Travel to the EU after January 1st

[Markd]

2022??

 

[colinm]

2022??

That would be summer 2021, which is the next summer we will be having, although Chris Whitty (or was it one of the other government officers) said we may well have restrictions next winter, so don't expect CV-19 to disappear anytime soon.

 

[Markd]

One should be hopeful I suppose.

 

[2cv]

Covid test required for UK arrivals from Friday. Link

 

[Annsman]

No worries what is worst they could do - probably only arrest you take you to airport and force you to fly back leaving van where it is until you can collect it again

In that case your insurance might not cover it, unless you inform them. Read the t&c’s about leaving your van unattended.

 

[Annsman]

The EU border guards are now checking what foodstuffs you take with you. Meat, dairy, fish and some processed foods are now banned from being taken from the UK to EU. They are confiscating any banned stuff. There are exceptions for baby foods and some pet food. I know we can’t go anyway for now, but it’s worth making a note for when we can.

 

[Markd]

Covid test required for UK arrivals from Friday. Link

About time!

 

[Markd]

The EU border guards are now checking what foodstuffs you take with you. Meat, dairy, fish and some processed foods are now banned from being taken from the UK to EU. They are confiscating any banned stuff. There are exceptions for baby foods and some pet food. I know we can’t go anyway for now, but it’s worth making a note for when we can.

I guess they've got plenty of time at the moment - I wonder whether they'll be so rigorous when volumes return to normal?

 

[Snapster]

I don’t see why that would change in the future. The rules say you can’t take those items into the EU, so why would they relax the rules later? Customs / Border Control people never seem in a hurry to rush people through.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

What I want to know is this:-

Have they always checked the foodstuffs that people from other non-EU countries have brought with them when travelling into any of the EU member states?

i.e. is this a completely new rule and does it just apply to "ham and cheese sandwiches" from the UK?

If you're coming in from China, Australia or anywhere else in the world, do they check what foodstuffs those travellers have brought with them for personal consumption?

Does seem slightly insane....

 

[John H]

What I want to know is this:-

Have they always checked the foodstuffs that people from other non-EU countries have brought with them when travelling into any of the EU member states?

i.e. is this a completely new rule and does it just apply to "ham and cheese sandwiches" from the UK?

If you're coming in from China, Australia or anywhere else in the world, do they check what foodstuffs those travellers have brought with them for personal consumption?

Does seem slightly insane....

Not a new rule - it has been the rule for all non-EU countries for a long time. And not insane either - the EU wants to control what is coming into its borders from regions over which it has no control. Not unique either - have you ever tried to get into Australia with an apple?

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Not a new rule - it has been the rule for all non-EU countries for a long time. And not insane either - the EU wants to control what is coming into its borders from regions over which it has no control. Nit unique either - have you ever tried to get into Australia with an apple?

Thank you. I only said insane because we are all just the other side of the B word so everyone is adjusting to the new rules for the UK and interactions with EU countries.

I won't get into the subject too much, else we'll be heading for deep water and getting posts pulled (or at least I will!).

Guess those who are feeling put out because they can no longer take some their favourite foodstuffs with them when crossing the Channel will just have to grin and bear it. Not such a massive hardship in the scheme of things? Especially right now!

Like I said elsewhere, eating food products of the country I'm visiting is one of the delights of travelling, so would be no hardship for me.
Reminds me of all those ex-pats who never taste the local cuisine.... they don't know what they're missing...

 

[REC]

Thank you. I only said insane because we are all just the other side of the B word so everyone is adjusting to the new rules for the UK and interactions with EU countries.

I won't get into the subject too much, else we'll be heading for deep water and getting posts pulled (or at least I will!).

Guess those who are feeling put out because they can no longer take some their favourite foodstuffs with them when crossing the Channel will just have to grin and bear it. Not such a massive hardship in the scheme of things? Especially right now!

Like I said elsewhere, eating food products of the country I'm visiting is one of the delights of travelling, so would be no hardship for me.
Reminds me of all those ex-pats who never taste the local cuisine.... they don't know what they're missing...

I definitely feel aggrieved, as we often go through late evening, stop close to calais, then have a good run the next day. Will have to stop for food shopping now, which is a real pain. And, although local cuisine is great, there are odd things which you hanker for when away a long while. Will have to stick with powdered milk, tinned foods ...no real hardship just another niggle. As you say, in the scheme of things, not massive. Pinning my hopes on common sense breaking through and these irritations being sorted.....eventually!

 

[Snapster]

The rules for entering the EU from 3rd countries hasn’t changed, but, it may be that because the UK has only just left, and many people still seem to think that the UK is a special case and rules don’t apply to them, people are being stopped and checked and these ham sandwiches are being found.
Of course, other 3rd countries will have always had to abide by the rules, so they ( mostly) know the score.
The rules will not be relaxed unless there is new legislation, so people should get used to complying with what is in force now.
I’m pretty sure a huge proportion of people in the UK knew this and other often discussed restrictions were coming anyway.

“If you travel to the EU from a non-EU country, you are not allowed to bring any meat or dairy productswith you. You can however bring a limited quantity of fruit and vegetables as well as eggs, egg products and honey. Restricted quantities of fish or fish products are also allowed

 

[mark61]

Haven't been asked about food coming back from Morocco or Tunisia.

 

[John H]

I definitely feel aggrieved, as we often go through late evening, stop close to calais, then have a good run the next day. Will have to stop for food shopping now, which is a real pain. And, although local cuisine is great, there are odd things which you hanker for when away a long while. Will have to stick with powdered milk, tinned foods ...no real hardship just another niggle. As you say, in the scheme of things, not massive. Pinning my hopes on common sense breaking through and these irritations being sorted.....eventually!

The rule applies to meat and milk and their products, so we can still take things like marmite! As for common sense, well it seems to me that it is common sense. No country willingly allows in potential disease and if you don't have any control over the means of production then you cannot be sure whether the product is carrying disease or not.

Having said that, there will always be anomalies. I once bought an apple on Easter Island. Easter Island is part of Chile and does not grow apples. That apple came from mainland Chile. When I tried to take it on the plane to mainland Chile I was stopped because apples are not allowed into Chile!

 

[Snapster]

What I want to know is this:-

Have they always checked the foodstuffs that people from other non-EU countries have brought with them when travelling into any of the EU member states?
..............
If you're coming in from China, Australia or anywhere else in the world, do they check what foodstuffs those travellers have brought with them for personal consumption?

Does seem slightly insane....

If you’ve ever flown to America, Asia or Australasia, or into the EU from outside the EU, you have to sign a declaration stating you have non of their banned items and foodstuffs. ( including ham sandwiches!)

Maybe ferry companies and Eurotunnel should insist you sign one of these disclaimers before you disembark ( or do they anyway? ) so you know what you are entitled to carry and won’t be caught out.

 

[John H]

If you’ve ever flown to America, Asia or Australasia, or into the EU from outside the EU, you have to sign a declaration stating you have non of their banned items and foodstuffs. ( including ham sandwiches!)

Maybe ferry companies and Eurotunnel should insist you sign one of these disclaimers before you disembark ( or do they anyway? ) so you know what you are entitled to carry and won’t be caught out.

I have signed such declarations many times and always read them carefully. However, I have seen others just sign them without reading them. You can bet your life that they will be the first to make a fuss when they are pulled up for importing stuff they shouldn't have!

 

[Snapster]

Haven't been asked about food coming back from Morocco or Tunisia.

Do Spain and Morocco ( and Tunisia) have an agreement on what you can and can’t take across the borders?

 

[John H]

The rules about meat and dairy products are the same for every non-EU country, including Morocco. Some people may have got through without being checked (customs officials never check everybody, whichever country you are entering) but it is probably not a wise thing to do - and remember that claiming you didn't know is no excuse. The rules are there for everybody to read if they choose to.