Can I bring strong-smelling fruit to United Kingdom?
- Official classification
- Strong-smelling fruit (e.g. durian)
Allowed
You can bring strong-smelling fruit into United Kingdom without a special limit.
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
- Bringing food into Great Britain: Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds GOV.UK — Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs / Animal and Plant Health Agency
Questions about Strong-smelling fruit in United Kingdom
- Do I have to declare strong-smelling fruit at United Kingdom customs?
- No — within the allowance it passes without a declaration.
- What happens if I do not declare strong-smelling fruit 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.
- Can I post or ship strong-smelling fruit 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 strong-smelling fruit out of United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom publishes no separate rule for taking strong-smelling fruit out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the United Kingdom limit for strong-smelling fruit 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?
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force states it in Bringing food into Great Britain: Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-19.
- How does United Kingdom compare with other countries on strong-smelling fruit?
- Of the 19 countries covered here, 3 prohibit strong-smelling fruit, 6 limit it and 10 let it through. United Kingdom is among the more permissive.
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing food into Great Britain: Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds · 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 — Bringing food into Great Britain: Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds · verified 2026-09-19
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing food into Great Britain: Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds · verified 2026-09-19