Baby Milk Information

This web page has been created for general information about shipping baby milk to other countries, but more specifically to highlight any potential problems that we're aware of with importing to certain countries.

Expat Essentials specialises in sending British Baby formula and baby products around the world and we are proud to be the recommended supplier by most of the baby milk manufacturers. The brands of baby milk available are Aptamil, Cow & Gate, Hipp & SMA.

On our website, www.expatessentials.com, we list the full range of products available from our suppliers.  (Please note that unfortunately, we cannot supply specialist or prescription products for pre-term babies).  Once a customer has ordered the goods they require, we then shop for the products and wrap and pack them extremely well, to ensure that the goods are received in optimum condition. If the goods are being sent outside of the EU, we then prepare all the necessary customs documentation, providing as much information as possible, which generally helps with a quick, efficient customs clearance.  The product prices shown on the website include all of the admin, packaging and website costs etc. the only additional charge is for delivery, plus there may be import duty or taxes due in your country of delivery and we would recommend you check this with your local customs department before ordering.  We generally allow 3-4 days to process and despatch orders, from the time your order is placed securely on our website.  Delivery times vary. depending on the country, but it can be just 2 days to close EU countries, 3-4 days to USA and up to 12 days for the rest of the world.  (Please see our delivery info page for more details).  Occasionally there are additional delays with customs clearance in busy periods and as you'll appreciate, we have no control over this, so please allow plenty of time and if you're unsure, please check with us before ordering

Although we have to add our overheads to the product prices, making them naturally more expensive than supermarket prices, we pass on our delivery charges at cost and as we send out so many parcels, we can offer extremely good rates, generally about 30-40% cheaper than standard postage rates. Within most of Europe, we offer a flat rate fee for parcels up to a maximum actual or volumetric, total packed weight of 30kg, (up to 20 x 900g cartons or 90 x 200ml Ready Made) and these rates start from just £15.80 to Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands. Outside of Europe, the rates are dependent on weight and start from about £28 to the USA for 2.5kg. (Full details can be found on the "delivery info" page on the website).

We have received countless testimonials from our customers about our service and our packaging and it's very rare for a parcel to arrive with damaged goods, however, if this does happen as a result of our packing or our carrier, we offer a no quibble guarantee and will reimburse our customer with the full price of the damaged product. The only time that we can't offer this, is if the goods have been damaged or confiscated by customs. Unfortunately, neither we, nor our carriers, have any control whatsoever over customs intervention, but if we are aware of certain countries being problematic, we will always let our customers know before shipping and give them the option to cancel.  We also ask customers to bear in mind that there may be delays caused by customs being slow to clear parcels and once again, we can't do anything about this unfortunately, although we're always happy to supply any additional information that may help. Some countries may also charge import duty and this is accepted by our customers when they place their orders, as once again, it is beyond our control and we would advise our customers to check this before ordering.

We do try to keep up with all the latest customs and country issues, but as you'll appreciate, when delivering Worldwide, it's not always possible, so we do ask our customers to check with their particular destination, but hopefully the following information will also help. Generally, deliveries to major cities within the EU are without problems and most areas will receive parcels within about 2-4 days from despatch. Spain, Portugal and Greece can sometimes take longer, 5-7 days, depending on the local delivery agent and if the address is in a rural location.

Outside of Europe, the majority of countries are trouble-free, most of the time, although some are very difficult and we have supplied additional information about the countries that we're aware of, in the summary below. Please note however, that this can and does change due to new regulations and/or world events. For all countries outside the EU, we would recommend ordering a maximum of 8 powdered products and/or *60 x 200ml liquid products at a time.  (*Maximum allowed for Australia is 50 x 200ml or 10 x 1 litre)
 

USA:
Assuming there are no new world events affecting security, there are generally no problems with customs clearance and delivery is very quick and efficient, usually within 3-4 days of despatch.  Customs clearance can take longer during the busy Christmas and New year periods, so please allow extra time during December and January. *Please also note that very occasionally, US customs will hold or reject random parcels. We have no control over this, so unfortunately, cannot offer a refund should this happen. Smaller parcels tend to be less problematic, so we would recommend ordering a maximum of 8 cartons of baby formula or 60 of the ready-made.

Canada:
Delivery times vary here, from just 3 days to about 8 days, as all food products have to be referred to a separate government department, but most states are trouble free and fairly quick, although Ontario tends to generally take longer.  Occasionally, Canadian customs may require import charges to be paid.  As this changes all the time, we would recommend that you check with your local customs department for the latest information, before placing your order, as we have absolutely no control over these charges, but our carrier will need to collect payment from you, before they will be allowed to deliver your parcel.

Australia & New Zealand:
NZ Quarantine can sometimes be very slow with clearance, however there are no major issues, as long as the quantity is deemed to be small enough for personal use only.  Regarding Australia, the quantity must not exceed a total net weight of either 10kg for powdered formula or 10 litres for ready-made and it must be for personal use only. As long as these requirements are met, customs clearance is generally very quick and efficient, although we have experienced delays with Perth customs.  Assuming there are no major customs delays, we would expect delivery within 5-8 days from despatch.

China and Japan:
Generally no problems as long as quantity is small enough to be for personal use only. Delivery is usually within 5-6 days from despatch. For China, we would recommend ordering a maximum quantity of 6 x 800g/900g cartons.  Please also note that import duty is often charged by Chinese customs, very occasionally on small quantities of 6 or less, but regularly on larger quantities of mixed goods. Please contact your local customs department for more details regarding duties and taxes. 

India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines & Thailand:
These areas are variable, particularly in remote areas and goods are often subjected to close scrutiny by customs, which sometimes results in products being damaged.  As you'll appreciate, we have no control over this, so we have to advise that orders are at our customers' own risk to these destinations.

Mexico, Turkey, South America, Saudi, Syria, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, South Africa and Africa:
Unfortunately, we cannot send to any of these areas, due to customs issues.  Please see the list of available delivery countries, at the checkout page.

We hope you find this information helpful but please feel free to contact us   if we can help in any way or provide any additional information. We would always recommend checking with Customs in your local area for more up to date and precise information.