Removal orders need a US ship-to address. Without one the only option is disposal, and since November 2023 unfulfillable stock is disposed of by default when no valid return address is on file. Here is what international sellers actually need, and what they do not.
No. Amazon does not return imported FBA inventory to addresses outside the US and does not arrange international pickups from fulfillment centers. Recovering stock requires a domestic address. The restriction shows up in two places.
Removal orders ship to the default return address saved in your FBA settings. If automated removals are switched on, check that the address there is current as well. Once a removal order is created, its address cannot be changed.
It gets disposed of. In October 2023 Amazon announced that from November 1, 2023, sellers who have not chosen a return option in Automated unfulfillable settings, with a valid return address, would have unfulfillable units scheduled for disposal at Amazon's discretion, including immediately after a return is evaluated. Separately, inventory flagged for required removal must have a removal order within the notice period, which Amazon's policy document sets at 30 days, or 7 days for items with an expiration date. No extensions are granted.
The notice tends to arrive without warning. Customer returns graded unsellable and units stranded by a label problem accumulate before you notice them. Sellers who start looking for a US address after the notice usually run out of time.
Register the address before you need it. Even if no return arrives for months, having a valid US address on the account means you can choose “return” instead of “dispose” when the notice comes. An invalid address is grounds for the removal order to be cancelled, so it has to be an address that actually receives parcels.
Not for the return address. You can register the address of a US third-party warehouse as the return and removal destination. Amazon's seller-account registration rules are a separate matter and still apply.
A common misunderstanding is that using a US address means signing a full fulfillment contract. It does not. There is a way to open only the address while your inventory stays where it is.
People say “Amazon returns” as if it were one thing. In practice there are two very different flows, and they need different services.
| ① FBM / SFP customer returns | ② FBA removal orders | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Buyers returning orders you shipped yourself | Pulling unsellable or long-stored stock out of a fulfillment center |
| Shape | Single parcels, all year round | Cartons or pallets, in one batch |
| Goal | Accepting the return (most units are not resellable) | Saving the inventory |
| What you need | A standing US receiving address | Receiving plus storage and follow-up handling |
| Fits | Return-only service | 3PL contract |
You get a US receiving address. Arrivals are logged with a receipt confirmation, held for a 14-day grace period, then disposed of at USD 1 per item. There is no fulfillment contract; the Basic plan is USD 19 a month for under 10 returns, and the one-time USD 500 deposit is settled when you cancel. Your inventory does not move, so FBA keeps working as before.
Most customer returns cannot be resold. Opened units and hygiene-sensitive categories such as cosmetics have no second life, which is why disposal is the sensible default here. See the Return-only service.
Removals are different. You are paying to get the stock back because you intend to save it. A receive-and-dispose service defeats the purpose. The units have to be stored, checked, and either pushed back into a sales channel or moved out in bulk. That is a full 3PL engagement.
The Return-only address cannot accept removal orders. If a removal is on your roadmap, start with a 3PL conversation instead. Ask about 3PL.
Selling on TikTok Shop as well? The same US address can be registered there. The TikTok Shop side is covered in TikTok Shop US return address without moving your inventory.
No. Amazon does not return imported FBA inventory to addresses outside the US, and a removal order with a ship-to address must use a US address.
No. You can register the address of a US third-party warehouse as your return and removal destination without a fulfillment contract. VVFulfillment's Return-only service starts at USD 19 a month.
Since November 1, 2023, accounts without a return option and a valid return address have unfulfillable units disposed of by default. Inventory under a required-removal notice is disposed of if no removal order exists within the notice period, which Amazon's policy document sets at 30 days, or 7 days for expiring items.
No. Return-only receives customer returns and disposes of them after a 14-day grace period. Storing or recovering inventory is a 3PL contract.
The base service disposes of arrivals. If you regularly need items forwarded, a 3PL contract is usually the cheaper structure. One-off forwarding can be quoted case by case if requested within the 14-day window.
Yes, on request, at USD 5 per item, within the 14-day grace period.
Policy statements in this article follow the primary documents below. Checked on September 5, 2026. Marketplace help pages change; confirm current wording in your own Seller Center before acting.
Return-only starts at USD 19 a month. Register the address on Amazon and TikTok Shop the same day.