In order to protect persons and animals from dangerous infectious diseases in the European Union, including Latvia, there are strict rules concerning import of food products into the territory of the European Union. When arriving from a country which is not an EU member state, food products in your personal baggage and for your personal consumption will be subject to strict veterinary control at the place of border crossing regarding harmlessness of such products.
Prohibited goods
It is prohibited to import the following products of plant and animal origin in the territory of the European Union in the personal baggage for private consumption or use:
- meat and meat products* (bacon, fresh or cured meat, incl. Poultry meat, animal fat, sausages, canned meat, pastry stuffed with meat or containing meat, pasta, gravy, soups etc.);
- milk and dairy products* (milk, yoghurt, cream, cottage cheese, kefir, cheese, butter, condensed milk, ice-cream etc.);
- pet food containing meat or milk* (pet food, chewable toys for dogs, wholemeal flour mixtures);
- potatoes;
- all dried beans originating in Nigeria.
Food products which are prohibited to import into the European Union for private consumption are also prohibited to be sent by post.
*Exception: when importing the afore mentioned products from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland the limit for one person which does not exceed 10 kg shall be observed.
Goods admissible without restrictions
The following products can be imported without restrictions from the third countries in the Member States of the European Union when carried in the personal baggage for private consumption or use:
food products of non-animal origin; for example, bread, cakes, cookies, candy, chocolate, pasta and similar products; certain fresh fruit: bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians.
Restricted goods
It is allowed to import into the European Union from the third countries without veterinary or phytosanitary border control and observing the quantities allowed for one person for private consumption:
- Up to 2 kg (from the Faeroe Islands, Greenland – up to 10 kg) the following animal origin products:
- honey, eggs, live oysters, live shell-fishes, and snails, royal jelly, bee-glue;
- dry milk for babies, baby food, special food for medical purposes, as well as pet food in patented packaging indicating the producer's information regarding special use.
- Provided that you have a phytosanitary certificate issued in the third country – up to 2 kg of fresh fruit products (fruit, vegetables, nuts in shell).
If the total weight of the fresh fruit, vegetables and berries exceeds 2 kg, then the products shall be presented for controls to the Food and Veterinary Service. - Up to 20 kg of fishery products (from the Faeroe Islands and Greenland- without quantity restrictions. Exception which applies to any country – sturgeon roe – up to 125 g per package with special label):
- fresh (obligatory condition – gutted, also those which are imported undivided), dried, treated with hear, salted, smokedor canned fish;
- some crustaceans, for instance, shrimps, lobsters.
- Up to 5 kg of fresh products or up to 2 kg of other products (dried, prepared) of non-animal origin listed in Annexes I and II to the Regulation No 2019/1793 (the list is updated every six months).
Please also consult the information material prepared by the Food and Veterinary Service.
Quantity restrictions are not established for import or posting of animal origin products for private consumption from the following countries : Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland.
(!) Important
If the afore mentioned requirements are not observed and an attempt to import the prohibited animal origin food products is detected, or if the quantities exceed the allowed weight restrictions at the point of the Latvian border crossing, such products shall be confiscated by the customs officials and shall be destroyed. Violations of the rules concerning import of animal origin food products shall result in calling to administrative justice, but n case of a repeated violation – penalty.
In order not to commit administrative offences, travellers are asked to leave the prohibited food products in special labelled containers at the customs control point before the customs control.
Information concerning the rules for import of food products and product groups to which special requirements apply, for instance, food supplements, mineral water, sports food, etc., can be obtained at the home page of the Food and Veterinary Service .