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Guidance

Prohibited and restricted: Great Britain imports

Published 31 January 2026

This guidance lists the items with prohibitions and restrictions which apply to imports.

Importers should check with the relevant departments before arranging to import goods.

Most categories of goods may be imported under the authority of an open general import licence (OGIL) granted by the Secretary of State in exercise of powers conferred by the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954 made under the Import, Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act 1939.

The importation of a limited range of goods originating in specified countries requires import licences issued by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) or other issuing authority in the UK.

This list is not exhaustive.

Item for import Information resource
Aflatoxin
Agricultural machinery (used) Import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain
Animal pathogens Animal pathogens and products: import licence application
Animals, birds and other livestock Guidance on importing live animals or animal products
Anti-dumping duty and countervailing duties Check when you need to pay anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties
Anti-personnel mines Import controls (also read Notice 2938 in the ‘Notices to importers’ section)
Bushmeat Bringing food into Great Britain
Cat and dog fur Import controls (also read Notice 2936 in the ‘Notices to importers’ section)
Chemicals prohibited by REACH
Controlled drugs Controlled drugs list
Cordless telephones
Counterfeit coins
Counterfeit currency notes
Dairy products Import of milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products for human consumption — Import Information Note (IIN) MKDR/1
Drug precursor chemicals Precursor chemical licensing
Endangered species (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)-listed endangered animals and plants or their products) and ivory Check if you need a CITES permit to import or export endangered species
Separate ivory controls are applied in addition to CITES controls.
Excise goods All goods subject to excise duty including:
Alcohol products
Tobacco products
Hydrocarbon oils, biofuels, fuel substitutes and road fuel gases
Goods subject to Climate Change Levy
Tobacco product manufacturing machines
Prepare for Vaping products Duty and the Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme
Explosives
False identity documents
Fertilisers (Ammonium nitrate) — Marketing standards Manufacturing and marketing fertilisers
Firearms and ammunition Import controls (also read Notice 2944 in the ‘Notices to Importers’ section)
Fishery products
Fruit and vegetables Import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain
Goods bearing false indications of origin
Goods infringing a trade mark

Using somebody else’s intellectual property
Goods infringing copyright

Using somebody else’s intellectual property
Government guarantee Import controls
Hay and straw
High risk feed and food products
Honey Import of honey, royal jelly and other apiculture products for human consumption — Import Information Note (IIN) BAL/2B
Hops and hop products Hops and hop products marketing standards
Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Regulations
Indecent and obscene material
Insects Moving specified plants, plant pests, pathogens and soil
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Invasive non-native (alien) animal species: rules in England and Wales
Invasive non-native (alien) plant species: rules in England and Wales
Leghold trap furs Importing animal furs and skins — export of fish
Lottery material
Meat and meat products Guidance on importing live animals or animal products
Mercury Controls on mercury added products
Military goods List of goods imported into Great Britain that are controlled
Nuclear materials Import controls (also read Notice 2955 in the ‘Notices to Importers’ section)
Offensive weapons Guns, knives, swords and other offensive weapons: UK border control
Organic produce Importing organic food, feed and seed to the UK
Ozone depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons Fluorinated gas (F gas): guidance for users, producers and traders
Persistent organic pollutant chemicals Using persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
Pests Moving specified plants, plant pests, pathogens and soil
Plants and plant products Import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain
Prison-made goods
Products of animal origin Guidance on importing live animals or animal products
Pyrotechnic articles, including fireworks
Rabies susceptible mammals and Rabies virus Import of certain rabies susceptible animals under the Balai Directive — Import Information Note (IIN) BLLV/5a
Radiotelephonic transmitters
Realistic imitation firearms Guns, knives, swords and other offensive weapons: UK border control
Rough diamonds This also covers imports to Great Britain, imports to Northern Ireland and movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Export rough diamonds: special rules
Sanctioned goods and weapons of mass destruction related goods UK sanctions
Seal products Bringing seal products into Great Britain
Soil (excluding peat) Moving specified plants, plant pests, pathogens and soil
Stamps
Steel safeguards Trade remedies notice 2025/26: safeguard measure: tariff-rate quota on steel goods
Tiered-priced medical products Import controls (also read Notice 2937 in the ‘Notices to Importers’ section)
Torture equipment Import controls (also read Notice 2938 in the ‘Notices to Importers’ section)
Toxic chemicals and precursors Chemical Weapons Convention guidance
Trade sanctions How to apply for a trade sanctions licence
Import controls
Unauthorised veterinary medicines Import a medicine for veterinary use into the UK
Videosenders
Waste shipments Waste: export and import
White phosphorus matches
Wood Import timber, wood products or bark
Wood packaging material, pallets and timber used to protect or restrain cargo Wood packaging goods for import and export