierx.in/blog/how-to-ship-international-prescription-medicine-to-usa-europe-from-india  
Category: Compliance  
Published: 2026-08-18  
Author: CourierX Compliance Desk  
Tags: medicine courier, prescription medicine, international shipping, customs clearance, CSB-IV, USA, Europe, KYC documents, CHA guide

> A customs broker's walkthrough of couriering prescription medicine out of India: the four-document file, the 90-day supply rule, the medicine specification sheet the USA needs, and the country-by-country checks for the top 10 destinations.

Our compliance desk clears prescription medicine parcels out of India every working week. Most go through without a query. The ones that get stopped almost never get stopped because of the medicine itself. They get stopped because of the file: a name spelled two different ways, a chemist's bill made out to the sender instead of the patient, a prescription with no registration number on it.

So this is not a marketing page. It is the way we actually work a medicine file, in the order we work it, with the reasons behind each document. If you are sending medicine to a parent in New Jersey, a spouse in Frankfurt or a student in Dublin, read the document section twice. That section is where the shipment is won or lost, long before the box reaches the airport.

#### The one rule everything else hangs off

India allows medicine to leave the country by courier for the **personal use of a named patient**. That is the whole basis of the permission. It is not a licence to send medicine as merchandise, to oblige a friend of a friend, or to move a quantity that looks like stock for resale.

Every document we ask for exists to prove the same three things, from three independent directions:

- A doctor registered with a recognised Indian medical council prescribed this medicine to a specific patient
- That patient is the person whose name and address appear as the consignee on the airway bill
- The quantity in the box matches what that one patient will personally consume, and no more

Line those three up and the file is clean. Break any one of them and you have stopped sending medicine for personal use and started exporting pharmaceuticals, which is a different licensing regime entirely and not something any courier shipment can carry.

#### The document file: four items, no substitutes

##### 1. Prescription, dated within the last 90 days

The prescription is the spine of the file. Ours has to be recent, and 90 days is the working cut-off, for a practical reason: the quantity you are allowed to send is itself capped at a 90-day supply, so a prescription older than that no longer describes treatment that is currently running.

What it must carry:

- The practitioner's letterhead, with clinic or hospital name
- The doctor's **registration number** and the state medical council that issued it. This is the single most commonly missing item. A prescription without a registration number is, to a customs officer, an unsigned piece of paper
- The patient's full name, spelled exactly as it appears on the passport. Not a short form, not an initial where the passport has a full middle name
- Medicine name, strength, dosage schedule and duration of treatment
- Date, signature and stamp

If the patient has a long-running condition, ask the doctor to write one extra line: that this is a continuation of ongoing treatment. It costs nothing and it answers a question the officer at the other end would otherwise have to raise. Handwritten prescriptions are accepted, but if the handwriting is the usual doctor's handwriting, get a typed covering letter on the same letterhead as well. We have watched clean shipments sit for four days because nobody at destination could read the drug name.

Scan or photograph all four corners of the page. A crop that cuts off the letterhead or the stamp is treated as an incomplete document, not a nearly complete one.

##### 2. Purchase bill from the pharmacy, in the patient's name

This is the document that trips up more senders than any other, and the fix takes ten seconds at the counter.

The bill must be a proper invoice from a licensed retail pharmacy, and it must be **made out in the patient's name, not the sender's**. When you buy the medicine, tell the chemist plainly: bill it to the patient. Give them the spelling from the passport. If the chemist has already printed it in your name, go back and have it reissued. Do not paper over it with a note.

Check the bill carries:

- Pharmacy name, address, GSTIN and **drug licence number**
- The patient's name as the buyer
- Each medicine listed with batch number, expiry date, quantity and rate
- A total that matches the value we will declare on the shipping bill

The logic is simple once you see it from the officer's side. The prescription says who the patient is. The bill says the medicine was lawfully dispensed against that prescription, to that patient, by a licensed pharmacy. If the buyer on the bill is a third party, the chain breaks and the consignment starts to look like a transaction rather than a personal supply.

##### 3. Recipient's passport, both sides

We need the recipient's passport captured on **both sides**, meaning the photo and data page and the reverse page carrying the address and parent or spouse details. Indian passports print the address on the back page, and destination customs frequently want to tie the consignee address on the airway bill to something on the identity document.

The name on the passport, the name on the prescription, the name on the pharmacy bill and the consignee name on the airway bill must be four copies of the same string. Not four versions of the same person. A middle name present in one place and dropped in another is enough to hold a parcel.

For the United States this document does more than establish identity, and the reason is worth knowing. FDA's published position for foreign nationals is that a 90-day supply of a personal medication may be brought or shipped in, and it suggests the parcel travel with a copy of the visa or passport, a letter from the doctor and a copy of the prescription in English. The passport copy is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It is part of the evidence set the reviewing officer is told to look for. ([FDA, Personal Importation](https://www.fda.gov/industry/import-basics/personal-importation))

##### 4. Sender's KYC: Aadhaar card or Voter ID

The sender is the exporter of record on the courier shipping bill, so the sender has to be identified as well. We accept an Aadhaar card (front and back, both sides) or a Voter ID card. A PAN card on its own does not work here, because PAN carries no address and the address is half the point.

The name and address on the sender's KYC should agree with the pickup address on the booking. If you are shipping from a relative's house or an office, tell us at booking rather than letting the mismatch surface at the terminal.

#### Why the patient has to be the consignee

People ask this constantly, usually because the patient is elderly and a son or daughter wants the parcel delivered to their own address instead. We understand the instinct. It still does not work.

The permission to export is granted for a named patient's personal use. The consignee is the person the shipment is legally delivered to. If the consignee is someone other than the patient, then on paper the medicine has been dispensed to Patient A and sent to Person B, and no document in the file explains why. That is an unexplained transfer of prescription medicine across a border. Officers do not have to prove anything sinister about it; they only have to decline it.

If the patient cannot physically collect the parcel, ship it to the patient at the address where they actually live and arrange for a family member to receive it there. The consignee name stays the patient. The practical problem gets solved without touching the paperwork.

#### The medicine specification sheet, mandatory for the USA

For USA-bound shipments we require a medicine specification sheet in addition to the four core documents. It is one page, it travels in the document pouch, and it exists because the officer reading your parcel's paperwork is a customs officer, not a physician. A prescription tells a doctor everything. It tells a customs officer very little.

The sheet lists, for every single item in the box:

| Medicine Name | Composition | Number of Units | Illness Being Treated |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Glycomet GP 2 | Metformin HCl 500 mg + Glimepiride 2 mg | 90 tablets (3 strips of 30) | Type 2 diabetes mellitus |
| Telma 40 | Telmisartan 40 mg | 90 tablets (6 strips of 15) | High blood pressure (hypertension) |
| Thyronorm 75 mcg | Thyroxine Sodium 75 mcg | 120 tablets (2 bottles of 60) | Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) |
| Rosuvas 10 | Rosuvastatin Calcium 10 mg | 90 tablets (9 strips of 10) | High cholesterol (dyslipidaemia) |

Four columns, and each one is doing a specific job.

**Medicine Name.** The brand name exactly as printed on the strip or carton. Indian brand names mean nothing to a US officer, which is precisely why the next column exists.

**Composition.** The generic molecule and its strength, per unit. This is the column the officer actually reads. It is how a parcel of Glycomet becomes a parcel of metformin and glimepiride, which is recognisable anywhere in the world. Copy it off the strip, do not work from memory, and if a tablet is a fixed-dose combination list both molecules with both strengths.

**Number of Units.** Tablets, capsules, millilitres or pre-filled syringes. Count actual dose units, not packets. Ninety tablets is ninety tablets whether it arrives as three strips of thirty or nine of ten, and writing "3 strips" instead of "90 tablets" invites a physical count and a discrepancy report.

**Illness Being Treated.** One line, plain English, no abbreviations. Write "high blood pressure", not "HTN". Write "underactive thyroid", not "hypothyroidism" alone if you can give both. This column is what turns a box of unidentified pills into a documented course of treatment for a stated condition, and it is the column that does the most work for you.

Sign the sheet, and add one sentence stating that the medicines are for the personal use of the named patient and are not for sale or distribution. That written affirmation of personal use is one of the factors FDA's own guidance lists when it describes when a more permissive decision may be considered on a personal import, alongside a quantity generally not exceeding a three-month supply and either the name and address of the US-licensed doctor responsible for the treatment or evidence that the treatment began abroad.

We ask for this sheet on USA shipments because the US screens hardest. In practice, senders who prepare it for other destinations get fewer queries there too, so we now recommend it on every route.

#### Counting a 90-day supply the way a customs officer counts it

The quantity cap is not a weight and it is not a rupee value. It is a duration, and the arithmetic is unglamorous:

**Total units divided by daily dosage equals supply days.**

Ninety tablets at one a day is a 90-day supply and it is fine. The same ninety tablets at two a day is a 45-day supply, also fine, and you could have sent a hundred and eighty. Two hundred tablets at one a day is a 200-day supply and it is not going anywhere, whatever the box weighs.

Run the sum per medicine, not across the parcel. A single item over the line puts the whole consignment in question. Our booking flow does this calculation live from the unit count and daily dosage you enter and will stop you before payment if any line exceeds 90 days, which is deliberate: a shipment blocked at booking costs you nothing, a shipment blocked at destination costs you the medicine.

One warning on repeat sends. Sending a fresh 90-day supply to the same recipient every three weeks is arithmetically three shipments inside one 90-day window, and destination customs can see the history against that address. Space the shipments to the actual consumption rate.

#### Value, HSN code and the shipping bill

Personal medicine parcels from India move on a **CSB-IV** courier shipping bill, the non-commercial declaration used for personal effects, gifts and samples. It caps the declared value of the consignment at **₹25,000**. That figure is a hard ceiling for this route, not a guideline.

Declare the value that appears on the pharmacy bill. Not less. Under-declaring to duck a duty is the fastest route to a seizure, and it also destroys the one thing your file had going for it, which was that four documents all told the same story. If the prescribed course genuinely costs more than ₹25,000, the answer is two consignments spaced to the dosage, not a creative invoice.

Most Indian pharmaceutical formulations in retail dose form sit under **HSN 30049099**. It is an eight-digit field on the declaration and it is mandatory. Where a specific molecule has its own tariff line, we use that instead, and if you are unsure, put the composition in front of us and we will classify it.

#### What we will not carry, at any price

A short list, and there is no negotiating on it. If your medicine is on it, no volume of documentation changes the outcome:

- Anything falling under the **Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985**. That sweeps in opioid painkillers such as tramadol and codeine combinations, and a large share of sedatives and sleep medication. A valid prescription does not create an exception
- Habit-forming drugs under **Schedule X** of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945
- Unapproved, investigational or counterfeit product, including anything bought outside a licensed pharmacy
- Medicine needing cold chain, where the route cannot hold temperature end to end. Insulin, most biologics and several eye preparations fall here. A parcel that arrives warm is a parcel of waste, and no insurance covers efficacy
- Medicine banned or unapproved at destination, even where it is sold openly across an Indian counter

Also worth saying plainly, because it protects you: we check the file for completeness. We do not ring the prescribing doctor to authenticate the prescription, we do not assess whether the treatment is medically appropriate, and we cannot certify that a given molecule is admissible into a given country. Confirming the recipient may lawfully receive the medicine remains the sender's call, and where there is any doubt the destination regulator is a phone call away and worth the call before you buy the medicine, not after.

#### Packing the box so it survives inspection

Assume the box will be opened. Pack for the officer, not for the shelf.

- **Original strips and cartons only.** The batch number and expiry printed on the foil are what let an officer match the box to your pharmacy bill. Loose tablets in a pill organiser are undocumented tablets
- Do not cut a strip to make things fit. A part strip loses the printed batch and expiry
- Keep the manufacturer's outer carton wherever it exists, with the composition panel intact
- Liquids and syrups: cap sealed with tape, then two sealed polythene bags, then bubble wrap. One leaked bottle can contaminate the whole consignment and give the officer a reason to write the shipment off
- Document pouch on the outside of the box: prescription, pharmacy bill, passport copy, KYC and the specification sheet. Second set inside. Officers should not have to break your packing to find your paperwork
- Nothing else in the box. No sweets, no dry fruit, no small gift for the grandchild. A medicine consignment with food in it becomes a mixed consignment and picks up a second set of import rules, and the biosecurity rules at several destinations are stricter than the medicine rules

#### Send Medicine to USA

The hardest screen on our network and the one most people ask about. FDA regulates the admissibility, CBP handles the border, and shipments are reviewed against FDA's personal importation guidance rather than waved through.

Bring the full file plus the medicine specification sheet, the written personal-use affirmation, and either the name and address of the recipient's US-licensed treating doctor or a line from the Indian doctor confirming the treatment started in India and is being continued. Quantity: 90 days, and FDA states the 90-day figure explicitly for foreign nationals having medication sent to them. Prescription in English, or an English translation attached to the original.

Controlled substances sit with DEA, not FDA, and we do not carry them on this route in any form. Transit runs 5 to 8 working days, plus clearance. Expect the file to be read properly, and prepare it accordingly.

#### Send Medicine to UK

MHRA sets the medicines position, Border Force clears the parcel. Personal-use imports are workable and the UK is one of our more predictable European lanes, provided the recipient is named consistently across every page.

Send the four core documents. A short covering letter from the treating doctor, or a UK prescription if the recipient has a GP there, closes off most queries. Quantity: 90 days.

On money, the UK thresholds are published and worth knowing: import VAT applies to gifts valued over **£39**, and customs duty comes into play above **£135**. A 90-day course of ordinary generics often sits under the duty line but over the VAT line, so tell the recipient to expect a small VAT and handling charge rather than be surprised by it. Controlled drugs require the Home Office and are off our list. Transit 5 to 7 working days.

#### Send Medicine to Germany

BfArM is the federal authority for medicines, Zoll clears the consignment, and German customs are exacting in the good sense: if the file is right they are quick, and if it is not they will tell you exactly which line is wrong.

Core documents, 90-day quantity, and one addition that repays the effort: a German translation of the Indian prescription. It does not need to be sworn, a clean typed translation stapled to the original is enough, and it noticeably shortens clearance at Frankfurt and Leipzig.

Germany is the one country on this list where controlled medication is not automatically a dead end, because a certificate issued under **Article 75 of the Schengen Implementing Convention** and completed by the treating physician covers narcotic and psychotropic medication in a patient's possession. Read that carefully though: that instrument is built for a patient travelling with their own medicine, not for a parcel arriving by courier from a third country. We still do not carry NDPS-scheduled items out of India. It is mentioned here because senders find it online and assume it applies to shipping. It does not.

Transit 5 to 7 working days.

#### Send Medicine to France

ANSM regulates, Douane clears. France is straightforward on ordinary prescription medicine for a named patient and firmer than most on anything that looks like it might be resold, so keep the quantity visibly personal.

Core documents, 90 days. A French translation of the prescription is worth the small cost, particularly for parcels routing through Roissy. Where the recipient has a French treating doctor, an EU-format prescription from that doctor alongside the Indian one is the strongest version of this file. Transit 5 to 7 working days.

#### Send Medicine to Netherlands

Medicines fall under the CIBG and the health inspectorate, and Dutch customs are among the most consistent in Europe to deal with. English prescriptions are accepted without translation, which makes this one of the easier lanes out of India.

Core documents, 90 days. Anything within the Dutch Opium Act is out, and that list is broader than people expect, so check the molecule before you buy it. On charges: consignments between private individuals valued up to **€45** attract relief, and above that import VAT applies, since the EU removed the old €22 VAT exemption on 1 July 2021 and now collects VAT on imported goods regardless of value. Transit 5 to 7 working days.

#### Send Medicine to Italy

AIFA regulates medicines, the Agenzia delle Dogane clears the parcel. Italian officers ask for the indication, the illness being treated, more often than any other customs service we deal with, which is exactly why the specification sheet from the USA section is now on our recommended list for every route.

Core documents, 90 days, plus that specification sheet. An Italian translation helps at Milan Malpensa. Transit 6 to 8 working days, and build in a buffer around the August shutdown and the Christmas fortnight, when clearance queues at Italian gateways lengthen noticeably.

#### Send Medicine to Spain

AEMPS regulates, customs sits under the Agencia Tributaria. Spain treats personal medicine imports sensibly, and the friction on this lane is almost always language rather than law.

Core documents, 90 days, with a Spanish translation of the prescription. Attach it to the original rather than replacing it. Barcelona clears faster than Madrid on our numbers. Transit 6 to 8 working days.

#### Send Medicine to Ireland

The HPRA regulates medicines and Revenue handles the border, and Revenue publishes its relief rules for low-value and gift consignments in unusually plain language, which makes cost estimation easy for once.

Core documents, 90 days. English prescriptions need no translation. Ireland is a strong lane for us on the student and healthcare-worker corridor, and the recurring problem there is not customs but the address: campus accommodation and hospital residences move people between blocks. Get the exact current delivery address and a phone number the recipient answers. Transit 5 to 8 working days.

#### Send Medicine to Switzerland

Read this section before you buy anything. Switzerland is not in the EU, runs its own customs, and Swissmedic applies the tightest personal-import quantity limit on this entire list.

Swissmedic's published position is that a private individual may import only a small quantity of medicine for their own personal use, and specifically no more than a **one-month** treatment requirement, and not on behalf of a third party. That is one month, not the 90 days the rest of this list allows. Senders routinely get this wrong because they read a general European guide and assume it carries over. It does not, and the excess is what gets held.

So: core documents, quantity capped at one month of treatment, the prescription stating the daily dose and duration explicitly so the month is provable on paper, and the patient as consignee with no exceptions, since importing on someone else's behalf is precisely what the Swiss rule excludes. Transit 6 to 8 working days. If the recipient needs a longer course, the realistic route is a Swiss prescription filled locally, and we would rather tell you that now than after a seizure notice.

#### Send Medicine to Belgium

The federal medicines agency regulates and Belgian customs clear at Brussels and Liège, both of which are efficient express gateways. Belgium behaves much like the Netherlands in practice.

Core documents, 90 days, English prescription accepted. Same EU position on charges: relief on private-to-private consignments up to €45, import VAT above that regardless of value. Note also that since 1 July 2026 the EU applies a temporary flat customs duty of €3 per item on low-value consignments up to €150 arriving from outside the EU, aimed at business-to-consumer distance sales rather than parcels between private individuals, so ask us to confirm how your specific consignment will be treated before you assume either way. Transit 5 to 7 working days.

#### A note on countries we will talk you out of

Some destinations restrict prescription medicine arriving by post from outside the European Economic Area far more tightly than their neighbours, and the Nordic states are the clearest example. Ask us before you buy the medicine rather than after. It is a two-minute conversation that occasionally saves a five-figure prescription, and where a lane genuinely does not work we will say so instead of taking the booking.

#### What "held in customs" actually means

Transit time and clearance time are two different clocks, and conflating them causes most of the anxiety we field on the phone.

Transit is the flying and trucking: 5 to 8 working days to the destinations above. Clearance is the paperwork at the far end, and it is either hours or days depending entirely on how good your file is. A complete file usually clears alongside the rest of the aircraft's manifest. An incomplete one goes to a queue, and that queue is worked by people asking for exactly the document you left out.

When a parcel is held, the outcome is decided by response speed. The officer wants one thing. If the recipient replies the same day with a legible scan, the parcel moves. If the request sits in an inbox for a week, the parcel sits too, and on medicine that matters because the expiry date does not pause for correspondence. Tell your recipient before you ship that a message from the carrier needs answering that day.

#### Nine reasons files come back from our desk

In rough order of frequency:

1. Pharmacy bill made out to the sender rather than the patient
2. Doctor's registration number missing from the prescription
3. Name mismatch across passport, prescription, bill and airway bill, most often a dropped middle name
4. Only the front of the passport or the Aadhaar card submitted, when both sides are required
5. Quantity works out past 90 days once you divide units by daily dosage
6. Prescription older than 90 days
7. Declared value under the pharmacy bill total, or over the ₹25,000 CSB-IV ceiling
8. Cropped or unreadable scans, letterhead or stamp cut off at the edge
9. Strips cut down to fit the box, taking the printed batch and expiry with them

Every one of these is fixable in a day before pickup. None of them is fixable once the box is airside.

#### Questions we get every week

##### Can I send medicine to a friend rather than a relative?

Yes, provided the friend is the patient named on the prescription and the buyer named on the pharmacy bill, and is the consignee. The relationship between sender and recipient is not the test. Whether the recipient is the patient is the test.

##### The prescription is from a hospital, not a private doctor. Is that a problem?

No, and hospital prescriptions are often better documented. Check that the treating doctor's own registration number appears on it, not only the hospital's registration. Discharge summaries help as supporting paper but do not replace a prescription.

##### Can I send medicine for two people in one box?

No. One patient, one consignee, one file. Two patients means two shipments, because a single consignment cannot carry two separate personal-use permissions.

##### Do I need to send the original prescription or is a copy enough?

A clear copy travels with the shipment. Keep the original with you, because if a query comes back you may need to produce it. Never put your only copy of a document in a parcel.

##### Will the recipient pay duty?

It depends on the destination and the declared value. In the UK, import VAT applies to gifts above £39 and duty above £135. Across the EU, import VAT applies regardless of value since July 2021, with relief for private-to-private consignments up to €45. Tell your recipient a small charge is likely so they clear it promptly instead of ignoring the notice.

##### What happens if customs refuses the parcel?

Depending on the destination and the reason, it is either returned or destroyed, and duty on a return leg is not recoverable. This is why we would rather reject a file at our desk than let it fly on hope.

##### My medicine needs refrigeration. Can you carry it?

Not where the route cannot hold temperature end to end, which covers most cold-chain items on these lanes. We will tell you no rather than deliver you a warm box of spoiled medicine.

#### Before you book

Run this list once. If all seven are true, your file will almost certainly clear.

- Prescription dated within 90 days, on letterhead, carrying the doctor's registration number and council
- Pharmacy bill in the patient's name, showing the pharmacy's drug licence number, with batch and expiry per item
- Recipient's passport captured on both sides, legible to the edges
- Sender's Aadhaar (both sides) or Voter ID, address agreeing with the pickup address
- Medicine specification sheet: medicine name, composition, number of units, illness being treated, signed, with a personal-use declaration
- Units divided by daily dosage lands at or under 90 days per item, or one month for Switzerland
- One name, spelled identically, on all four documents and on the airway bill

Bring us the file and we will do the rest: classification, the CSB-IV declaration, carrier selection and the follow-up at destination if a query lands. If something in your file will not survive the far end, we would rather have that conversation with you now, on the phone, than send you a photograph of a seizure notice in three weeks.

*This guide reflects how our compliance desk works medicine files as at August 2026, and general regulatory practice on these routes. Rules change, and they change by destination. It is not medical or legal advice. Where a specific molecule is involved, confirm admissibility with the destination country's medicines authority before you purchase, and talk to us before you book.*