Pack n Send Blog

If you're transporting goods to Vatican City, you're likely already aware that you're dealing with a unique set of circumstances.  As the smallest country in the world, with a population of around 1000, Vatican City is a religious city with laws that are based around this premise.  If you're concerned about international shipping to Vatican city, we can help!  We're familiar with all the rules and regulations associated with sending goods into Vatican City and can help you navigate the process.  If you're sending  out of the Houston area, contact us today!

Prefer to do it yourself?  Start by visiting the USPS website and looking over the list of restricted items.  Like most countries, Vatican City has a number of prohibited items, including, but not limited to:

• Human remains, including cremated remains
• Any live plants or animals
• Weapons
• Radioactive materials

The USPS website also notes that goods being sent into Vatican City have the same restrictions as Italy, so a visit to that site would also be beneficial.  In addition, a personal telephone number should be added to the outside of the shipment.  It's recommended if the item is going to a personal address, but is required of your shipment is addressed to a post office box.  

Did You Know?

• Vatican City only covers an area of about 100 acres.
• Members of the Swiss guard, clergy, the Pope, and cardinals are awarded their own passports from Vatican City.
• The Vatican mail system, complete with its own stamps and fees, is so much faster than the Italian system that it's often used by Italian citizens in the area if they want their packages to arrive faster.
• Inside the Vatican Gardens is a radio tower.  The Vatican's radio station broadcasts in 20 languages throughout the world.
• Italians are allowed to donate 8% of their yearly taxes to the Vatican instead of paying the amount to the Italian government.
• Vatican City is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site to encompass an entire country.
• The railway station in Vatican City, which was opened in 1930, is used primarily for freight.
• For 60 years beginning in 1870, popes refused to leave Vatican City and declared that they did not answer to the Italian government.
• Vatican City has its own currency, including a €1 coin that bears the portrait of the current pope.

Looking for more information about international shipping to Vatican City?  Feel free to visit our international shipping page for more information.