What can be taken at the EU border: rules for transporting products for Ukrainians

When planning a trip from Ukraine to the European Union, it is worth checking not only your documents but also the contents of your suitcase in advance. Products that seem like ordinary snacks for the road or gifts for relatives may fall under EU veterinary and phytosanitary restrictions.

The strictest rules apply to meat and dairy products. At the same time, separate limits are provided for fish, honey, baby food and some other products.

Sausage, lard and canned meat are better left at home

As a rule, meat, meat products, milk and dairy products cannot be imported from Ukraine to the EU in personal luggage.

The following are prohibited, in particular:

fresh, cooked, dried and otherwise processed meat;

sausages and other meat products;
lard and meat products;
canned meat and stew;

milk;
cheese and most other dairy products.

And a small amount of the product does not cancel the ban. The widespread belief that sausage can be transported if you put it in a sandwich does not work either. If the product contains a prohibited meat component, the form of its presentation does not change the situation.

During control, such products may be seized and destroyed. Depending on the country of entry and the circumstances of the violation, additional sanctions are possible.

How much fish and honey can be taken

The rules are much more lenient for fish products. For personal consumption, it is allowed to import up to 20 kg of fish products per person or one fish if its weight exceeds 20 kg.

This includes, in particular, cooked, dried, salted or smoked fish. Fresh fish must be gutted.

For honey, eggs and some other products of animal origin, a limit of up to 2 kg of the corresponding category per person has been set.

Fruit and vegetables – not so simple

Most fresh fruit, vegetables, plants and cut flowers from third countries are subject to EU phytosanitary rules. A phytosanitary certificate may be required for their import.

Therefore, it is worth checking the specific requirements for such products before travelling, depending on the country through which a person will enter the European Union.

What about chocolate, biscuits and pastries

For a number of ready-made products, the rules are simpler. Certain bakery and confectionery products, biscuits, chocolate and cakes may not be subject to restrictions on the import of products of animal origin, if they meet the established requirements and do not contain meat components.

Therefore, there is no universal rule such as “only two bars of chocolate are allowed” or “no more than 2 kg of pastries” – the composition of the specific product and customs regulations are important.

There is an exception for baby food

Up to 2 kg of powdered baby milk, baby food and special food required for medical reasons are allowed to be imported into the EU.

To do this, the product must not require refrigeration before opening, must be in its original packaging, and the packaging itself must be intact, except for the product that is already in use.

A similar exception is provided for special food required by a pet due to its health condition, if it is traveling with its owner. The limit is also up to 2 kg under the established conditions.

Can I carry homemade twists

In the case of home preservation, the main thing is its composition. Canned meat cannot be transported, as well as homemade products with prohibited meat or dairy components.

Transferring a product from a glass jar to a plastic container also does not change the rules and does not make a prohibited product permitted.

At the same time, jam without prohibited components generally does not belong to the category of meat or dairy products.

Alcohol and cigarettes: separate limits apply

For alcohol, you need to take into account the rules of the specific country of entry. General guidelines for the EU are up to 16 liters of beer, 4 liters of still wine, as well as 1 liter of alcohol with a strength of over 22% or 2 liters of drinks with a strength of up to 22%.

For tobacco products, limits may vary depending on the country and the method of crossing the border. The lower level is 40 cigarettes, 20 cigarillos, 10 cigars or 50 g of tobacco. The higher is 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco.

When entering by land transport, individual countries apply the lower limits.

What to check before crossing the border

The main rule for travelers from Ukraine: it is better not to take meat and dairy products at all. There are specific limits for fish, honey, eggs, baby food and special food, and phytosanitary requirements may apply to most fresh fruits and vegetables.

Since individual customs regulations depend on the country of first entry into the EU and the method of border crossing, it is worth checking the current requirements of a specific country before traveling.