Can I take food into the Netherlands?

Whether you can take meat and fish with you depends on the country from which you are travelling to the Netherlands. Check the list of EU countries and select your situation.

I am travelling from an EU country, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland

You can take meat or fish into the Netherlands.

I am travelling from the Faroe Islands or Greenland

• You can take a maximum of 10 kilos of meat into the Netherlands.
• You can take fish with you into the Netherlands.

I am travelling from another country

• You cannot take meat into the Netherlands.
• You can take a maximum of 20 kilos of fish into the Netherlands, and no more than 125 grams of caviar.

To take caviar with you, the packaging must be sealed with a CITES label. Read how to apply for a CITES permit on the website of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) (information in Dutch).

Find out more about taking meat and fish into the Netherlands (NVWA) (information in Dutch)

Whether you can take milk and cheese with you depends on the country from which you are travelling to the Netherlands. Check the list of EU countries and select your situation.

I am travelling from an EU country, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland

You can take milk and cheese into the Netherlands.

I am travelling from another country

You cannot take milk and cheese into the Netherlands.

More about taking milk and cheese into the Netherlands (NVWA) (information in Dutch)

Whether you can take honey with you depends on the country from which you are travelling to the Netherlands. Check the list of EU countries and select your situation.

I am travelling from an EU country, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland

You can take honey into the Netherlands.

I am travelling from another country

You can take a maximum of 2 kilos of honey into the Netherlands. You cannot take honeycomb with you.

Whether you can take fruit and vegetables with you depends on the country from which you are travelling to the Netherlands. Check the list of EU countries and select your situation.

I am travelling from an EU country, Liechtenstein, Northern Ireland or Switzerland

You can take fruit and vegetables into the Netherlands.

I am travelling from a non-EU country or the Canary Islands

You can take pineapples, bananas, dates, durians and coconuts into the Netherlands.

If you want to take other fruit and vegetables into the Netherlands, you will need a phytosanitary certificate stating that the fruit and vegetables are free of disease. You can apply to the authorities in the country you are travelling from to the Netherlands for a phytosanitary certificate.

If you need a phytosanitary certificate and do not have one with you when you arrive in the Netherlands, customs will confiscate the food.

Find out more about taking fruit and vegetables into the Netherlands (NVWA) (information in Dutch)

You can take edible nuts and seeds with you if they are for your own use. This means you cannot sell them on. It does not matter what country you are travelling from.

Whether you can take herbs with you depends on the country from which you are travelling to the Netherlands. Check the list of EU countries and select your situation.

I am travelling from an EU country

You can take herbs into the Netherlands.

I am travelling from a non-EU country

If you want to take herbs into the Netherlands they must meet 3 conditions:

• The herbs are dried.
• The herbs are or do not contain a protected plant species.
• The herbs are or do not contain a banned substance.

You can take tea and coffee with you if it is for your own use. This means you cannot sell it on. It does not matter what country you are travelling from.

You cannot bring coffee containing salep into the Netherlands. Salep is made from the tubers of a protected type of orchid.

You can take olive oil with you if it is for your own use. This means you cannot sell it on. It does not matter what country you are travelling from.

You can take chocolate and sweets with you if they are for your own use. This means you cannot sell it on. It does not matter what country you are travelling from.