Bringing seal products into Great Britain
When you can bring seal, walrus and sea lion products into Great Britain. How recognised authorities can get approval to export seal products to Great Britain for trade.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Seal products include:
- any items from seals, walruses and sea lions (like fur skin pelts, blubber, tusks, ivory and oil)
- products that have been made from these items, such as clothing and accessories
You must not bring any seal products into Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) unless the products meet an exemption under our regulations.
Northern Ireland follows the comparable EU regime for seal products under the Windsor Framework.
Exemptions to the ban on bringing seal products into Great Britain
There are 2 exemptions to the ban on seal products.
You can bring seal products into Great Britain for trade if the seal product meets the requirements of the exemption for Inuit and other indigenous communities.
You can import seal products for personal use if the product meets the requirements of the exemption for travellers and their families.
Bringing seal products to Great Britain to sell
You can only bring seal products to Great Britain to sell them if they qualify under the Inuit and other indigenous communities’ exemption.
Seal products you bring to Great Britain to trade must have a seal catch certificate. This is an attestation document which proves the item is exempt under the Inuit and other indigenous communities exemption.
Great Britain must approve a recognised body for the export of seal products to Great Britain within a territory or country, before they can provide a seal catch certificate. These recognised bodies must follow the rules of the Inuit and other indigenous communities’ exemption.
Seal products for trade must be certified as coming from a traditional hunt carried out by Inuit or other indigenous communities that:
- is carried out for and contributes to the subsistence of the community
- considers the welfare of the animal
You must not bring seal products to Great Britain to trade that are not certified.
Countries and territories authorised to export seal products to Great Britain
The recognised bodies that can issue seal catch certificates and export seal products to Great Britain are the:
- Greenland Department of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture
- Government of Northwest Territories of Canada
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut
How countries and territories can apply to become a recognised authority
Authorities in territories or countries that want to export seal products to Great Britain must apply to become a recognised body. This will mean they can issue seal catch certificates that are recognised by Great Britain. To apply, they must write to the Secretary of State with evidence that proves they meet the requirements of a recognised body.
These authorities can email ukassurance@defra.gov.uk to make a request or post it to:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Requirements of a recognised authority
A recognised body for a country or territory must:
- check that seal products follow the rules of the exemption
- process and issue seal catch certificates to products that comply – these must be attached to the product when they are put on the market
Customs authorities in Great Britain will check these catch certificates.
The recognised body must monitor seal products and their producers to check that they comply with the exemption and:
- archive seal catch certificates after 3 years
- suspend seal catch certificates if products do not comply with the exemption
To be a recognised body, they must be audited by an independent third party.
Penalties
If the rules on bringing seal products to Great Britain are broken, you may get a fine of up to £75,000.
Personal use of seal products
You can also bring seal products into Great Britain if they are for personal use. You do not need a seal catch certificate for personal use.
You will not need to declare seal products at customs if you are:
- travelling with the seal products while wearing them or putting them in your luggage
- moving the seal products with your personal belongings when relocating to Great Britain
Post seal products to Great Britain
You can import seal products by post after you have travelled back to Great Britain.
When you arrive in Great Britain you must have:
- written notification of the future import – this must include your name, details of the product and the intention to import
- proof that you bought the product in the country you visited – this could be a sales invoice or receipt
You must get Border Force to endorse these documents when you arrive in Great Britain. It is your responsibility as the traveller to present this documentation.
Keep the endorsed documents to show that your items are eligible for exemption when they’re imported later.
What to do if customs take your item
Customs may take your item if they believe it is not for personal use. This is called a seizure of goods. Customs can take your item when you’re travelling with the item or posting the item.
Last updated 21 May 2024 + show all updates
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This guidance has been updated with the most recent information.
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First published.