# Rules or checks taking food into Dublin by ferry?



## Bertilak (Aug 31, 2021)

There's plenty of info regarding not taking meat dairy or veggies into the EU, but does anyone have experience on how this is enforced within the common travel area (ie UK + ROI etc)?

Do people travel with empty fridges?
How about hard / dry / cooked goods; teabags, tins of beans etc.? If we clear the docks at 7pm making first stop a supermarket will be a pita!


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## izwozral (Aug 31, 2021)

Probably not worth the risk, you may be fined. Here is a link to what you can and cannot take. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/carry/meat-dairy-animal/index_en.htm


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## witzend (Aug 31, 2021)

Remember We do brag about using local shops and cafes to support the community's that welcome us. Our fridge is always off until we do a shop after arriving usually have a meal on the ferry which keeps us going until then


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## Bertilak (Aug 31, 2021)

Thanks for the list, previously I'd read a summary to exclude plant-origin foods, rather than just potted plants. 
So we can take some bread and jam, (with marg) for breakfast, and most of the normal stuff without needing restock all the herbs, spices, sauces etc. 

Absolutely: I despise(ish) Brits I've met in the past who boast of taking 3 weeks worth of meat etc-   bonkers imo. We'll be tourists wanting to experience the country, not just live on the cheap.
However we're in a basic VW with a mini fridge so we buy food every 2-3 days. We'll also be in Dublin city a couple of days later, which will benefit from many of our tourist euros, before distributing a lot more along the south coast.


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## trevskoda (Aug 31, 2021)

Dublin city is the biggest in the world as its Dublin all the time.


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## Bertilak (Aug 31, 2021)

Very good: an Irish joke that can't be taken as offensive!


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## Brockley (Sep 2, 2021)

Bertilak said:


> There's plenty of info regarding not taking meat dairy or veggies into the EU, but does anyone have experience on how this is enforced within the common travel area (ie UK + ROI etc)?
> 
> Do people travel with empty fridges?
> How about hard / dry / cooked goods; teabags, tins of beans etc.? If we clear the docks at 7pm making first stop a supermarket will be a pita!


Crossed from Dublin to Cherbourg on Thursday 26th August. Customs made some checks up and down the lines asking questions like ”do you have any animals or money on board”. No mention of anything else. One Bulgarian gentleman had a van an trailer loaded with stuff. They asked to see in his van, it was floor to ceiling full of boxes wrapped in cling film. They asked him if he’d packed them and we heard him say they weren’t even his, he was carrying them for friends! They didn’t search the van (had a sniffer dog) and didn’t even bother with the trailer!

As for us, well the fridge had some fish in it which I allowed. On the other side there were no checks other than passports and Covid status. As for the steaks, milk, Irish bacon etc well we wouldn’t dream of carrying anything like that just to see if they would actually  confiscate meat and dairy products from all motorhome entering France post Brexit. Vive la differance!


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## Brockley (Sep 2, 2021)

I 


Bertilak said:


> Thanks for the list, previously I'd read a summary to exclude plant-origin foods, rather than just potted plants.
> So we can take some bread and jam, (with marg) for breakfast, and most of the normal stuff without needing restock all the herbs, spices, sauces etc.
> 
> Absolutely: I despise(ish) Brits I've met in the past who boast of taking 3 weeks worth of meat etc-   bonkers imo. We'll be tourists wanting to experience the country, not just live on the cheap.
> However we're in a basic VW with a mini fridge so we buy food every 2-3 days. We'll also be in Dublin city a couple of days later, which will benefit from many of our tourist euros, before distributing a lot more along the south coast.


I admire your moral stance but Dublin is in Europe, why should there be any restrictions regarding importation of meat and dairy products from one European country to another? Does that happen in mainland Europe?


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## Bertilak (Sep 3, 2021)

You were travelling within the EU, so get free movement of goods. We're entering into the EU, so we get the same rules as Vietnamese bringing traditional pork dishes (which ISTR was suggested as the origin of Foot and Mouth Disease shutting down farming and countryside tourism in 2001). 
Whilst motorhoming was not the target, it's another collateral damage from Brexit. One hopes customs officers are  too sensible or too busy for this, but do you feel lucky?


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## Fisherman (Sep 3, 2021)

This whole brexit/Irish situation in very complicated in my honest opinion.
First Ireland is an EU member but not part of the Schengen.
So when entering Ireland from within the U.K. you are entering the eu.
But what if you enter from Northern Ireland.
In terms of customs this is were it gets complicated.
Although Northern Ireland is in the U.K. When crossing the border there are no customs restrictions as technically you were already within the EU with regards to customs when inside Northern Ireland. Also to add further complications Ireland and the U.K. have always and still do have freedom of movement between the two countries.
But when leaving any part of Ireland for say France you are now entering the Schengen and this will mean passport restrictions. But this is further complicated if you do so using a non EU passport. Even though you are travelling between two eu countries (technically in the case of Northern Ireland) you have done so with a non eu passport. This can initiate checks with regards to customs, and the various passport restrictions which are now applied.


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## Fisherman (Sep 3, 2021)

redhand said:


> Political post removed


Yes it’s extremely complicated, and the folk over the water have my sincere sympathies. But this thread deals with the customs issue, not the politics behind it.


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## Fisherman (Sep 3, 2021)

Tookey said:


> Political post deleted


Apologies if I have in any way initiated this, but it does serve to highlight how difficult this can be. Clearly this affects us as Motorhome users.


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## Tookey (Sep 3, 2021)

Fisherman said:


> Possibly Tookey, but best if we leave the politics alone.
> Apologies if I have in any way initiated this, but it does serve to highlight how difficult this can be. Clearly this affects us as Motorhome users.


It was an observation nothing more


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## Fisherman (Sep 3, 2021)

Tookey said:


> It was an observation nothing more


I know it was, and a very reasonable one to.


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## trevskoda (Sep 3, 2021)

Fisherman said:


> This whole brexit/Irish situation in very complicated in my honest opinion.
> First Ireland is an EU member but not part of the Schengen.
> So when entering Ireland from within the U.K. you are entering the eu.
> But what if you enter from Northern Ireland.
> ...


Northern Ireland is within the schengen zone but not the eu, my posty gave me the full run down on the silly nonsence, so goods from england have to go through the sea border in 2023 but goods from say france do not.


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## mark61 (Sep 3, 2021)

trevskoda said:


> *Northern Ireland is within the schengen zone* but not the eu, my posty gave me the full run down on the silly nonsence, so goods from england have to go through the sea border in 2023 but goods from say france do not.


May be worth considering a new posty


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## Fisherman (Sep 3, 2021)

trevskoda said:


> Northern Ireland is within the schengen zone but not the eu, my posty gave me the full run down on the silly nonsence, so goods from england have to go through the sea border in 2023 but goods from say france do not.


Your in the customs union get a new postie Trev. And what about goods from Scotland and Wales


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## Annsman (Sep 3, 2021)

I've got a few friends from The Republic of Ireland and have spoken to then a few times on this. Their general opinion they don't give it a single thought! They load their vans and set off. They tour N.I. GB and Mainland Europe, not one of them is the slightest bit bothered what is in their fridges! Their simple answer is "We're Irish, we don't give a feck for any of this s*ite!"
It seems to work for them, but being British I'm too tight to try it!


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## trevskoda (Sep 3, 2021)

Annsman said:


> I've got a few friends from The Republic of Ireland and have spoken to then a few times on this. Their general opinion they don't give it a single thought! They load their vans and set off. They tour N.I. GB and Mainland Europe, not one of them is the slightest bit bothered what is in their fridges! Their simple answer is "We're Irish, we don't give a feck for any of this s*ite!"
> It seems to work for them, but being British I'm too tight to try it!


Yep we do the same up norf, we make our own rules up to, others may follow.


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## Bertilak (Sep 7, 2021)

Report back:
Dublin port shows no sign of any changes. First customs ask you if you've got any alcohol or cigs (that you'd like to pay duty on), then 50 yds on they want your passport, vaccination cert, and receipt for locator form. There's no diversion lane, they seem way too busy to look inside. 
Next time I'd not worry about talking milk for a brew and cornflakes. I might try a confuse them by smuggling in some Irish  cheese.


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