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Can You Ship Lithium Batteries Internationally? Rules and Restrictions

Why Lithium Batteries Are Restricted

Lithium batteries can overheat, short-circuit, and in rare cases catch fire — especially during air transport where pressure changes can stress damaged cells. International aviation regulations (IATA) classify lithium batteries as dangerous goods and impose strict shipping rules.

The Three Categories

Lithium batteries fall into three categories for shipping:

1. Contained in Equipment (Easiest to Ship)

Batteries installed inside a device — a phone, laptop, tablet, camera, or smartwatch. This is the easiest category to ship internationally.

• Most courier services including FedEx accept these
• The device must be turned off (not in sleep mode)
• Must be protected against accidental activation
• Must be in original or equivalent packaging

2. Packed With Equipment (Some Restrictions)

Batteries shipped alongside the device they power, but not installed inside it — for example, a spare phone battery shipped with a phone.

• Accepted by FedEx with proper documentation
• Battery must be individually protected to prevent short circuits
• Terminals must be insulated (tape over contacts)
• Maximum 2 spare batteries per package

3. Standalone Batteries (Most Restricted)

Batteries shipped by themselves — power banks, replacement batteries, battery packs.

• Power banks are treated as standalone batteries
• FedEx accepts standalone lithium-ion batteries under 100Wh via ground and express services
• Must be individually packaged with terminals insulated
• Strict quantity limits per package
• Proper dangerous goods labelling required

What You Cannot Ship

• Damaged or defective batteries — Swollen, dented, leaking, or recalled batteries cannot be shipped by air under any circumstances
• Lithium batteries over 100Wh without dangerous goods documentation
• Loose batteries without protection — All terminals must be insulated
• E-cigarette batteries shipped standalone — Many countries prohibit import

How to Calculate Watt-Hours

If your battery label shows milliamp-hours (mAh) and voltage:

Wh = (mAh x V) / 1000

Example: A 10,000mAh power bank at 3.7V = 37Wh (under the 100Wh limit).

Practical Tips

• Ship devices with batteries installed whenever possible — fewest restrictions
• Turn devices completely off — not sleep or standby mode
• Declare batteries on your commercial invoice — hiding them causes seizures
• Check destination country rules — some countries have additional restrictions beyond IATA standards