If you’re planning to travel to the UK, it’s important to understand what food items you are allowed to bring with you. The UK has strict rules to protect its agriculture, environment, and economy from pests and diseases that may be carried by food products.
These rules differ depending on whether you’re travelling from an EU country or from a non-EU country.
🇪🇺 Travelling from the EU to the UK
If you are travelling to the UK from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands, or Greenland, you are allowed to bring in certain food items for personal use, but with some restrictions.
✅ What You Can Bring In
You can bring in the following items for personal use:
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🐟 Fish
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🍗 Poultry (e.g., chicken, duck, goose) and products made from these meats
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🍯 Other animal products such as eggs and honey
⚠️ Temporary Restrictions
Due to outbreaks of animal diseases (including foot and mouth disease) in parts of the EU, there are temporary restrictions on bringing in:
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Meat, dairy, and other animal products from certain animals
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Animal products not intended for human consumption
You also cannot bring food if you are arriving from another country via a connecting flight.
Leftover animal products must be disposed of responsibly to prevent wildlife and livestock from consuming them.
❌ What You Cannot Bring In (for human consumption)
You are not allowed to bring the following meat and dairy products:
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🐖 Pork
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🐄 Beef
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🐑 Lamb, mutton, goat
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🦌 Venison
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🧈 Dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese, yoghurt
👶 Medical and Special Diet Exemptions
You may bring up to 2kg per person of:
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Powdered infant milk
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Infant food
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Special dietary foods required for medical reasons
These items must:
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Not require refrigeration before opening
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Be in commercially branded, unopened packaging (unless currently in use)
🐾 Non-Human Consumptions Animal Products (e.g., pet food)
You cannot bring products made from pig, cow, sheep, goat, or deer for non-human consumption.
You may bring up to 2kg per person of special pet food for medical reasons, following the same rules as above.
Other animal by-products (e.g., pet food made with chicken) are allowed if:
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They are commercially packaged with the manufacturer’s name and address, or
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They are accompanied by an animal by-product commercial document
🌏 Travelling from Outside the EU to the UK (For example from Asia to the UK)
If you’re travelling to the UK from countries outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands, or Greenland, the rules are stricter.
❌ Not Allowed
You cannot bring in:
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Any meat or meat products
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Any milk or dairy products, except for limited special cases
✅ Limited Items You Can Bring In (2kg per person unless stated otherwise)
You may bring the following for personal use, but only up to 2kg per person:
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🍯 Honey
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👶 Powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food (including pet food) for medical needs (conditions: non-refrigerated, branded, unopened unless in use)
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🦪 Shellfish, such as mussels or oysters
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🐌 Snails (must be preserved or shelled, cooked, and prepared)
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🐸 Frogs’ legs (only the hind legs, with skin and internal organs removed)
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🐜 Insect meat
🐟 Fish Products (Up to 20kg per person)
You may bring in up to 20kg per person of:
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Fresh fish (must be gutted)
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Processed fish (dried, cooked, cured, or smoked)
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Fish products such as fish sauces, canned tuna
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Lobsters, prawns, squid, octopus, crab, crayfish
🍍 Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds
From the EU, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein:
You may bring in any fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds for personal use.
From Other Countries Outside the EU:
You cannot bring in most fruits or vegetables unless you have a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate.
📄 You can obtain the certificate from the plant health authorities in your country of departure.
✅ The Only Items Allowed Without a Certificate:
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Pineapple
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Kiwi
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Coconut
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Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit)
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Kumquat
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Persimmon
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Durian
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Curry leaves
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Banana and plantain
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Mango
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Dates
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Passion fruit
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Guava
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Processed and packaged plant products (e.g., packaged salad, frozen vegetables)
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Peeled and processed nuts or nut butters
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Certain grains such as rice
⚠️ If You Break the Rules
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Any prohibited food item will be seized and destroyed
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You may be prosecuted if you fail to declare banned items
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Items that are contaminated (e.g., meat juice leaking into packaging or clothing) will also be destroyed
📢 If you’re unsure about any product, speak to a Border Force officer in the red channel or use the red point phone.
