Personal imports

From May 1st 2009 the rules for personal imports have changed. From then the following rules will be in place:

You can bring back a reasonable amount of any food on sale in any EU country. If it is considered to be for commercial purposes then it may be subject to checks by the port health authorities at the point of import. This also applies to personal imports of fish and shellfish from Iceland and the Faeroe Islands.

The EU Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus*, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

* Though the whole of Cyprus is part of the EU, goods from any area of Cyprus not under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus are treated as non-EU imports.

For these purposes EU countries and territories include Andorra, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland.

You can bring back reasonable quantities of food that does not contain anything of animal origin. For large amounts, if it is considered to be for commercial purposes then it may be subject to checks by the port health authorities at the point of import.

Personal imports of fruit and raw vegetables from outside the EU may be subject to a limit of 2kg due to plant health restrictions. For information on what fruits and vegetables are restricted and which are not restricted, see the searchable Imports Rules section on Defra's website. Also, personal imports of potatoes from non-EU countries are not permitted. For information about importing plants see the Plant Health section of the Defra website.

Some food products of non-animal origin are currently restricted for import to the EU for commercial purposes. Whilst these products can be brought in for personal use, travellers need to be aware of any health risks that such products may cause due to possible contamination. See a list of restricted products.

Personal imports of meat, meat products, milk and milk products are not allowed from non-EU countries, except that a combined total of up to 10 kg is permitted in personal luggage or by post from Croatia, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland or Iceland.

Up to 2kg of powdered infant milk, infant food and special foods for medical conditions for personal use are permitted. They must be carried in personal luggage. They must not require refrigeration before opening, and must be commercial brands of products in unbroken packaging. For visitors from Croatia, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland or Iceland this limit is up to 10kg.

Up to 2kg in total per person of the following animal products: live bivalves (eg mussels, oysters, scallops), eggs/egg products, frogs’ legs (only if skin and internal organs are removed), honey, reptile and insect meat, and shelled, cooked, prepared/preserved of edible land snail meat are permitted.

Up to 20kg in total weight per person, or the weight of one fish, whichever weight is the highest, of fresh fish (must be gutted), fishery products eg processed fish (dried, cooked, cured or smoked), lobsters, crab, shrimps/prawns and dead bivalves eg mussels, oysters, scallops are permitted.

For more information about approved countries see the Personal Imports section of the Defra website. Please also bear in mind the composite products rules mentioned below.

You should note that there may be additional restrictions on importing food if circumstances present a risk to animal or human health. Please note that these restrictions can change rapidly, so you should check the up-to-date situation before you travel. See the searchable Import Rules section on the Defra website to find out what you can bring back into the UK for personal consumption.

If in doubt, our advice is not to bring those food products into the EU.

Personal imports of composite products containing processed meat product are not allowed from countries outside the EU. If they contain other processed products of animal origin such as dairy, fishery and egg products, then they need to comply with the rules as set out on Defra’s website and are subject to the allowances mentioned above.

A composite product is defined as 'a foodstuff intended for human consumption that contains both processed products of animal origin and products of plant origin'

For many people the allowance limits described above will be sufficient. However, where it is not, travellers can consider making arrangements to bring in fishery products as commercial consignments. Before doing this see our advice on importing fishery products and bivalve molluscs.

If you are on fishing trip in a non-EU country, you may want to bring your catches back to the UK, and these may exceed the 20kg limit. As advised above, you will only be allowed to do this if the catch is brought back as a commercial consignment. Some fishing trip organisers or agents may be able to make arrangements for fish caught on fishing trips to be treated as commercial consignments. However, if these arrangements are not in place it will be your responsibility to ensure your catch is handled and prepared by an approved establishment for export to the UK. See further details on importing fishery products and bivalve molluscs and lists of approved establishments for authorised non-EU countries.

Anglers travelling to Canada may also wish to access the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website which gives useful information on importing personal catches into the EU. See further details at: European Union Import Requirements Affecting Canadian Sport Fish Lodges

Illegal imports present unknown risks to human health because they have avoided health and hygiene checks, and could bring in diseases.

For more information about animal disease risks see theEuropean Commission website and the Personal Imports section of the Defra website. The Defra website also provides information on bushmeat.

Yes you can, but if the caviar is from a non-EU country, imports are limited to a maximum of 125g per person. Please note that this is less than the 20kg limit that normally applies for personal imports of fishery products. The 125g per person limit is imposed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) whose role is to safeguard species threatened by international trade. For more information see the CITES website.