How much fish and seafood can I bring into United Kingdom?
- Official classification
- Fish and other fishery products
Restricted
You can bring fish and seafood into United Kingdom only within the stated limits.
What you need to know
- 20 kilogram (44.09 lb)
- Channels: Carried with the traveler
Important
This allowance applies per person, not per family or group.
Official sources
- Bringing food into Great Britain: Meat, dairy, fish and animal products Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (GOV.UK)
Questions about Fish and other fishery products in United Kingdom
- How much fish and seafood can I bring into United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom allows 20 kilograms of fish and other fishery products per traveller. Above that the goods are treated as an import and duty becomes payable. The allowance is per traveller and cannot be pooled between people.
- Do I have to declare fish and seafood at United Kingdom customs?
- Only above the allowance. Up to 20 kilograms of fish and other fishery products there is nothing to declare; beyond it you take the goods through the red channel and pay the duty.
- What happens if I do not declare fish and seafood in United Kingdom?
- Under Travellers' Allowances Order 1994, if you declare the excess yourself: a flat-rate charge is applied to the excess. The normal duty becomes payable on the excess. Under Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, section 167, if it is treated as smuggling: it is prosecuted as a criminal offence; the goods are confiscated.
- Do duty-free purchases count toward the United Kingdom allowance for fish and seafood?
- Yes. What you buy in an arrival duty-free shop comes out of the same allowance, so the shop does not add to what you may already be carrying.
- Can I post or ship fish and seafood to United Kingdom 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 fish and seafood out of United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom publishes no separate rule for taking fish and seafood out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the United Kingdom limit for fish and seafood apply per person or per family?
- Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.
- Does the United Kingdom rule for fish and seafood change depending on where I travel from?
- Yes. United Kingdom publishes a different rule for arrivals from European Union.
- Where does this rule come from?
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force states it in Bringing food into Great Britain: Meat, dairy, fish and animal products. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-19. The sentence it rests on reads: “You can bring in up to 20kg per person in total of fish, including:”
- How does United Kingdom compare with other countries on fish and seafood?
- Of the 21 countries covered here, 1 prohibit fish and seafood, 10 limit it and 10 let it through. United Kingdom is among the ones that set a limit.
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing food into Great Britain: Meat, dairy, fish and animal products · verified 2026-09-19
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing food into Great Britain: Meat, dairy, fish and animal products · verified 2026-09-19
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — The Travellers' Allowances Order 1994 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — The Travellers' Allowances Order 1994 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — The Travellers' Allowances Order 1994 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing food into Great Britain: Meat, dairy, fish and animal products · verified 2026-09-19
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing food into Great Britain · verified 2026-09-16
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing food into Great Britain: Meat, dairy, fish and animal products · verified 2026-09-19