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Customs regulations in England

All things that arrive from outside England via the post or a courier go through customs to be assessed before delivery. Suppose you are the recipient of items from abroad; you must pay VAT and customs duty or excise duty on the parcels received. This applies to new purchases, gifts or used items, such as your relocation belongings.

VAT is charged on all goods except for presents worth 拢39 or less. Customs duty is charged on goods worth more than 拢135, regardless of whether you have bought or received them as a gift.

Good to know:

Royal Mail or the courier company will tell you how much VAT and duty you must pay (if any) to receive your goods. They will give you about three weeks to take care of the payment before returning the parcel to the sender.

You can fill in the customs declaration form as long as the sender has specified on the customs declaration form: 鈥済oods to be declared by the importer鈥�.

Read also Traveling to England

Customs for EU countries in England

Since Brexit, the UK has been a non-EU country, meaning that customs procedures and formalities apply to trade between the UK and the EU.

To receive goods from outside the country or export goods from England or the rest of the UK, you must file customs declarations and be asked for security and safety data, which helps border authorities assess the risk caused to their territory by goods entering or exiting their border.

Important:

For goods purchased online from outside England, recipients must expect to pay additional taxes and customs duty charges. The retailer should clearly state the extra charges, but if not, buyers have the right to contact the retailer and find out in advance to avoid unpleasant (and costly) surprises.

Read also Relocating to England

What can enter England and the UK?

When you enter the country, you must be mindful of what you have packed in your luggage.

Liquid products

Regardless of the country you are travelling from, you cannot carry more than one litre of liquid products in your hand luggage. Containers must hold no more than 100 mL each and should fit into a small translucent plastic bag.

Live animals

Regulations for carrying live animals into the UK generally depend on the type of animal, your country of residence, or where you are travelling from. Failure to comply with existing regulations may lead to the deportation of your pet or its quarantine.

Foodstuff

Due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Europe in early 2025, you cannot bring any meat or dairy products from EU countries into England and the rest of Great Britain. This includes:

• Cattle, sheep, goat and pig meat (raw or cured).
• All dairy products (cheese, milk, etc.).
• Sandwiches containing meat or dairy.

This ban applies regardless of whether items are packed, packaged or purchased at a duty-free shop.

Travelling from outside the EU? Meat, dairy food or fish (including those that are not fresh or gutted) are also prohibited, with limited exceptions for travellers from the Faroe Islands, Greenland or Iceland.

What you can bring

• Bread (but not sandwiches with meat or dairy fillings).
• Other food items without restrictions (check for specific guidance).

Good to know:

Even after relocating to England, any goods coming from your home country will be subject to UK customs regulations.

Read also Travelling to England with your pet

Banned products in England

Below are some products you cannot bring to the UK, regardless of the country you are coming from:

• illicit drugs;
• sharp weapons;
• self-defensive sprays;
• obscene material;
• counterfeit products.

Other products are allowed, provided you have importation permits. These include:

• firearms and ammunition;
• explosives;
• realistic imitation firearms;
• offensive weapons;
• real fur or related products;
• souvenirs made from endangered plants or animals;
• radio transmitters;
• rough diamonds.

Tax-exempt products in the UK

There are certain goods you can bring into the UK from abroad without paying tax as long as they are for your use or gifts for others, without the intention to sell them or make a profit. Anything that exceeds the allowance or is meant for sale must be declared and taxed.

Alcohol allowances (for travellers aged 17 and over)

• 42 litres of beer.
• 18 litres of wine (not sparkling).

And you can bring either:

• Four litres of spirits and liquors over 22% alcohol.
• or nine litres of sparkling wine, fortified wine (e.g., port, sherry), or other alcoholic beverages.

Tobacco allowances (for travellers aged 17 and over)

You can bring one from the following or a combination of (for example, 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars):

• 200 cigarettes.
• 100 cigarillos.
• 50 cigars.
• 250 grams of tobacco.
• 200 sticks of tobacco for electronic heated tobacco devices.

Attention:

You cannot pool allowances with other travellers. Each person has their own individual allowance.

Other goods:

Up to 拢390 worth of other goods (or up to 拢270 if arriving by private plane or boat)

Good to know:

You can make an online declaration within five days of arriving at a Great Britain port if you are carrying commercial goods that are below the 拢1,500 threshold, which are not restricted, and do not weigh more than 1,000 kg.