What foods can you bring back into the UK from holiday?

If you’re a fan of French cheese or Spanish cured ham, it can be tempting to try and bring your favourite holiday foods back into the UK. However, there are strict rules travellers need to bear in mind when bringing food and drink across the border.

In this article, we explain what you can and can’t bring through UK customs.

Food you can bring into the UK from any country

Shopping for gourmet gifts can be fun day out on holiday. And luckily, there are plenty of items you can purchase that have no restrictions in place, no matter what country you purchase them in.

You can bring any of the following into the UK from any country:

• Biscuits
• Bread (not including sandwiches filled with meat or dairy products)
• Cakes without fresh cream
• Chocolate and sweets, except those made with a lot of unprocessed dairy ingredients
• Pasta and noodles, except those mixed or filled with meat products
• Packaged soup, stocks and flavourings
• Processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads
• Food supplements containing small amounts of an animal product, such as fish oil

Temporary ban on meat and dairy from Europe

In April 2025, the UK Government announced a new ban on bringing any EU meat and dairy into most of the UK. This came into effect on 11^th April 2025.

The ban has been put in place to help prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD). As of writing, there is no end date set for these restrictions.

EU meat and dairy products that can’t be brought into the UK

Travellers coming into the UK are no longer able to bring:

• Pork
• Beef
• Lamb and mutton
• Goat
• Venison
• Products made from the above, such as charcuterie and sausages
• Dairy, including milk, butter, cheese and yogurt

Please note: vacuum packed products are not exempt, and food purchased at EU airports or onboard an aircraft are also restricted.

If you are caught bringing in banned products, you could face a fine of up to £5,000.

Are there exemptions to the EU meat and dairy ban?

Not all meat products are included in the ban. You can still bring in:

• Fish
• Poultry, such as chicken, duck and goose
• Other animal products, such as eggs and honey

There are also exemptions in place for powered baby milk and baby food. Other food that a person or animal might need for medical reasons can also be considered.

Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man

These areas of the UK have their own F&MD measures, so rules will be different for those landing here.

Banned foods from countries outside the EU

It’s worth noting that Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland have EU rules applied to their food products.

For everywhere else, you won’t be able to bring back any of the following:

• All meat and meat products
• Milk or milk-based products

As with the EU, powdered infant milk, infant food or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons is exempt.

Foods with weight restrictions

While not banned, there are food items which have weight limits in place. Each person is given an allowance for the following.

Up to 2kg allowed per person

• Honey
• Insect meat
• Shellfish, such as oysters
• Snails, though they cannot be live and must be cooked/preserved in some way
• Frogs’ legs, though only the back of the animal with the skin and organs removed
• If needed, powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons 

Up to 20kg allowed per person

• Fresh fish, though must be gutted
• Fish products
• Lobsters and prawns

Note: only those with a CITES permit can bring caviar into the UK.

Summary

Many people want to bring a little taste of holiday home with them. But if you plan on purchasing any food or drink with the intention of bringing it into the UK, you should keep these key points in mind:

• Plant-based items, such as dried pasta and biscuits, are generally allowed into the UK – regardless of where you purchased them.
• The rules around meat and dairy products from the EU changed in April 2025 and banned foods like cheese and red meats.
• Outside of the EU, all meat and dairy products are banned. There are also weight limits on other animal based products, such as honey and fish.
• Exemptions are in place for baby formula and food required for medical reasons.

The information in this article is correct, as of May 2025. For the latest information on bringing food into Great Britian, see the government website.