Topic Wiki

Australia: No chicken, dairy, meat, fruit, or vegetables unless it's retorted/shelf stable (Such as La Briute meals) shmebeble had issues with MealMart- 26 meals. Something Fishy was allowed sealed milk and cheese from the U.S.
Belize: Click here
Costa Rica: No raw meat (According to the Health Dept rep at LIR, it's meat on the bone that's an issue, he let us keep all the meat that had no bones - this may be relevant to other countries)
Galapagos: Extremely strict. Click here for more details.
Fiji: Same rules as Australia.
Maldives: No alcohol
Mexico: No beef or cream cheese. Chicken YMMV.
New Caledonia: Same rules as Australia.
New Zealand: Similar to Australia, some small differences but expect thorough checking
Nicaragua (land crossing): No issues with meat etc, but they taxed us for the 40 bottles of wine (I quickly mocked up a receipt on my phone showing the original price per bottle as $4)
Taiwan: no meat at all, even beef jerky or other dried meats. Even frozen airline meals are banned so no POM meals either (source).
United Kingdom: Click here
United States: No meat, fruit, or vegetables.


No issues experienced in:

Argentina
Aruba
Bahamas
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Neum land crossing)
Brazil
Canada
Croatia (Debeli Brijeg and Neum land crossings, Zagreb)
Cuba
Czech Republic
Ecuador (NOT Galapagos - see the top section for that)
Faroe Islands
France
French Polynesia/Bora Bora
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guatemala
Honduras (see here for important details)
Hong Kong
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Lesotho (Sani Pass land crossing)
Macau
Madagascar
Malaysia
Martinique ($5,000 worth of wine, meat, dairy - no issues BH)
Malawi
Mauritius
Montenegro
Morocco
Norway
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Sao Tome and Principe
Seychelles (Reports of them being strict but didn't have trouble)
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Svalbard
Switzerland
Tanzania
Thailand
UAE
Uganda
US/Guam
US/Hawaii
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Author Topic: Countries That Have Food Restrictions  (Read 188308 times)

Offline Adam101

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #60 on: June 28, 2017, 12:05:33 PM »
DP on Portugal?

Offline MeirS

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #61 on: June 29, 2017, 02:04:11 AM »
Is it, are you allowed to bring meat into the UK?
It is prohibited to bring meat into the UK from outside of the EU, Iceland, The Faroe Islands and Greenland.

It's clear on their website.

Offline jose34

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #62 on: June 29, 2017, 04:15:57 PM »
It is prohibited to bring meat into the UK from outside of the EU, Iceland, The Faroe Islands and Greenland.

It's clear on their website.

Thanks.
Whoever is charge; can this ended on the wiki?

Offline Dan

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #63 on: June 29, 2017, 04:41:46 PM »
One thing I would add to the Wiki, Japan's polices on food seemed pretty strict, basically no meat at all. Given their rules, their reputation for being strict about all laws, and the reputation of their prisons, I didn't actually test bringing food in, but I would advise caution.
I've brought meat into Japan twice.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Live N Learn

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #64 on: June 30, 2017, 12:24:53 AM »
It is prohibited to bring meat into the UK from outside of the EU, Iceland, The Faroe Islands and Greenland.

It's clear on their website.

Added to wiki. Are you sure on this? @Dan posted, that it's no issue.
".איזהו חכם, הלומד מכל אדם"

Offline Dan

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #65 on: June 30, 2017, 12:32:56 AM »
Obviously many countries will be YMMV.

The question is how big is the YMMV.

In AU/NZ they check nearly everybody.
In Mexico they check most frum Jews.

Norway might have rules, but they didn't seem to be checking anyone.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline MeirS

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #66 on: June 30, 2017, 01:57:32 AM »
Added to wiki. Are you sure on this? @Dan posted, that it's no issue.
I'm sure those are the rules.

Like everything is YMMV and I don't know the algorithms of who they stop and who they let go.

I may have brought things into the UK illegally in the past myself but here I was just responding to @jose34 who seemed surprised that they didn't let him through.

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #67 on: July 03, 2017, 11:08:33 AM »
Posting here to clean up the wiki.


From Gov.UK :

Quote
Food

What you can bring into the UK depends on whether you’re travelling from within or outside the European Union.

The EU also includes Andorra, Canary Islands, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland in this context.
Within the EU
You can bring any fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy or other animal products (eg fish, eggs and honey) into the UK if you’re travelling from a country within the EU.

Outside the EU
Meat, dairy products and potatoes
You can’t bring meat, meat products, milk, dairy products or potatoes into the UK from outside the EU unless you’re coming from:

Iceland
the Faroe Islands
Greenland
You can bring up to 10kg from these countries.

Fruit and vegetables
You can bring up to 2kg of fruit and vegetables (except potatoes) into the UK as long as they are:

in personal baggage
for you and your family or friends (ie you can’t sell them)
free from signs of pests and diseases
Eggs, honey and fish
You can bring:

egg products, eggs and honey (up to 2kg in total)
fish (up to 20kg in total or 1 fish, whichever is the heaviest)
Any fish you bring in must be fresh and gutted, cooked, cured, dried or smoked.
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Offline MeirS

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #68 on: July 03, 2017, 11:10:53 AM »
Posting here to clean up the wiki.


From Gov.UK :

Offline Something Fishy

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #69 on: July 03, 2017, 11:12:42 AM »
Honduras:

No official published rules, but many reports online about meat, chicken, and/or dairy being taken away. Online reports also state that Roatan airport tends to be more lenient due to the laid-back island culture. All bags get x-rayed, regardless of point of entry.

I flew into Roatan last week and the agent didn't even look at the x-ray monitor. Had no problems whatsoever.
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Offline Yordai Dooma

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #70 on: July 05, 2017, 01:49:29 AM »
Do you guys declare the food when the customs form asks if you are bringing any meat vegetables etc in?

I was pretty nervous about going into DPS and ended up declaring it. They pulled me aside after the customs officer told me to keep going and asked me about a different bag. They pointed to my polar bear coolers and asked what was inside and i said food... Religion.. Special diet and they miraculously let me go.

In other news, in ICN they took away some frozen ice packs at the regular security line

Offline ExGingi

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #71 on: July 06, 2017, 02:14:13 PM »
Not a food question, but was asked by someone who is going to TRANSIT through AUH regarding a certain anti-anxiety medication, to what extent is this enforced, and does it make a difference if in checked luggage or carry-on?
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
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Offline high end hobo

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #72 on: July 30, 2017, 12:32:30 PM »
I nearly got arrested (until i paid $400 fine) in NZ due to the fact I had a bit of biltong in my backpack that I forgot about.

Be careful there

Offline GAM Z.

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #73 on: July 31, 2017, 03:31:18 PM »
Posting here to clean up the wiki.


From Gov.UK :
Is it possible to bring in meat, or they'll for sure take it away? Also, is all meat products a problem, including salamis?

Offline MeirS

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #74 on: August 01, 2017, 02:43:04 AM »
Is it possible to bring in meat, or they'll for sure take it away? Also, is all meat products a problem, including salamis?
There's no such thing as "for sure" in this industry.

Offline moish

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #75 on: August 13, 2017, 08:06:16 AM »
Varna Airport, Bulgaria. Stopped many people from TLV flight to put bags through machine. Initially took away all out frozen chicken and cold cuts, but after my wife pleaded with them saying that we will have nothing to eat, let us take frozen chicken but kept the cold cuts. We later learned that they do this all the time, as they enjoy the taste of Israeli cold cuts.

Offline zow

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #76 on: November 10, 2017, 06:49:41 AM »
No issue in UAE (Dubai). My first time using the Polar Bear cooler. Love it! Thanks, Dan.

Offline Love 2 Travel

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #77 on: January 14, 2018, 02:04:04 AM »
IIRC the polices seemed the same to me, but in practice AU looked at all our Meal Mart meals and let them in. NZ took away all our chicken dishes but let us keep the ones with meat.

If they have problems with meal mart chicken meals in NZ I doubt you will get POM meals in. For that matter I think you will have trouble getting POM meals in to either NZ or AU.

Did you declare your food in NZ?

Offline Deal Guy

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #78 on: January 21, 2018, 02:36:27 PM »
For example, are you allowed to bring US Company meat or Meal Mart back INTO the U.S.?
I'd it just foreign meat you can't bring into the U.S., or if you show that it was produced in the U.S. then it's fine?

Offline Yordai Dooma

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Re: Countries That Have Food Restrictions
« Reply #79 on: January 21, 2018, 07:43:46 PM »
For example, are you allowed to bring US Company meat or Meal Mart back INTO the U.S.?
I'd it just foreign meat you can't bring into the U.S., or if you show that it was produced in the U.S. then it's fine?
I was once stopped. Brought back a sealed salami from Romanian. They are/were not under the USDA and only under Illinois agriculture. The took it away even though i showed them it was sealed and from the US. I don't know what they would have said had it been USDA.

i almost got rejected by GE on my first appointment like 8 years ago for this.
They asked if i ever tried to bring anything into the country that i wasn't allowed to. I forgot about this and said no... He said you once tried to bring in meat.