What can be imported from outside the European Union?
There are strict procedures for the importation of certain animal products into the Channel Islands and the EU due to the risk of introducing diseases.
The purpose of these rules is to keep out infectious animal diseases from the Channel Islands. Animal products may carry pathogens which cause infectious diseases.
These procedures do not apply to the movements of animal products between the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and other Member States of the EU, or for animal products coming from:
- Andorra
- Liechtenstein
- Norway
- San Marino
- Switzerland
All animal products which don’t meet to the following rules must be surrendered on arrival in the EU or Channel Islands for official disposal. Failure to declare such items may result in a fine or criminal prosecution.
Small quantities of meat and milk (milk cannot be imported into Jersey without a licence) and their products (other than powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods or special pet feed required for medical reasons)
You may only bring in or send to the EU and the Channel Islands personal consignments of meat and milk (milk cannot be imported into Jersey without a licence) and their products (other than powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods or special pet feed required for medical reasons) provided that their weight does not exceed 10 kg per person and they come from:
- Croatia
- Faeroe Islands
- Greenland
- Iceland
Powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods required for medical reasons
You may only bring in or send to the EU and the Channel Islands personal consignments of powdered infant milk, infant food, and special foods required for medical reasons provided that they come from:
- Croatia
- Faeroe Islands
- Greenland
- Iceland
- their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 10 kg per person
- the product does not require refrigeration before consumption
- it is a packaged and branded product
- the packaging is unbroken unless in current use
- they come from other countries and their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 2kg per person and meet all the above requirements for refridgeration etc
Pet feed required for medical reasons
You may only bring in or send to the EU and the Channel Islands personal consignments of pet feed required for medical reasons provided that they come from:
- Croatia
- Faeroe Islands
- Greenland
- Iceland
- their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 10kg per person
- the product does not require refrigeration before consumption
- it is a packaged and branded product
- the packaging is unbroken unless in current use
- they come from other countries and their combined quantity does not exceed the weight limit of 2kg per person and meet all the above requirements for refridgeration etc
Small quantities of fishery products for personal human consumption
You may only bring in or send to the EU and the Channel Islands 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) provided that:
- fresh fish are gutted
- the weight of the fishery products or the weight of 1 fish does not exceed 20kg per person
These restrictions do not apply to fishery products coming from the Faeroe Islands or Iceland.
Small quantities of other animal products for personal human consumption
You may only bring in or send to the EU and the Channel Islands other animal products, such as honey, live oysters, live mussels and snails, provided that they come from:
- Croatia
- Faeroe Islands
- Greenland
- Iceland
- that their combined weight does not exceed 10kg per person
- they come from other countries and their combined weight does not exceed 2kg per person
Note that you may bring in animal products from more than one of the above 5 categories (paragraphs 1-5) provided you comply with the rules explained in each of the relevant paragraphs.
Larger quantities of animal products
You may only bring in or send to the EU and the Channel Islands larger quantities of animal products if they meet the requirements for commercial consignments, which include:
- certification as laid down in the appropriate official EC veterinary certificate
- presentation of the goods, with the correct documentation, to an authorised EU border inspection post for veterinary control, on arrival in the EU
There are no border inspections in the Channel Islands.
Exempted animal products
The following products are exempted from the rules explained above:
- 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 125g per person.
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