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Travelling from Spain to the UK in late 2025? Make sure you remember not to pack any meat or dairy. Even a single ham sandwich or slice of Manchego cheese could set you back up to £5,000 in fines. A temporary ban on all personal meat and dairy imports from the EU, including Spain, has been extended to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) entering British farms. This applies to all border points: airports, Eurostar, ferries, and the Channel Tunnel. The rule is strict: no exemptions for duty-free, vacuum-packed, or cooked items. Border Force seizes prohibited products and has the authority to impose immediate fines. With millions of Brits planning to take foodie gifts over to the UK this Christmas from Spain, it would do them well to remember that thousands have already had food confiscated, and some faced fines. What’s banned? Full list of prohibited Spanish products The UK bans all products containing meat or dairy from EU countries, including: Meats: Jamón ibérico, jamón serrano, chorizo, fuet, salchichón, lomo, morcilla Cheeses: Manchego, Idiazábal, Mahón, Cabrales, Tetilla Dairy: Milk, yoghurt, butter, cream Composite foods: empanadas, croquetas, tortilla with chorizo, cheese boards Allowed (limited quantities): Fish and shellfish Up to 12 eggs per person Poultry (commercially packed, under 2 kg) Infant baby formula (up to 2 kg, branded, sealed) Medical diary (with prescription) Official banned items list: GOV.UK – Meat, Dairy, Fish and Animal Products How the £5,000 fine works – and how to avoid It If caught with banned items: Items confiscated and destroyed—including suitcases if contaminated. A fixed penalty notice dished out issued for non-declaration. Maximum fine: £5,000 in England (lower in Scotland/Wales) Avoid fines: Use the red ‘goods to declare’ channel or declare online. Voluntary surrender = no penalty. Enforcement is active at: Airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester Eurostar: St Pancras International Ports: Dover, Folkestone (Eurotunnel) Declaration guidance: GOV.UK – Bringing Food into Great Britain Why Spain is included: The 2025 FMD outbreaks Spain has had no FMD cases since 1986, but the ban is EU-wide due to outbreaks in: Germany (January 2025): 3 water buffaloes culled Hungary & Slovakia (March 2025): ~12,000 animals destroyed The virus survives in cured meat and cheese for months. A discarded ham sandwich near a UK farm, for example, could trigger an outbreak costing billions – the 2001 crisis cost £15 billion (GOV.UK – FMD Risk Assessment). All EU outbreak zones were cleared by 5 June 2025, but the UK government has decided to keep the ban in place, stretching trade tensions between the UK and EU until a veterinary agreement is signed. Latest FMD status: GOV.UK – Foot and Mouth Disease Updates Real traveller experiences: “They binned my €50 jamón” “This is far — FAR — worse than the Trump’s trade war. UK gov has banned personal imports of EU cured meats and milk products (that’s ibérico ham and a local Pyrenees cheese for me) to stop the spread of an animal disease. Commercial imports are, for now, unaffected. And yes, when I travel back from Spain my suitcase is a Spanish delicatessen on wheels. Surely this will be a short-lived measure, right, right!?!?!?” Javier Blas, X. Eat your jamón in Spain. Don’t risk it in transit. Legal alternatives: Enjoy Spanish flavours in the UK You can still enjoy authentic Spanish products, just buy them in the UK: Supermarkets: Lidl, Aldi, Tesco Finest, and M&S stock jamón ibérico and Manchego. Specialist retailers: Brindisa, Basco Fine Foods Bring back olive oil, tinned fish, pimentón, almonds, and turrón – all allowed. When will the ban end? No end date confirmed. The UK seeks an EU veterinary deal to bring standards in line, but negotiations continue. Monitor official updates: Final checklist before you fly back from Spain No jamón, chorizo, or cheese Declare everything. Eat it in Spain or buy it in the UK. Official rules: GOV.UK – Personal Food Imports
