England Customs Information

This page gives a general overview of items you can or cannot bring into the UK.

There are heavy penalties for smuggling. You may lose the goods you're trying to bring into the country, your vehicle may be seized and you may even face a prison sentence. HM Revenue & Customs advise that you should never carry items for anyone else and never try to bring banned goods into the country.

If in doubt about England customs regulations, speak to a customs official on arrival in the UK.

For a full updated listing of allowed, prohibited and restricted goods, please see the website of HM Revenue & Customs.



Duty Free Imports

Under England customs regulations, each visitor may bring certain duty free imports into the country. Your duty-free allowances depend on your nationality and age. The items you bring must be for your personal use or to give as a gift.

If you are over 18 and a from a country NOT in the EU, you may bring the following duty-free items into the country:

  • gifts and souvenirs bought outside the EU up to a value of £390
  • 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of smoking tobacco
  • 4 liters of wine
  • either 1 litre of alcohol over 22% or 2 litres of wine under 22%
  • 16 litres of beer

Any items above your personal allowance need to be declared when you pass through the customs check, and you may have to pay Excise duty on any alcohol and tobacco products you bring into the country.

If you are a citizen of the EU, you can bring into Britain any amount of goods, as long as the goods are intended for your personal use. They must not be for resale in the UK.

For a full listing of allowed, prohibited and restricted goods, please see the website of HM Revenue & Customs.




Banned Imports

There is a strict ban on the import of certain animal skins, shells and ivory products.

Also, there are a number of items that you are not allowed to bring into the UK, even if these items are for sale in other countries. Amongst these goods are:

  • unlicensed drugs, including cannabis
  • offensive weapons including some martial arts equipment
  • self-defense sprays like pepper spray or CS gas
  • endangered animals and plants
  • indecent and obscene materials
  • counterfeit and pirated goods
  • meat, milk and other animal products

Other goods, such as firearms, live animals, certain endangered species, certain plants and some radio transmitters can only be imported under a special license. Check with HM Revenue & Customs before you attempt to import such items.

Please check the website of HM Revenue & Customs for detailed information.



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