Immigration & Customs
Immigration
On arrival in England a person must show a valid national passport or other document satisfactorily establishing his/her identity and nationality.
There are visa requirements for most travellers from outside the European Union (with the exceptions of the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia who do not require visas) and you should have a valid entry visa before leaving home.
To determine if you require a visa, please click for more infornmation.
Customs
When travellers arrive at any English air or seaport you will find separate queues at immigration control - one for European Union nationals, and several others for everyone else. As a result of England's membership of the European Union, anyone who arrives in England from a member country can pass through a blue channel - but random checks are still being made to detect entry of any prohibited goods, particularly drugs, indecent material and weapons. Never, under any circumstances leave any luggage or parcels through customs for someone else.
Travellers entering from outside the EU still have to pass through customs channels. There are normally three channels, green, red and blue.
When arriving from EU countries
You must use the Red Channel if you:
have goods to declare; or have commercial goods; or have tobacco products from an EU country that are over the limits for imports from that country; or are not sure what you should declare.
Use the Blue Channel if you are travelling from a EU country with:
no banned and restricted goods; and no tobacco products that are over the limits for imports from that country.
If you bring in goods on which tax has been paid in an EU country, you do not have to pay any tax or duty on them in the UK. However any alcohol or tobacco you bring in must be for your own use and transported by you.
'Own use' includes goods for your own consumption and gifts. If you bring in goods for resale, or for any payment, even payment in kind, they are regarded as being for a commercial purpose.
Alcohol or Tobacco
If you are bringing in alcohol or tobacco goods and we have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, a Customs officer may ask you questions and make checks, for example about: the type and quantity of goods you have bought, why you bought them, how you paid for them, whether all your goods are openly displayed or concealed, how often you travel how much you normally smoke or drink, any other relevant circumstances.
You are particularly likely to be asked questions if you have more than:
3200 cigarettes, 110 litres of beer, 400 cigarillos, 90 litres of wine, 200 cigars, 20 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), 3kg tobacco, 10 litres of spirits
The officer will take into account all the factors of the situation and your explanation.
If Customs are satisfied that the goods are for a commercial purpose we may seize them and any vehicle used to transport them, and may not return them to you.
If you are caught smuggling or selling alcohol or tobacco goods they may be seized, and for a serious offence you could get up to seven years in prison.
From some EU countires there are limits on the amount of tobacco products you can bring back without paying UK duty.
From Czech Republic - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos
From Estonia - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco
From Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia- 200 cigarettes
(No limit on other tobacco products as long as they are for your own use).
If you have tobacco products over these limits you should speak to a Customs officer in the red channel or on the red point phone.
Travelling from outside the EU
When travelling from a non-EU country you can bring the following into England for your own use without paying English tax or duty:
200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco, 2 litres of still table wine, 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or other liqueurs, 60cc of perfume , 250cc of eau de toilette, £145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs.
If you have any more than these allowances you must declare the goods in the Red Channel or use the Red Point phone. If you do not, you are breaking the law and we may prosecute you.
You should also be aware that:
If you are under 17 you cannot have the tobacco and alcohol allowances.
You are entitled to these allowances only if you travel with the goods and do not sell them.
If you bring in something worth more than the limit of £145, you must pay charges on the full value, not just the value above £145.
You and anyone you are travelling with cannot pool your individual allowances to bring in an item worth more than the limit. You will have to pay charges on the full value of the item. If you are bringing back any duty-free or tax-free goods you bought when you left the UK, these count as part of your allowance.
If you also have tobacco or alcohol goods that you bought in an EU country (other than tobacco products over the limit for imports from that country) you will not have to pay any more duty or tax on these so long as:
they are for your own use; and you can show, if we ask you to, that you have paid duty and tax in an EU country, for example by producing the receipt.
Air Transfers
If you arrive by air and are transferring to a flight to another EU country, at the transfer point you need only declare goods in your hand baggage. You do not declare your hold baggage until you collect it at your final destination.
The same usually applies if you are transferring to an English domestic flight. But in some cases we must clear both your hand luggage and hold baggage at the transfer airport. The airline will tell you when this is necessary.
Prohibited and Restricted Goods
To protect health and the environment, Some goods are prohibited (banned completely) from being brought into England, and others are restricted (meaning you cannot import them without authority such as a licence):
Prohibited Goods
Unlicensed drugs, such as heroin, morphine, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, LSD and cannabis. Though cannabis now a Class C drug in England, bringing it into Englandis still illegal and may result in seizure and prosecution.
Offensive weapons, such as flick knives, butterfly knives, push daggers, belt-buckle knives, death stars, swordsticks, knives disguised as everyday objects, knuckledusters, blowpipes, spring-operated telescopic truncheons, and some martial arts equipment.
Indecent and obscene material featuring children, such as books, magazines, films, videotapes, laser discs and software.
Pornographic material other than that which depicts the type of consensual sexual activity between adults which can be legally purchased in England.
Counterfeit and pirated goods and goods that infringe patents when brought into England from outside England (such as watches, clocks and CDs, and any goods with false marks of their origin).
Meat, dairy and other animal products (such as fish, shellfish, eggs and honey) from outside the EU, except:
Powdered infant milk, infant food and special foods required for medical reasons which do not need to be refrigerated and are proprietary branded products, with packaging intact unless in current use;
meat, milk, eggs, honey, fish and their products for your own consumption from Andorra, Norway, San Marino, the Canary Islands and the Channel Islands;
Meat, milk and their products for your own consumption from Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, with a combined total weight of not more than 5kg per person; from some other countries you are allowed to bring in up to 1kg of food not containing meat or milk derivatives eg fish, eggs and honey.
Restricted Goods
Firearms, explosives and ammunition, including electric shock devices (such as stun guns) and gas canisters.
Live animals must normally have a Englsih import (rabies) licence and must be quarantined. But dogs or cats that meet the conditions of the Pet Passport Scheme can be imported without quarantine. Live birds, including pets, must normally have a British health import licence. For advice call DEFRA Animal Health, 020 7904 6000.
Endangered species, including birds and plants, whether alive or dead; also such things as fur, ivory or leather (or goods made from them) that have been taken from endangered species.
Certain plants and their produce, including trees, shrubs, potatoes, certain fruit, bulbs and seeds.
Radio transmitters such as CB radios that are not approved for use in the UK. For advice call
Above information is supplied by HM Revenue & Customs
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