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Can you post perfume in the UK? The rules for retailers

BY THE FLIPSHIP TEAM · UPDATED NOVEMBER 2026 · 5 MIN READ

SHORT ANSWER Yes, but.

Within the UK, Royal Mail accepts perfume only in small amounts. At a Post Office counter that's no more than 150ml a bottle and four bottles a parcel, in the original retail packaging, with a hazard label. It can't go abroad by post, some parcel services won't take it at all, and a parcel that also contains matches can't be posted.

Perfume is one of the easiest things to sell online and one of the easiest to post wrongly. It looks like an ordinary bottle in a pretty box, but for transport it's a flammable liquid. Royal Mail will carry it within the UK, under tight limits that many retailers don't know about, and some parcel services won't carry it at all.

The Royal Mail and Post Office rules

Perfume and aftershave are restricted items: allowed in the UK post, but only if you meet every condition. If you post at a Post Office counter, the rules are:

  • Per bottleNo more than 150ml.
  • Per parcelNo more than four bottles.
  • PackagingIn its original retail packaging, inside strong outer packaging, cushioned so it can't break.
  • LabelAn ID8000 dangerous goods label, with the sender's name and return address clearly visible.
  • Hand-inPresented at a Post Office counter, not dropped in a postbox.
  • DestinationsUK addresses only. Perfume can't be posted abroad.

Royal Mail's guidance for business account customers is slightly different. It allows up to eight bottles in a parcel and makes clear the rules also cover reed diffusers, non-aerosol body and room sprays, and essential oils. Not every service accepts perfume, though. Royal Mail's list for its bulk "Access" business customers prohibits perfumes and aftershaves altogether, so check the rules for the exact service you use.

Why perfume is restricted

Most perfumes are mostly alcohol, which gives off a flammable vapour. For transport, that makes them dangerous goods: a Class 3 flammable liquid, usually shipped as UN1266 (perfumery products). A broken bottle in a mail bag or a hot van is a genuine fire risk, which is why the limits focus on small bottles, few of them, and strong packaging.

Where retailers get caught out

  • Big bottlesAnything over 150ml, such as large colognes, refills and some room sprays, is over the limit.
  • Gift setsMore than four bottles in one parcel, or a set that also contains matches. Matches are prohibited, so the whole parcel is.
  • Home fragranceReed diffusers and room sprays are often flammable liquids too, and count towards the same rules.
  • AerosolsBody sprays in aerosol cans follow different rules: toiletry aerosols up to 500ml each, no more than two per parcel, UK only.
  • Other networksSome parcel services refuse perfume completely. InPost, for example, bans liquids and names perfume specifically.
  • The label printedYour postage software will usually print a label whatever is inside. That doesn't mean the service accepts it.

What happens if you get it wrong?

  • Your parcel can be disposed of. If you send restricted goods without meeting the conditions, Royal Mail can deal with them as it sees fit, including disposing of them.
  • You may not be covered. Royal Mail says consequential loss cover isn't available for restricted items, so a lost order is your loss.
  • It can be a criminal offence. Posting anything likely to injure postal workers or damage other mail is an offence under section 85 of the Postal Services Act 2000.

What about couriers?

Switching to a courier doesn't get you round the rules. Most couriers, and the parcel comparison sites and drop-off shops that resell them, won't accept perfume on a standard account. The couriers that do carry dangerous goods only accept them when all of this is in place:

  • Approved accountA business account the courier has approved for dangerous goods in advance. A standard account, or a label bought online, isn't enough.
  • Trained staffEveryone who packs, marks or books the parcels must be trained in dangerous goods for their role, under the road transport rules, with training records kept.
  • Packed and declaredProducts packed within the small-quantity limits for each product, in strong inner and outer packaging with the correct marking, and declared to the courier when the label is created. Some dangerous goods, such as fireworks and Christmas cracker snaps, have no small-quantity allowance, so parcel couriers can't carry them at all.

Get that right and the limits are far more generous than the post. They're set per bottle or can, with parcels up to 30kg, so full-size products, multipacks and gift sets become possible.

Get any of it wrong and the parcel can be stopped in the network, returned or destroyed, usually at the sender's cost.

How to ship perfume at scale

The post works for the odd bottle. It doesn't work well for a growing fragrance or home-fragrance brand: four bottles a parcel, a counter visit for every order, nothing abroad, and gift sets that fall outside the rules. Shipping properly through a courier means a service that's approved for your products, and packaging that meets the rules. Before you start, check:

  1. 01Section 14 of each product's Safety Data Sheet. If it lists a UN number, it's dangerous goods for transport.
  2. 02Bottles stay sealed in their original retail packaging.
  3. 03Each bottle is cushioned in a strong outer box, ideally inside a leak-proof bag.
  4. 04The parcel carries the correct marking, and the label doesn't cover it.
  5. 05Your courier service is approved for these products, in writing.
  6. 06Gift sets are checked as a whole, including candles, diffusers and matches.

That's what FlipShip takes off your hands. We check your products and packaging, get you approved on our account and give your team a packing card, so you can ship fragrance next working day across the UK mainland without the counter queue.

Selling fragrance? Let's check how you're shipping it. Start free review →

Questions

Can I post perfume abroad?

Not by post. Royal Mail only accepts perfume and aftershave for UK addresses. FlipShip currently ships to the UK mainland only too.

Does the 150ml limit apply per bottle or per parcel?

Per bottle. Each bottle can be up to 150ml, and the Post Office allows no more than four bottles in one parcel.

Are reed diffusers and room sprays treated like perfume?

Usually, yes. Royal Mail’s business guidance lists reed diffusers, non-aerosol room sprays and essential oils under the same rules as perfume.

What about perfumed creams and lotions?

Royal Mail excludes non-flammable perfumed creams, gels, oils and lotions from the perfume rules. If in doubt, check section 14 of the Safety Data Sheet.

Can I send a perfume and candle gift set with matches?

Not by post. Matches are prohibited, so a set containing them can’t go through Royal Mail at all. It needs an approved courier service.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and carrier policies change, so always check the latest versions. Can you send matches by Royal Mail? →