There are certain goods that you are not allowed to bring into the UK - in person or by post - under any circumstances, and some goods that are restricted. This is to protect the UK from crime, pests and diseases.
On this page:
The rules on banned and restricted goods apply whether:
The following goods are banned completely regardless of which country you're travelling from or having goods sent from.
Stopping imports of illegal weapons
The following are also banned but in certain cases may be brought into the UK if you have the relevant licence, permit or defence:
The following are also banned but in certain cases may be brought into the UK if they are not for commercial use:
Note that this is not a full list, but it includes the most important examples. If you are unsure about what you can bring in, you should check by contacting the relevant helpline as listed in Travelling to the UK Notice 1 by following the link below.
Read about Travelling to the UK in Notice 1
There are restrictions on what food and plant products you can bring in or send to the UK depending or whether they're from the European Union (EU) or outside the EU.
Check which countries are in the EU in our leaflet 'Bringing food products into the UK - guide for travellers' under 'More useful links'.
If you're travelling or sending goods from an EU country or from Andorra, Canary Islands, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland, you can bring in any meat, dairy or other animal products as long as they are free from diseases and for your own consumption.
If you're travelling or sending goods from outside the EU, you can't bring any meat or dairy products into the UK (unless you're bringing them from Croatia, the Faroe Islands, Greenland or Iceland when you are allowed a combined weight of up to 10kg per person). You may be allowed to bring in a limited quantity of other animal products such as fish and honey, but you should check the rules before you travel.
You can call the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) or visit the DEFRA website.
Contact details for DEFRA on the DEFRA website (Opens new window)
Read about Animal Food Products on the DEFRA website (Opens new window)
If you have any questions about fish, fish products or bivalves, contact the Food Standards Agency.
Read about personal imports on the Food Standards Agency website (Opens new window)
If you're travelling to the UK, you may bring a small quantity of powdered infant milk, infant food and special foods required for medical reasons. These products must not require refrigeration before opening and must be in commercially branded packaging, and unopened unless in current use. Check the rules with DEFRA before you travel.
If you are travelling from a country within the EU - or from one of the countries for which the EU rules apply (Andorra, The Channel Islands, The Isle of Man, Switzerland and San Marino), you may bring in any fruit, vegetables or plant products if they are grown in any of these countries, are free from pests and diseases and are for your own consumption.
If you are travelling from a country outside the EU or from Gibraltar or from any area of Cyprus not under the effective control of the government - there are weight and quantity restrictions for many products you may bring in for personal use. Certain European and Mediterranean countries have fewer restrictions than others. To check the rules, call the Plant Health Service of the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) or find guidance on Bringing food and plants into the UK on the Directgov website by following the links below.
Find contact details for Plant Health on the FERA website (Opens new window)
Read about Bringing food, animals or plants into the UK on the GOV.UK website (Opens new window)
Some souvenirs can be made from endangered plants or animals. Endangered species include:
Endangered species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). If you buy a souvenir made from one of these products, you may not be allowed to bring it in to the UK and could even face prosecution, or you may need to obtain a permit.
When you arrive in the UK, you'll have to go through customs. If you have goods to declare you must go through the red channel or use the red-point phone.
Goods sent to the UK by post go through the same customs checks as goods carried through customs in person. If you're sending goods from a non EU country, you must declare them on a Customs Declaration that is fixed to the package.
If you declare banned or restricted goods on the postal declaration or at the red channel or red-point phone the goods may be seized and destroyed.
If you don't declare banned or restricted goods either on the postal declaration or by going through the green channel and customs officers find undeclared items:
Customs procedures for goods posted to the UK
It is illegal to carry or send goods to the UK that are banned or for which you don't have the necessary licence or permit. There are severe penalties for smuggling, including imprisonment.
You can call the Customs Hotline to report suspicious activity in relation to smuggling.
Contact details for Customs, Excise and VAT fraud reporting
If you need more information about banned or restricted goods, you can contact Customs, International Trade & Excise Helpline by following the link below.
Contact details for Customs, International Trade & Excise Helpline
Bringing food products into the UK - guide for travellers
Bringing fruit, vegetable and plant products into the UK - guide for travellers
