Prohibited and Restricted Goods
Some goods may not be brought into the Network at all. Others may be brought in only with a permit, licence or certificate issued by the department responsible for them. The Customs Service applies both sets of rules at the boundary: it refuses prohibited goods, checks the documents required for restricted goods, and refers cases to the department concerned. The lists on this page are in force from 7 September 2026 and are revised when a department changes the conditions it sets.
If in doubt, declare
Prohibited goods. The goods below may not enter the Network in any quantity and for any purpose. They are seized at the boundary and cannot be reclaimed except where the seizure itself is contested.
- Counterfeit goods
- Goods bearing a trade mark without the consent of its owner, copies of works protected by copyright, and goods falsely marked as products of the Network or of a named place. Counterfeit goods are seized whatever their quantity and whether or not they are for personal use.
- Counterfeit currency and instruments
- Counterfeit banknotes, coins and bearer instruments, and the plates, dies and paper used to make them. Seized goods are passed to the Currency Office.
- Offensive weapons
- Flick knives, gravity knives, knuckledusters, batons, weapons disguised as other objects and electric stun devices. These are refused in every case; there is no permit under which they may be brought in.
- Indecent material
- Indecent or obscene printed matter, recordings and images, in any medium.
- Jamming and interception devices
- Equipment designed to jam, block or intercept radio, telephone or data communications. Radio transmitting equipment for lawful use is a restricted good, listed below.
- Asbestos and banned substances
- Asbestos and products containing it, and the pesticides, refrigerants and industrial chemicals that the Environment Department lists as banned in the Network.
- Hazardous waste for disposal
- Waste of any kind imported for disposal in the Network. Waste imported for recycling is a restricted good and needs the consent of the Environment Department.
- Products of protected species
- Ivory, horn, skins, furs, shells, corals and other products of species the Wildlife Service lists as protected, and articles made from them, other than antiques covered by a certificate issued by the Wildlife Service.
Restricted goods. The goods below may enter the Network only if the document shown is produced at the boundary. The condition is set by the department named, not by the Service; questions about obtaining a permit or certificate are for that department. Where goods of these kinds are for personal use, the same document is required as for a consignment unless the table says otherwise.
| Goods | Document required | Issued or set by | If not produced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearms, ammunition and components | Permit | Police Department | Refused without a permit; held for collection by the Police Department |
| Controlled substances | Permit | Health Department | Refused without a permit, whatever the quantity |
| Medicines beyond a personal supply | Prescription or written confirmation from the prescriber | Health Department | Held until the document is produced |
| Animals, including pets | Health certificate issued within the preceding ten days | Agriculture Department | Held at Northgate Crossing or Southbank Quay; refused elsewhere |
| Plants, seeds and soil | Plant health certificate | Agriculture Department | Held until the certificate is produced, or destroyed |
| Meat, dairy and food in commercial quantity | Certificate for a consignment; none for personal use | Food Standards Office | Held until the certificate is produced, or destroyed |
| Hazardous materials | Permit | Emergency Management Department | Refused without a permit |
| Explosives and fireworks | Permit | Emergency Management Department | Refused without a permit |
| Radio transmitting equipment | Type approval or licence | Communications Department | Held until the document is produced |
| Cultural property and antiquities | Export licence from the place of origin; import notification | Heritage Office | Held pending the decision of the Heritage Office |
| Specimens of protected species with a certificate | Certificate | Wildlife Service | Held pending the decision of the Wildlife Service |
| Waste for recycling | Consent | Environment Department | Refused without consent |
| Used motor vehicles | Roadworthiness certificate and registration | Transport Department | Released under bond pending registration |
| Cash and bearer instruments above the threshold | Declaration | Currency Office | Declaration recorded and passed to the Currency Office |
Goods leaving the Network. Cultural property, antiquities and specimens of protected species may not be exported without a licence from the Heritage Office or a certificate from the Wildlife Service respectively. Firearms and controlled substances may be exported only under the permit that allowed their import or a permit issued for the export. Cash and bearer instruments above the threshold set by the Currency Office must be declared on departure as on arrival.
Undeclared goods. The steps below describe what happens when goods are found at a check that were not declared.
Step 1: The goods are recorded
Undeclared goods found at a check are listed and photographed in the presence of the traveller or driver, who is given a copy of the record and told which department, if any, the matter is referred to.
Step 2: The Service decides
Goods that are neither prohibited nor restricted are cleared on payment of the duty due and any penalty. Restricted goods are held until the required document is produced or the department concerned decides. Prohibited goods are seized.
Step 3: Held goods are kept for collection
Goods held for a document are kept at the post for 30 days. If the document is produced within that time the goods are released; if not, they may be re-exported by the owner or, where they cannot lawfully leave, passed to the department concerned.
Step 4: Seized goods may be reclaimed
The owner of seized goods may write to the Service within 30 days of the seizure to contest it. Uncontested seizures are disposed of after that period; contested seizures are decided by review and, if the owner remains dissatisfied, by the tribunal of the Justice Department.
Step 5: Serious cases are referred
Smuggling, concealment, forged documents and repeated misdeclaration are referred to the Police Department and, where a prosecution is brought, to the Justice Department.
Penalties. The penalties below are civil penalties imposed by the Service. They are reduced, and may be waived, where the person concerned discloses the error before it is discovered and cooperates with the correction. Criminal offences are prosecuted by the Justice Department on referral from the Police Department.
| Contravention | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Goods above the allowance not declared at the red channel | The duty due and a penalty of up to 50% of the duty; goods may be held until paid |
| Misdeclaration of value, quantity or classification by a trader | The duty underpaid and a penalty of up to 100% of that duty, reduced where the error is disclosed before examination |
| Late lodgement of a declaration | 100 credits for each day late, up to 1,000 credits |
| Failure to keep or produce records | Up to 2,000 credits for each declaration concerned |
| Importing prohibited goods | Seizure of the goods and referral to the Police Department |
| Importing restricted goods without the required document | Goods held or refused; a penalty of up to 500 credits where the omission is repeated |
| Concealment, forged documents or obstruction of an officer | Seizure and referral to the Police Department for prosecution |
A traveller's guide to what must be declared is on the Travellers page, and the documents that support a commercial declaration on the Declarations page. Questions about whether particular goods may be imported may be sent to contact@customs.gov.vin before travel; the Service answers within five working days.