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’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 .

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

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.

Bringing food into Great Britain

Q: 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

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’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.

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Bringing food into Great Britain

Overview

Restricted items

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Bringing food into Great Britain

Overview

Restricted items

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