Disclaimer: we are not a brokerage service, we cannot prescribe what can/cannot pass through customs. We can only give information based on research and past shipments we’ve delivered. There is always an element of uncertainty when it comes to shipping food, so go in with that mindset if you want to ship food with us. Also note that you will have to bear the charges if customs rejects and returns the parcels (same rate as the cost to ship the item out).

What are the general rules to shipping food internationally?

Strictly no traces of meat, but seafood is okay

No whole eggs, but eggs beaten and mixed into pastry are okay

No butter slabs, but butter mixed into pastry is okay

No dairy

Food must be in original packaging, and have an ingredient list

1. Bak Kwa

United Kingdom strictly prohibits the entry of any meat related products into their country, with the fear of having the meat spreading diseases. All our customers who shipped Bak Kwa had their shipments stopped, even those who vacuum sealed it. Do not ship Bak Kwa!

2. Tau Sar Piah, Kuih Kapit, Kuih Bahulu, Kuih Bangkit, Rose Cookies

These snacks usually contain ingredients such as eggs, flour, starch, cooking oil, coconut oil, coconut cream, water, sugar, and also salt. Based on such an ingredient list, these products would be able to pass through UK customs.

Based on our shipping experience, we have shipped these products overseas successfully. We have shipped products under the brand Begawan solo and Swee heng in the past, if you require specific brand recommendations.

That being said, there is a possibility that these items may be stopped as UK customs regulations state they do not allow perishable items to be shipped.

3. Pineapple Tarts

UK has certain regulations for shipping dried fruits, but we have often shipped these products to the UK and worldwide without issue. Again, brands such as Bengawan Solo and Swee Heng are suggested, as their packaging has the ingredients list and also the date it was manufactured.

4. Spicy Shrimp Rolls

This snack consists of mainly dried shrimp, an ingredient that is permitted to enter the United Kingdom through shipping! We would say this is okay to ship.

5. Nian Gao

We have not shipped this out before, but based on research we think it may be risky given that it is a perishable food.

6. Arrowroot Chips

This chip is of a plant origin, and UK has certain regulations on shipping plant origin products to their country, we say this is moderate risk. Similar to Pineapple tarts, a Phytosanitary certificate will be required to declare the vegetables for personal use, and we do not offer that service at the moment. Ship at your own risk!

7. Preserved Fruits

It is possible to ship out dried fruit products such as Dried Apricot, Dried Persimmon, Dried Mango and many more to the UK, but again, it will be safer to have a Phytosanitary certificate to declare the fruits as for personal use.

Conclusion

We wrote this to give more clarity to our customers, but please understand there are always risks in shipping all the above mentioned products. If you would like to ship food, we recommend not to ship everything in a big 10kg box. To mitigate risk, it’s better to split it into multiple packages of say 3kg, so in case 1 box gets stopped at customs, the others could still pass through unaffected.

That being said, most of our shipments go through successfully, especially if you follow the advice given here. We hope we will be able to help you ship goodies to your loved ones this Chinese/Lunar New Year!

As a final tip from us, better late than never, but better early than late! Ship your goodies in advance to make sure your loved ones in the UK get to eat them on Chinese New Year. Barring customs delays, JustShip takes 2-5 working days to ship from Singapore to the UK.

Got a question? Contact us by WhatsApp or Email to speak to a customer service representative. Got a package? Ship with us today.