New Rules
1. Overview
There arethe new rules for bringing food or animal products into Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for your own use.
There are different rules if you’re bringing food or animal products into Northern Ireland.
You can bring the following into Great Britain from any country without any restrictions:
bread, but not sandwiches filled with meat or dairy products
cakes without fresh cream
biscuits
chocolate and confectionery, but not those made with a lot of unprocessed dairy ingredients
pasta and noodles, but not if mixed or filled with meat or meat products
packaged soup, stocks and flavourings
processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads and frozen plant material
food supplements containing small amounts of an animal product, such as fish oil capsules
Restricted items
There are restrictions on bringing meat, dairy, fish and animal products and fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds into Great Britain from abroad.
If you’re bringing in any food or animal products protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), you may need to apply for a CITES permit.
2. Meat, dairy, fish and animal products
The rules on bringing meat, dairy, fish and other animal products depend on the country you’re bringing it from.
You cannot bring meat or dairy products from any EU country into Great Britain for your own use. This temporary restriction is to help stop the spread of foot and mouth disease after recent outbreaks in Europe. Find out more about the reasons for the ban.
From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland
You can bring in the following for personal use:
fish
poultry, for example chicken, duck, goose and any other products made from these meats
other animal products, for example eggs and honey
Because of animal disease outbreaks (including foot and mouth disease) in the EU, there are temporary restrictions in place for bringing in:
meat, dairy and animal products from some animals
animal products not for human consumption
You cannot bring in food from other countries on a connecting flight.
You need to properly dispose of any leftover animal products so that livestock, wild boar and other animals cannot eat them.
Restrictions on meat, dairy and animal products for human consumption
You cannot bring in any of the following:
pork
beef
lamb
mutton
goat
venison
other products made from these meats, for example sausages
milk and dairy products like butter, cheese and yoghurt
You can bring in up to 2kg per person of powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food needed for medical reasons. You can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use).
Restrictions on animal products not for human consumption
You cannot bring in pig, cow, sheep, goat and deer products that are not for human consumption (for example, pet food made with pig meat).
You can bring in up to 2kg per person of special pet food needed for medical reasons. You can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use).
If you’re bringing in any other permitted animal products (for example pet food made with chicken meat) that are not for human consumption they must be either:
commercially packaged with the manufacturer’s name and address
have an animal by-product commercial document
You can bring in up to 2kg per person.
From countries outside the EU
If you’re bringing food from a country outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the following rules apply.
You cannot bring in:
meat or meat products
milk or milk-based products, except powdered infant milk, infant food or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons
You can bring in up to 2kg per person of:
honey
powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons - you can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use)
shellfish, such as mussels or oysters
snails - these must be preserved or shelled, cooked and prepared
frogs’ legs - these must be the back (hind) part of the frog with the skin and internal organs removed
insect meat
You can bring in up to 20kg per person in total of fish, including:
fresh fish - must be gutted
fish products
processed fish - must be dried, cooked, cured or smoked
lobsters
prawns
You cannot bring in caviar unless you have a CITES permit.
3. Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds
The rules on bringing fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds depend on the country you’re bringing it from.
From the EU, Switzerland or Liechtenstein
You can bring in the following for personal use:
fruit
vegetables
nuts and seeds
From other countries outside the EU
You cannot bring in most fruit or vegetables unless you have a ‘phytosanitary’ (plant health) certificate for them.
You can get a certificate from the plant health authorities in the country you’re leaving.
You can only bring in the following without a phytosanitary certificate:
pineapple
kiwi
coconut
citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit
kumquat
persimmon
durian
curry leaves
banana and plantain
mango
dates
passion fruit
guava
processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads or frozen plant material
peeled and processed nuts or nut butters
certain grains, such as rice
4. Check if you need a CITES permit
You may need to apply for a permit or certificate if you’re bringing any food or animal products protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) into Great Britain.
This includes:
foods such as caviar and eel fillets
beauty products containing caviar extract
Check if you need a CITES permit.
How to get a CITES permit
You can apply for a CITES permit online.
When travelling to Great Britain, you’ll need to arrive at one of the ports or airports that handles CITES items.
Border Force can seize your items if you do not have a CITES permit and they think you’ve brought them into the country illegally.
Get help
To check the CITES rules, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Centre for International Trade in Bristol.
APHA Centre for International Trade: Bristol
wildlife.licensing@apha.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm
Fax: 028 415 2510
Find out about call charges
APHA Centre for International Trade: Bristol
Horizon House
Deanery Road
Bristol
BS1 5AH
5. If you break the rules
If you declare banned food products to Border Force officers at customs, they’ll take them away and destroy them.
If you do not declare banned food products, you could be fined up to £5,000 (in England) or you could be prosecuted.
Border Force can take away (‘seize’) your products if they think:
you’ve brought something into the country illegally
you’ve brought in too much of a restricted product
it’s been cross-contaminated, for example with blood from meat - if any clothing or a bag the item’s in is contaminated, it’ll be destroyed
If you’re not sure about any of the products you’re bringing in, speak to a Border Force officer in the ‘red channel’ at customs or on the red point phone.
Appeals
You can appeal to Border Force if you think your products were wrongly seized and destroyed. If your appeal is successful, you could get compensation.
|
