Transport of food

Conditions of importing animal products to the EU

All animal products that do not meet the following requirements must be sent for official destruction upon arriving in the EU. Failure to report such products may result in a fine or the initiation of criminal proceedings.

1. Bringing in or sending to the EU personal consignments of meat and milk and their products (other than powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods or special pet feed required for medical reasons) is allowed provided that they come from the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, or Iceland, and their weight does not exceed 10 kg per person.
2. Personal consignments of powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods required for medical reasons may be brought in or sent to the EU only provided that:
   • they come from the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, or Iceland, and their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 10 kg per person, and that: 
     • the product does not require refrigeration before consumption; 
     • it is a packaged proprietary brand product; 
     • the packaging is unbroken unless in current use. 
   • they come from other countries (other than the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, or Iceland), and their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 2 kg per person, and that 
     • the product does not require refrigeration before consumption; 
     • it is a packaged proprietary brand product; 
     • the packaging is unbroken unless in current use.  
3. Personal consignments of pet feed required for medical reasons may be brought in or sent to the EU only provided that: 
   • they come from the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, or Iceland, and their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 10 kg per person, and that: 
     • the product does not require refrigeration before consumption; 
     • it is a packaged proprietary brand product; 
     • the packaging is unbroken unless in current use. 
   • they come from other countries (other than the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, or Iceland), and their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 2 kg per person, and that 
     • the product does not require refrigeration before consumption; 
     • it is a packaged proprietary brand product; 
     • the packaging is unbroken unless in current use.   
4. Personal consignments of fishery products (including fresh, dried, cooked, cured or smoked fish, and certain shellfish, such as prawns, lobsters, dead mussels and dead oysters) may be brought in or sent to the EU only provided that: (these restrictions do not apply to fishery products coming from the Faeroe Islands or Iceland): 
   • fresh fish are eviscerated, and 
   • the weight of the fishery products does not exceed, per person, 20 kg or the weight of one fish, whichever weight is the highest.   
5. Other animal products, such as honey, live oysters, live mussels and snails for example, may be brought in or sent to the EU only provided that: 
   • they come from the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, or Iceland, and that their combined weight does not exceed 10 kg per person, 
   • they come from other countries (other than the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, or Iceland) and their combined weight does not exceed 2 kg per person.  

Import of larger quantities of animal products

Larger quantities of animal products may be brought in or sent to the EU only if they meet the requirements for commercial consignments, which include:

• certification requirements, as laid down in the appropriate official EC veterinary certificate;
• the presentation of the goods, with the correct documentation, to an authorised EU border inspection post for veterinary control, on arrival in the EU.

Exempted animal products

The following products are exempted from the rules explained previously:

• bread, cakes, biscuits, chocolate and confectionery (including sweets) not mixed or filled with meat product;
• food supplements packaged for the final consumer;
• meat extracts and meat concentrates;
• olives stuffed with fish;
• pasta and noodles not mixed or filled with meat product;
• soup stocks and flavourings packaged for the final consumer;
• any other food product not containing any fresh or processed meat or dairy and with less than 50 % of processed egg or fishery products.

Animal products from protected species

For certain protected species there may be additional restrictions in place. For example for caviar of sturgeon species, the weight limit is a maximum of 125 g per person.

For more information visit the website of the General Veterinary Inspectorate.