Bringing food into Great Britain

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1. Overview

There are rules for bringing food or animal products into Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for your own use.

There are different rules if you鈥檙e .

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鈥檙e 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鈥檙e bringing it from.

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:

  • pork
  • beef
  • lamb
  • mutton
  • goat
  • venison
  • other products made from these meats, for example sausages
  • dairy and milk products
  • animal products not for human consumption

You cannot bring in food from other countries on a connecting flight.

鈥媃ou need to properly dispose of any leftover animal products so that livestock, wild boar and other animals cannot eat them.

Restrictions on meat and meat products for human consumption

You can only bring in pork, beef, lamb, mutton, goat, venison and products made from these meats, for example sausages, if they鈥檙e:

  • commercially packaged with an EU identification mark
  • stamped with a health mark if it鈥檚 a carcass

You cannot bring in any of these meats from Austria, Germany, Hungary or Slovakia.

You can bring in up to 2kg per person.

Meat and meat products from Austria, Germany, Hungary or Slovakia

You cannot bring in any of the following from Austria, Germany, Hungary or Slovakia:

  • pork
  • beef
  • lamb
  • mutton
  • goat
  • venison
  • other products made from these meats, for example sausages

Restrictions on dairy and milk products for human consumption

You can only bring in milk and dairy products (like cheese or yoghurt) from cows, sheep and goats if they鈥檙e commercially packaged with an EU identification mark.

You can bring in up to 2kg per person

You cannot bring in any milk or dairy products from Austria, Germany, Hungary or Slovakia.

You cannot bring in any sheep or goat milk or dairy products from any of the following countries:

  • Bulgaria
  • Greece
  • Romania

Restrictions on animal products not for human consumption

You can only bring in pig, cow, sheep, goat and deer products that are not for human consumption (for example, pet food made with pig meat) if they鈥檙e either:

  • commercially packaged with the manufacturer鈥檚 name and address
  • labelled with a description of the product and the category of animal by-product

You cannot bring in any of these animal products from Austria, Germany, Hungary or Slovakia.

If you鈥檙e 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:

You can bring in up to 2kg per person.

From countries outside the EU

If you鈥檙e 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鈥� 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鈥檙e 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 鈥榩hytosanitary鈥� (plant health) certificate for them.

You can get a certificate from the plant health authorities in the country you鈥檙e 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鈥檙e 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鈥檒l 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鈥檝e 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
[email protected]
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鈥檒l take them away and destroy them.

If you do not declare banned food products, you could be prosecuted.

Border Force can take away (鈥榮eize鈥�) your products if they think:

  • you鈥檝e brought something into the country illegally
  • you鈥檝e brought in too much of a restricted product
  • it鈥檚 been cross-contaminated, for example with blood from meat - if any clothing or a bag the item鈥檚 in is contaminated, it鈥檒l be destroyed

If you鈥檙e not sure about any of the products you鈥檙e bringing in, speak to a Border Force officer in the 鈥榬ed channel鈥� 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.