Nothing will · X
Nothing will let it in
The last rung, and the shortest. These are not things that need arranging — they are things that will not be permitted whatever anybody arranges, and reading the list beforehand costs nothing.
Everything here has an alternative, and every alternative is cheaper than a seizure.
What sits here
The two kinds of refusal
Universal and local. Counterfeit goods and hazardous materials are refused essentially everywhere, and nobody is surprised by either. The local kind is what catches people: an item perfectly lawful to own here and prohibited at the destination, most often in the weapons, media or foodstuffs categories.
That is why this list is reviewed against the actual destination at survey rather than handed out as a general leaflet.
Food is the commonest one
Not because anybody intends to ship a fridge, but because store cupboards get packed with everything else. Meat and dairy products, seeds, honey and various plant products are restricted or refused across most strict regimes.
Empty the cupboards before the move. Dry goods travel badly over a long crossing anyway, and the amount genuinely worth shipping is smaller than the amount usually packed.
What a seizure actually costs
The item, first, and it is not generally returned. Then the time, because a consignment held while something is investigated holds up everything else in it. And then the credibility of the entry, which is the thing that makes the rest of the clearance straightforward or not.
None of that is proportionate to whatever was being saved by not mentioning it.
And the fuel rule, which comes first
Fuel, gas cylinders, solvents, open paint and fireworks are off a household load before customs enters the conversation. It is a safety rule about sealed vehicles and containers and no firm should bend it.
Mowers and strimmers drained, barbecue cylinders separated, paint tins finished or given away — three small jobs at the survey stage that each stop an item being abandoned on the morning.
Nothing will let it in
Questions about nothing will let it in
- What is refused everywhere?
- Counterfeit goods, hazardous materials and anything unlawful to possess. Those are universal and rarely a surprise to anybody.
- What catches people out?
- The local refusals — an item lawful here and prohibited at the destination, usually in the weapons, media or foodstuffs categories. Reviewed against your actual destination at survey.
- Is food really a problem?
- Meat, dairy, seeds, honey and plant products are restricted or refused in most strict regimes, and store cupboards get packed by accident. Empty them before the move.
- What happens if something is seized?
- The item is generally not returned, the consignment is delayed while it is investigated, and the credibility of the whole entry is affected.
- Why is fuel on this list?
- It is a safety rule about sealed vehicles and containers rather than a customs matter, and it applies before any border is reached.
- Can we appeal a refusal?
- That is a matter between you and the authority concerned, and nothing on this site is legal advice. It is also considerably slower than not packing the item.
Which rung are you on?
Both addresses, roughly what is going, and anything in the house that might sit higher up the ladder — an instrument, an antique, a wine collection, a drone, a car.