International orders and the importer of record

International orders ship at a flat $35 to any destination we can ship to, calculated at checkout once a delivery address is entered. Parcels are fully tracked. Transit time, however, depends on the destination and on customs, so no delivery date is promised — the shipping page is explicit about that, and the reasons are below.

Every parcel that crosses a border has an importer: the party responsible, in the destination country, for the goods entering it. For an international order from this site, that party is you. It means three things in practice:

• Duty and tax. Any customs duty, import tax or handling fee the destination country charges is the recipient's responsibility. It is not included in the shipping rate and we cannot prepay it.
• Clearance. Whether a parcel is released is decided by the customs authority of the destination country, not by us. We declare the contents accurately; the decision is theirs.
• Permission. Whether the material may lawfully be imported into your country is a question only your country answers. It is your responsibility to check before ordering.

The regulatory status of a given material varies by jurisdiction, and we make no representation that any material is lawful in any particular one — that principle is set out on the research use only page and explored in regulatory status varies by jurisdiction. Before placing an international order, find out what your country permits a research laboratory to import, and whether any permit or licence is required. A parcel refused at the border is a parcel that does not arrive, and the decision is not one we can appeal on your behalf.

An international parcel leaves the carrier's domestic network, enters the destination country, is presented to customs, and — once released — enters the local delivery network. The tracking history shows each stage, and the customs stage is where time is least predictable: it can be hours or weeks. A parcel sitting at "held by customs" is not lost; it is being processed, and the customs authority may contact the recipient for information or payment. Respond promptly. The material is lyophilized and shelf-stable in transit, so a customs delay is not a quality problem — see does research material need a cold chain?.

Parcels ship in plain outer packaging with no product references on the exterior, and the customs declaration describes the contents accurately as required. Vials are sealed and protected against light and movement. A parcel that arrives opened by customs inspection is normal and not a defect; a parcel that arrives with damaged vials is handled under the returns policy like any other damaged shipment.

Customs authorities treat a parcel addressed to an institution differently from one addressed to an individual, and the difference usually works in the researcher's favour: an institutional address, a department name and, where the country uses them, an institutional import registration number all make the declaration easier to process. Provide the full institutional address at checkout, and if your institution has a customs broker or an import office, tell them a research shipment is on its way with the tracking number. That office is also the right place to ask the questions this post says only your country can answer. Everything shipped abroad is under the same research-use-only terms as a domestic order, and the receiving check on arrival is the same — see inspecting a vial on arrival. The terms set out the contractual position on international delivery.

If you are unsure whether we ship to your destination, contact support before ordering with the country and the intended institution. Questions about your country's import rules should go to your country's customs authority, which is the only body that can answer them with authority.