Top ten tips for travellers this summer

2 Aug 2006 09:15 AM

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is keen to give travellers from the North West some valuable advice to make sure that they have a safe and happy holiday this summer. Officers at Manchester Airport are encouraging travellers to take note of their top tips for travelling abroad:

1. Before you go on holiday make sure you check out your duty free allowances at www.hmrc.gov.uk, especially if you are travelling outside the EU, including trips to the Canary Islands. There are strict allowances on goods such as cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and gifts or souvenirs, and if you go over these limits you could face prosecution.

2. If you are buying items while you are away on holiday, check that you are allowed to bring them back with you. Just because something is on sale in another country doesn't automatically mean it can be brought back to the UK. Whatever you have bought - a DVD, a local delicacy or a houseplant be aware that some goods are restricted or banned in the UK.

3. In order to protect the UK from the risk of disease there are a number of restrictions on bringing food products into the country. If you decide to buy any food products on your holiday to bring home, especially meat or dairy products, check to make sure that they are permitted. If in doubt, leave it out.

4. If you intend working abroad, remember that you may have to pay UK tax on any money you earn. If your overseas employer taxes you as well, you will be credited for this in the UK. For more information visit: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxandu/wa_pay_tax.htm or ring our Non Residents Helpline on 0845 700 0040.

5. If you need to take medicines with you on holiday, you should check the rules about travelling with medication. Some prescription medicines contain controlled drugs and you may need a licence to carry them with you. Most over-the-counter medicines are fine but you can visit www.hmrc.gov.uk for more information. Bringing unlicensed drugs such as heroin or cannabis into the UK is a serious criminal offence and will result in prosecution.

6. Some goods, such as animal skins, shells and ivory products are protected by an international agreement - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This means there are strict rules on what you can bring back into the UK including items like handbags or shoes made from animal skin. These rules also cover the import and export of live animals.

7. Don't be tempted to buy fake or counterfeit goods on holiday. It is illegal to bring these goods back into the UK. This includes items such as pirate DVDs, fake football shirts or fake designer goods like handbags or watches. If you are caught, you can have your goods seized and possibly face prosecution.

8. Always pack your bags yourself and never agree to carry anything for someone else. You are responsible for your luggage and for what you bring back into the UK. If the luggage you are carrying contains illegal goods - you will be held accountable.

9. Get prepared for your trip by finding out about the rules and regulations in the country you are visiting. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) website www.fco.gov.uk/travel is a useful place to find out information before you travel.

10. Before you travel make sure you have a valid passport. If you wish to travel abroad you must hold a full ten-year passport, even for a day trip. For more information contact The Identity and Passport Office or visit their website at www.ukpa.gov.uk

Linda Paul, HMRC's Head of Detection NW comments:

"We want travellers to have a safe and happy holiday this summer, but we do need to reinforce these messages to the public. Restrictions on what can and cannot be brought back into the UK are set by the government to protect the UK and its citizens.

"We get a lot of passengers through Manchester Airport who either exceed their duty free limit or who attempt to bring in banned or restricted goods. The majority of these travellers genuinely do not realise they are breaking the law - we hope these tips encourage those honest passengers to check the rules before they travel. However, there are also passengers who try and flout the rules and we want to send a clear message to them, that we have a strong presence at Manchester Airport and will be on hand to ensure that the rules are enforced."

Andrew Cornish, Managing Director of Manchester Airport's Operations and Services, said: "It's important that passengers are aware of the customs regulations that are enforced at the airport. By educating people about these regulations before they travel we're able to ensure that each and every passenger has a journey that's enjoyable and hassle-free."

Linda also encourages travellers to contact the HMRC national enquiries help line or visit the website www.hmrc.gov.uk if they have questions about what they can or cannot bring home from their trip.

The national enquiries helpline is open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday on 0845 010 9000 (+44 208 929 0152 outside UK).

Notes to Editors

1. The current duty free allowances are as follows:

Travelling within the EU - If you bring in goods on which tax has been paid in an EU country you do not have to pay any tax or duty on them in the UK. However, any alcohol or tobacco you bring in must be for your own use and transported by you. There are special rules for some countries within the EU. Check www.hmrc.gov.uk for more information.

Travelling from a non-EU country (including the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar) - you can bring the following into the UK for your own use without paying UK tax or duty:

* 200 cigarettes; OR 100 cigarillos; OR 50 cigars; OR 250g of tobacco;
* 60cc of perfume;
* 2 litres of still table wine;
* 250cc of eau de toilette;
* 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; OR 2 litres of fortified wine,* sparkling wine or other liqueurs (*such as port or sherry);
* £145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs.

From some EU countries there are limits on the amount of tobacco products you can bring back without paying UK duty:

* From Czech Republic - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos
* From Estonia -- 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco * From Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia - 200 cigarettes

2. Meat, food and plants can carry animal/plant pests and diseases, which can devastate our environment and our agricultural and horticultural industries. Meat, milk and other animal products (such as fish, eggs and honey) from outside the EU are banned completely from entering the UK. Certain plants and their produce, including trees, shrubs, potatoes, certain fruit, bulbs and seeds cannot be imported into the UK without a licence. Passengers may bring in up to 1kg per person of certain non-meat or dairy products from some countries.

3. Prohibited and restricted goods

Prohibited goods -
* Unlicensed drugs including cannabis
* Offensive weapons
* Indecent and obscene material
* Pornographic material
* Counterfeit and pirate goods, such as DVD's, perfume and clothing

Restricted goods -
* Firearms
* Live animals
* Endangered species
* Certain plants and plant products
* Certain Radio transmitters

4. Recent examples

Customs officers at Manchester Airport often come across passengers attempting to bring prohibited or unusual goods into the North West:

* Customs officers regularly intercept passengers at Manchester Airport returning from abroad with food and confectionary items containing meat, fish and dairy based products such as milk, butter or ghee. Here are some of the individual seizures, all relate to individual travellers, some involved specially trained sniffer dogs and all items were confiscated and destroyed:
* tinned sheep head, sheep's milk, sheep's cheese and three packs of ham (from Iran);
* eleven kilos of mangoes and over six kilos of ghee based sweets (from Pakistan);
* over seven kilos of meat and over three kilos of cheese (from Cyprus);
* a bottle of honey ; over three kilos of cheese and a kilo of mixed food products (from Mauritius)
* five kilos of chicken sausage, over six kilos of dried smoked fish and two kilos of tinned cheeses (from Antigua and Barbuda) * 20 duck eggs, with leopard bone, octopus, and milk powder (from China).

* This month officers seized five flick knives, six knuckle dusters and a stun gun from one man returning from Bangkok. All the weapons were handed over to the police and prosecution action has been taken by Greater Manchester Police. Other examples of weapons that have been seized off holidaymakers include a long curved knife (from Spain), death stars (from Thailand), a telescopic baton (from Cyprus) and a swordstick (from the Canary Isles).

* Two weeks ago, officers at Manchester Airport rescued two live terrapins after a passenger attempted to smuggle them through customs controls in their luggage (from Hong Kong). Officers looked after the pair until they found a new home in a sanctuary in North Wales. A few weeks earlier another passenger had arrived with two tortoises in hand luggage from Tunisia - again the pair were rehomed by HMRC. Both Chester and Blackpool zoos have assisted with seized tortoises.

* This month a passenger travelling from Nigeria attempted to import five handbags made from crocodile skin. Earlier in the year a woman arriving from Orlando, USA had an alligator head confiscated on arrival at the airport. There have also been individual seizures of conch shells, and seal oil capsules from passengers in 2006 at Manchester.

* Last month, Customs intercepted a man attempting to smuggle in 81 counterfeit t-shirts with designer labels, along with designer watches and bags from Turkey.

* Passengers who have deliberately attempted to smuggle in Class A drugs have used a variety of concealments such as shampoo or body lotion bottles, insulation panels in a cooler box, inside wax candles, in toothpaste tubes, in footwear and labelled as kitchen spices.

Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press Office Team

Website www.hmrc.gov.uk