UK guide / reviewed 31 August 2026

UK imports: where to start

Choose the official route that matches how the goods enter the country, then check the current rules.

Never under-declare, misdescribe or split a consignment to try to avoid tax or controls. This guide is general research, not customs or legal advice.

Do not mix different import routes

GOV.UK publishes different guidance for goods sent from abroad, items carried by a traveller and commercial imports. A number that applies to one route may be irrelevant to another. Start by identifying who is importing, how the goods travel and whether they are for personal or commercial use.

Use current official guidance

Rates, thresholds, restrictions and carrier handling charges can change. This site deliberately does not freeze a general-purpose threshold into product pages. Check Import goods into the UK: step by step and the linked route for your circumstances.

Keep source records

Retain the real product page, payment evidence, shipping documents and any customs paperwork. Do not treat the raw CNY value or indicative GBP estimate shown in this product sheet as a customs declaration.

Restricted goods need separate checks

Some products require licences, certificates or additional controls. Product discovery does not establish that an item can legally be imported or carried by a particular route.