Can I bring meat and dairy to France?
- Official classification
- Meat, meat products and dairy products
Prohibited
You cannot bring meat and dairy into France.
What you need to know
- No stated quantity
- Channels: Carried with the traveler
Important
This allowance applies per person, not per family or group.
Official sources
- Voyage à l’étranger : quels aliments peut-on transporter dans sa valise ? Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects
Questions about Meat, meat products and dairy products in France
- Can I bring meat and dairy to France?
- meat and dairy may not be brought into France at all. The allowance is per traveller and cannot be pooled between people.
- Do I have to declare meat and dairy at France customs?
- There is nothing to declare — meat and dairy cannot be brought in at all. Declaring it does not make it admissible; it hands it over.
- What happens if I do not declare meat and dairy in France?
- If you declare the excess yourself, the normal duty becomes payable on the excess. Under Code des douanes, article L. 513-3, if it is treated as smuggling: it is prosecuted as a criminal offence. Under Code des douanes, article R. 515-5, 1°, if the goods are found without being declared: an administrative fine is imposed; the goods are confiscated.
- Can I post or ship meat and dairy to France instead of carrying it?
- Not under this allowance. It covers goods a traveller carries; a parcel is an import and is assessed under the postal rules instead. Baggage sent before or after you travels under the same allowance.
- Can I take meat and dairy out of France?
- France publishes no separate rule for taking meat and dairy out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the France limit for meat and dairy apply per person or per family?
- Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.
- Where does this rule come from?
- Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) states it in Voyage à l’étranger : quels aliments peut-on transporter dans sa valise ?. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-19. The sentence it rests on reads: “En principe, l’importation de viande, de produits à base de viande, de lait et de produits à base de lait (charcuterie, fromage, yaourt, etc.) est interdite.”
- How does France compare with other countries on meat and dairy?
- Of the 21 countries covered here, 12 prohibit meat and dairy, 8 limit it and 1 let it through. France is among the strictest.
Source: Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) — Voyage à l’étranger : quels aliments peut-on transporter dans sa valise ? · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) — Voyage à l’étranger : quels aliments peut-on transporter dans sa valise ? · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) — Vous rapportez du tabac, de l'alcool ou d'autres marchandises achetées hors de l'Union européenne · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) — france postOrCourier · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) — Voyage à l’étranger : quels aliments peut-on transporter dans sa valise ? · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI) — Voyage à l’étranger : quels aliments peut-on transporter dans sa valise ? · verified 2026-09-19