If your heart rate has ever climbed while watching Australia’s Border Security, you’ll know that the drama is almost never about exotic contraband. It’s the biltong in the laptop bag or the undeclared cash. The prescription medication without a doctor’s letter. Perfectly ordinary items, carried by perfectly reasonable people who simply didn’t think to check.
Business travellers are particularly exposed. Your bag may well hold company gifts, product samples for a client meeting, medication you’ve taken for years without a second thought or a power bank you’ve had since 2023. Any one of those can become a customs conversation you really didn’t want to have, and, in some destinations, a far more serious problem than a missed connection.
Here’s what to think twice about before you zip up that bag.
The medicine cabinet
Simple over-the-counter medication bought in South Africa doesn’t automatically meet the entry requirements of every country. Codeine, for example, which is found in many of our cough syrups and painkillers, is strictly controlled in parts of the Middle East, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore. Prescription meds like tramadol or ADHD medication are either strictly controlled or banned in places like the UAE, Greece and Egypt.
“Rules vary from destination to destination,” explains Herman Heunes, GM at Corporate Traveller South Africa. “Travellers with medical needs should check the rules for their specific medication in their specific destination before departure, including transit, paying particular attention to anti-anxiety medication, strong painkillers, stimulants, and certain sleep aids.”
Heunes’ practical rule is to carry all medication in its original, labelled packaging, along with a prescription and a doctor’s letter confirming the medication and dosage.
The gift bag
South Africans are generous travellers. Biltong, wine, honey, and the occasional potted succulent have all made their way into business luggage as gifts for overseas clients. Some of them make it through, but some of them don’t.
The challenge is that food rules depend on the specific product, its ingredients, how it’s packaged, and where it’s going, and the outcomes can seem completely arbitrary until you understand the logic. Meat and meat products, including biltong, are prohibited in many destinations for biosecurity reasons. Honey, by contrast, is permitted up to a certain quantity in some of those same destinations. Two items that seem equally harmless can have entirely different border outcomes.
Plants and plant-based gifts add another layer of complexity. Some destinations require a phytosanitary certificate or import permit for live plants, cuttings, seeds, and other plant material; others restrict or prohibit particular items. Requirements depend on the plant and where it’s going, so check the destination’s rules before packing a potted succulent or cutting. A certificate doesn’t necessarily mean every plant is permitted.
A personal gift may be covered by a traveller’s personal allowance, but goods carried for sale or business use may be treated as commercial goods. That can include product samples, promotional merchandise, and equipment for a demonstration or event. Carrying several similar items could prompt questions, but the rules depend on the destination and the purpose of the goods; quantity alone doesn’t determine how customs will classify them.
“Always check the specific item, not just the category,” advises Heunes. “People assume that because something is food, a gift, or duty-free, it will be fine. The rules are more specific and variable than that.”
The tech bag
Power banks and spare lithium batteries belong in carry-on baggage, not checked baggage. The International Civil Aviation Organization’s updated rules, effective from 27 March 2026, limit passengers to two power banks and prohibit recharging them onboard. Power banks up to 100 Wh are generally allowed without airline approval, whereas larger ones may require approval or may not be accepted. Check the current rules for every operating airline on your itinerary, particularly when your trip includes connecting flights.
Drones deserve a specific mention for construction, engineering and media clients who travel with them regularly. A drone may be perfectly legal to carry on the aircraft yet completely restricted at your destination. Many countries require registration, licensing, or advance permits for drone operation. Some restrict or prohibit drone use in certain areas entirely. Clearing customs with a drone doesn’t mean you’re cleared to fly it.
“Technology is one of the fastest-changing areas of travel compliance,” says Heunes. “The rules around batteries and drones, in particular, have tightened significantly in recent years. Always check the current rules for your specific airline and destination.”
The declaration form
SARS’ online Traveller Declaration, while speeding up the customs process, is still a legal document, and the consequences of an incorrect or incomplete declaration can range from confiscation of goods to fines. It’s no different to other declarations – online or paper-based – around the world.
For business travellers, the declaration carries specific considerations.
Cash declaration thresholds vary by destination. For example, in South Africa the threshold is now R100,000 while travellers entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more, or the equivalent in certain currencies and financial instruments, must submit a declaration. EU guidance also says that travellers carrying cash on behalf of a company should identify the company in the declaration.
Product samples, promotional merchandise, demonstration equipment, and goods carried temporarily for a trade show or client event may also need to be declared. An ATA Carnet may help with the temporary importation of eligible goods, such as commercial samples or professional equipment, so check whether it applies to your route and items before travelling.
“If you’re carrying anything for business purposes, whether gifts, samples, equipment, or cash, ask your travel manager what documentation you need before you travel,” says Heunes. “A travel management company can help you identify what’s required, but the time to find out is before you’re standing at a customs desk.”
Five questions to ask before you fly
- Does my destination allow my medication? Check the rules for every country on your itinerary, including transit stops. Carry original packaging and a doctor’s letter.
- Can I bring this food item? Check the specific product, not just the category. Meat, dairy, honey, and fresh produce all have different rules in different destinations.
- Is this a personal gift or a commercial item? If you’re carrying gifts or samples on behalf of your company, check whether your destination treats them as commercial goods.
- Where does my power bank belong? In your carry-on, not your checked bag – and check the capacity limits for your specific airline.
- Do I need to declare anything? When in doubt, declare. A brief conversation with a customs official is significantly less disruptive than the alternative.
“The things that cause the most problems at customs tend to be familiar items that travellers carry without thinking. A few minutes of research before every trip is truly one of the most useful and straightforward things a business traveller can do,” Heunes concludes.
