What You Can or Cannot Bring in the UK

Image Source:www.hometowndumpsterrental.com 

You have taken extra precautions and completed all the necessary papers just to avoid a UK visa refusal scenario. The immigration officer who interviewed you was also impressed with your answers. You are all set; the visa, ticket, passport, and other travel paraphernalia are safely secured on a plastic zip-lock bag. There is a teeny-weeny problem; upon entering the UK borders, the customs officer stops you because you have brought a banned item on their country. Well, there goes everything you have painstakingly prepared for – all gone.

How will you prevent this grueling scenario? It is true that homesickness will eat you up once you have set foot on a different country and the way to ease this is by bringing personal belongings or native foods. Each country, not only in the UK, has its own set of rules and regulations every immigrant must religiously abide by.  In the UK, here are the items you can or cannot bring:

Pets:

Travel with a PETS-certified (Pet Travel Scheme) animal, e.g., dogs, cats. Your pet must be rabies vaccinated, tapeworm-treated (for canine companions), and blood tested. Also bring with you your pet’s third country official veterinary certificate and – oh – your pet must be micro chipped or tattooed with an identification number.

Penalty: you’re beloved pet is subjected to quarantine and it comes with a price.

Foods:

Fruits and vegetables are allowed (up to 2 kilograms only) except meat, meat products, milk, dairy products, or potatoes. But these items must be inside your personal baggage, for personal consumption only, and pest-free. Yes, importing potatoes are a big thing in the UK.  As stated in Bringing Food Products into the UK document, under “Other banned and restricted items” section page 10, “some plants, soil and other plant products (including potatoes) may not be brought to the UK unless you have obtained the relevant official certificate or license”.

Penalty: the customs has the right to seize it and, also, you may face prosecution and may be charged.

Goods:

Below are the totally banned goods:

·         Controlled drugs

·         Offensive weapons (may it be for self-defense use or not)

·         Obscene or indecent materials

·         Counterfeit or pirated materials

Penalty: the customs officer will automatically take it away from you and you can be fined accordingly.

Cash

          This includes notes, coins, banker’s drafts, and cheques.  It is required to declare cash amounting to €10,000 or more (or the equivalent in another currency). To declare, you must fill out a form C9011; make a copy of yours; drop a copy in the drop-box at the airport; and present another copy to the customs officers.

          

           Penalty: you can be charged up to €5,000 for undeclared cash. If the customs officers suspects the cash is for illegal use, they can keep it for 48 hours then followed by a court order.

It is not the end of the world, though, because you may appeal or ask for your belongings back. Needless to say, for your peace of mind, please, do your homework first. Before arriving in the UK, thoroughly read this. Triple check what’s in your baggage(s). Declare items that need to be declared. Never dare to bring banned goods. What else must we say? You’re not up for a court drama, are you? And not ready for an eventual UK visa refusal stamp on your documents.