Top tips for travellers to the UK

When travelling to the UK, particularly at busy times of this year, you might face delays at the UK border. This page contains our top 10 tips for holiday travellers, to ensure that you are not held up any longer than necessary.

1. Always produce a valid passport or travel document for yourself and any child you are travelling with. If you have different family name or are not the child's parent, we may ask for proof of your relationship or letter of travel consent from the parent.

2. If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, and you are aged 18 or over and have a chipped passport, you can use our e-passport gates at 15 major UK airports. This service offers a secure, self-service alternative to our conventional border controls.

3. Never give false or misleading information (including false receipts or documents) to a UK Border Agency officer.

4. Just because an item is on sale in another country, this does not mean that it can be brought into the UK - you must be aware of the rules on restricted or banned items. You are not allowed to bring internationally protected endangered animals and plants, or products made from them, into the UK unless you have a CITES permit.

5. Never bring in counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, offensive weapons (including knives) or indecent or obscene material.

6. You must declare any sums of cash of 10,000 euros or more (or the equivalent in another currency) if you are travelling from a country outside the EU.

7. You may need a licence to carry some prescription medicines into the UK.

8. There are restrictions on food products that you can bring into the UK from outside the EU, even for personal use. For example, you cannot bring in meat or dairy products from most non-EU countries. There are also restrictions on fish products, egg and honey products, some fruit and vegetables, and some plants and plant products (such as bulbs, seeds, cut flowers and tree bark).

9. There are allowances on the amount of goods such as tobacco, alcohol and gifts that you can bring into the UK.

10. If you are unsure of any item you are carrying, you must speak to a UK Border Agency officer.

Remember, it is illegal to carry items that are banned or for which you do not have a licence or permit. If you are caught smuggling, you could face severe delays and penalties including imprisonment.

To find out which items you are allowed to bring to the UK, see our Customs section.