Arriving in Great Britain from abroad, an adult can bring in up to 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of still wine, 4 litres of spirits, 200 cigarettes and £390 worth of other goods without paying tax or duty. Meat and dairy products from the EU and most other countries are banned, and cash of £10,000 or more must be declared.
Customs is the check that comes after passport control. Its job is to control what you carry, not who you are. Most visitors bring only clothes, a phone and a few gifts, and they simply walk through the green "nothing to declare" channel. You only need to stop and declare if you have more than your personal allowance, or if you are carrying something banned or restricted.
The rules below are for arrivals in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), which covers every London airport and Eurostar arrivals at St Pancras. They apply whether you come from the EU or from further away, and whether you bought the goods in a duty-free shop or on a high street. Northern Ireland has different rules. If you are arriving by train, our guide to Eurostar between London and Paris covers the journey and the station. This page summarises HMRC's official guidance on GOV.UK, which is the source to check before you travel.
Personal allowances, arriving in Great Britain
- Beer
- 42 litres
- Still wine
- 18 litres
- Spirits over 22%
- 4 litres, or 9 litres of drinks up to 22% (sparkling wine, port, cider); can be split
- Tobacco
- 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 g tobacco, or 200 heated-tobacco sticks; can be split
- Other goods
- Up to £390 (£270 by private plane or boat)
- Under 17
- No alcohol or tobacco allowance
- Cash
- Declare £10,000 or more (or the equivalent)
Alcohol: how the three allowances fit together
The alcohol rules look complicated at first, but they are generous for anyone buying for their own use. You get two fixed allowances and one flexible one.
The fixed allowances are 42 litres of beer and 18 litres of still wine. You can bring both. On top of that you choose from a third allowance: either 4 litres of spirits and other drinks over 22% alcohol, or 9 litres of drinks up to 22%. That second group includes sparkling wine, fortified wines such as port and sherry, and cider, but not beer or still wine.
You can split the third allowance. GOV.UK's example is 2 litres of spirits plus 4.5 litres of fortified wine, which is half of each. In practice, two bottles of whisky (1.4 litres) and three bottles of champagne (2.25 litres) fit easily.
One bottle too many makes the whole category taxable. If you go over an allowance, you pay tax and duty on everything in that category, not just the extra. GOV.UK's example: bring 19 litres of wine and you pay on all 19 litres, not on the single litre above the 18-litre limit.
Cigarettes, cigars and heated tobacco
For tobacco you get one allowance, which you can use in any of these forms:
- 200 cigarettes
- 100 cigarillos
- 50 cigars
- 250 g of tobacco
- 200 sticks for electronic heated-tobacco devices
You can split it proportionally. For example, 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars is half of each and stays within the limit. But 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars is double the allowance, and you would pay tax and duty on both.
Under-17s have no alcohol or tobacco allowance at all. They can still bring these goods in for their own use, but they must declare them. Once you are in London, remember that smoking is banned inside pubs, restaurants and other enclosed public places, and that shops can no longer sell disposable vapes.
The £390 limit on everything else
Everything that is not alcohol or tobacco comes under one allowance for "other goods": £390 per person, or £270 if you arrive by private plane or private boat. This covers perfume, electronics, clothes, jewellery and gifts that you bought abroad.
The limit applies to the total value of your goods. If you go over, you may have to pay import VAT and customs duty on the whole amount, not just the part above £390. Allowances are personal, so two travellers cannot combine theirs to bring in one £700 item.
Goods made in the EU, bought in the EU and brought from an EU country can qualify for a zero rate of customs duty if you are over your allowance, but you still have to declare them and may still pay import VAT. You need evidence of where they were made, such as a label, packaging or a statement from the seller.
Food: meat, cheese and what is still allowed
Food is the area where it is easiest to break the rules by accident. The rules exist to keep animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease out of Britain, and they are strict.
From the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, you cannot bring in beef, lamb, goat or pork meat, or milk and dairy products, for personal use. This ban has applied to EU arrivals since 12 April 2025 and was still in force in September 2026. It includes sandwiches, cheese, cured sausage and ham, even if they are packaged or bought in an airport duty-free shop. You can still bring fish, poultry, eggs and honey, and up to 2 kg per person of powdered infant milk, infant food or medical food, if it is branded, unopened and does not need a fridge.
Some low-risk foods containing small amounts of animal products are exempt, such as chocolate, sweets, bread, cakes, biscuits and pasta. Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds from the EU, Switzerland or Liechtenstein are allowed for personal use.
From the rest of the world, you cannot bring in meat or milk products at all (except infant and medical food). Honey is allowed up to 2 kg and fish up to 20 kg. Most fresh fruit and vegetables need a plant health certificate, but a listed group is exempt, including bananas, pineapples, citrus fruit, mangoes, dates, coconuts and kiwis.
Bringing in banned food without declaring it can lead to a fine of up to £5,000 in England, or prosecution. The full lists are on GOV.UK's page on bringing food into Great Britain.
Eat the cheese on the plane, or buy it in London. The easiest way to deal with the food ban is not to carry any meat or dairy at all. London has excellent markets for both, and our guide to Borough Market shows where to find British cheese and charcuterie on your first day.
If you are curious about what to eat once you are here, our introduction to traditional British food covers the dishes worth trying, from pies to a proper cheese board.
Banned and restricted goods
Some items cannot be brought into the UK at all, and customs will seize them. The banned list includes:
- controlled drugs
- offensive weapons, such as flick knives
- self-defence sprays, including pepper spray and CS gas
- endangered animal and plant species
- rough diamonds
- indecent and obscene material
- personal imports of meat and dairy from most countries outside the EU (and, currently, from the EU too)
Pepper spray is the item visitors most often do not expect. It is legal to carry in some other countries, but it is a banned weapon in the UK. Leave it at home. Our guide to staying safe in London covers what actually helps.
Other goods are restricted, which means you need a licence or permit. These include firearms, explosives and ammunition, and items covered by CITES, the international agreement on endangered species. CITES can apply to some foods, beauty products, exotic leather, furs, wooden musical instruments, souvenirs and some medicines. Fake designer goods and pirated films or music may also be seized.
Travelling with medicines
Ordinary medicines for your own use are not a problem. Medicines that contain a controlled drug have extra rules. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you whether yours does, or you can compare the ingredients on the packet with the UK controlled drugs list.
If you are not a UK resident, carry them in your hand luggage with a letter proving they were prescribed for you. The letter must show your name, the dates you are travelling, a list of the medicines with amounts, doses and strength, and the signature of the prescriber. You can bring up to 3 months' supply. Anything more may be taken away. Schedule 1 drugs need a Home Office licence in advance. The details are on GOV.UK's page on taking medicine into the UK.
If you run out during your trip, a pharmacy or GP can help. Our guide to healthcare for visitors explains how that works and what it costs.
Carrying cash: the £10,000 rule
You must declare cash of £10,000 or more (or the same value in any currency) when you carry it between Great Britain and a country outside the UK. The rule applies to the total for a family or group, even if each person carries less.
"Cash" here includes banknotes and coins, travellers' cheques and bearer bonds. You can declare online or by phone up to 72 hours before you travel, or on arrival by following the "goods to declare" or red channel signs. If you do not declare cash that you should have, all of it can be seized. The GOV.UK cash declaration page has the form and the helpline.
Most visitors carry far less than this. London is largely cashless, and our guide to money in London explains why you may need very little cash at all.
Red channel, green channel and declaring online
After collecting your bags you walk through customs. There are two routes:
- Green channel ("nothing to declare") for travellers within their allowances and carrying nothing banned or restricted.
- Red channel ("goods to declare"), or a red-point phone at smaller ports, if you are over your allowances or carrying restricted goods or £10,000 or more in cash.
You can also declare goods online from 5 days (120 hours) before you arrive, and pay any tax or duty then. The online service calculates duty at simplified rates. Keep the email receipt or reference number, then use the green channel on arrival. You need the price you paid for each item, the quantity, your passport number and your arrival time. Border Force officers can check anyone's baggage, whichever channel they choose.
Declaring before you land saves time at the border. If you know you are over an allowance, the online service lets you pay before your flight. You then walk through the green channel with your reference number ready, instead of queuing at the red channel after a long journey.
Customs comes after passport control. If you have not yet sorted out your ETA or visa, start with our guide to UK entry rules for visitors. For the layout of the arrivals hall at London's largest airport, see our Heathrow guide, and if you land further south, our Gatwick Airport guide covers the trip into town.
Leaving the UK: no VAT refund on shopping
Many visitors expect to reclaim VAT on the way home. In Great Britain that is no longer possible. The VAT Retail Export Scheme, which allowed tax-free shopping for visitors, was withdrawn on 1 January 2021, and so was VAT-free shopping in airport shops. Prices in shops already include VAT, usually at 20%.
The only way to avoid VAT on goods bought in Great Britain is to have the shop send them directly to an address outside the UK. Our guide to tax-free shopping in the UK explains the details, and our pick of souvenirs worth taking home may help with the packing. Remember that your home country will have its own customs allowances when you return.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol can I bring into the UK?
An adult arriving in Great Britain can bring 42 litres of beer and 18 litres of still wine, plus either 4 litres of spirits over 22% or 9 litres of drinks up to 22%, such as sparkling wine or cider. You can split the last allowance between spirits and lower-strength drinks.
Can I bring cheese or ham from Europe into the UK?
No. Since 12 April 2025, travellers cannot bring beef, lamb, goat or pork products, or milk and dairy products, from the EU into Great Britain for personal use. This includes cheese, cured meats and sandwiches, even if they are packaged or bought in duty-free.
How many cigarettes can I bring into the UK?
You can bring 200 cigarettes, or one of the alternatives: 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, 250 g of tobacco or 200 heated-tobacco sticks. You can combine them proportionally, for example 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars. Under-17s have no tobacco allowance.
Do I have to declare cash when I arrive in London?
Only if you carry £10,000 or more, or the equivalent in another currency. The limit applies to a family or group travelling together as well as to individuals. You can declare online before you travel or at the red channel on arrival.
Is pepper spray allowed in the UK?
No. Self-defence sprays, including pepper spray and CS gas, are on the UK's list of banned goods and will be seized at the border. Do not pack them, even in checked luggage.
Sources
- GOV.UK - Bringing goods into the UK for personal use (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Bringing food into Great Britain (checked September 2026)
- Defra - Imports, exports and EU trade of animals and animal products: topical issues (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Take cash in and out of the UK (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Take medicine in or out of the UK (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Tax-free shopping (checked September 2026)