Guidance

Import controls

How theto governmentimport monitorsgoods importsunder intonational theor UK.UN-level import controls. This includes weapons, sanctioned goods, or goods that could be used for torture.

From:
Department for Business and Trade and Department for International Trade
Published
12 December 2012
Last updated
2126 OctoberSeptember 20222024 — See all updates

Import controlsLegislation

If you import goods into the UK, it is your responsibility to know about import restrictions and controls. 

Import controls are imposed using either statutory instruments or the UK’sOpen nationalGeneral importImport prohibitionLicence legislation(OGIL), as enabled by the:

Goods that need a licence

The OGIL (open general import licence) is a national trade control measure runthat byallows the Departmentimport forof Internationalgoods Tradeinto (DIT)the thatUK allowswithout thea importlicence. 

There ofare allexceptions. Certain goods intoneed theimport UK,licences subjectdue to thecontrols exceptionsat ita setsnational out.or UN level.  

GoodsThe subjectDepartment tofor importBusiness controlsand underTrade (DBT) issues licences for the OGILimport include:of: 

  • firearms and ammunition – according to UK licensing controls
  • anti-personnel mines – for mine detection techniques, clearance, or mine destruction
  • certaintorture nuclearequipment and– chemicalfor display in a museum
  • certain goods subject to import sanctions

ReadApply thefor openan general import licence for more information..

ImportFirearms sanctionsand ammunition

TheThere UKare uses3 sanctionstypes toof fulfilimport alicence rangefor offirearms purposes,and includingammunition:  

  • specific supportingindividual foreignimport policylicence (SIIL) – for firearms falling under section 1, 2 or 5 of the Firearms Act 1969 and nationalfirearms securityexempt objectives,from ascertification wellor control under section 58(2) of the Firearms Act 1968, as maintainingamended international(for peaceexample, andfirearms security,of andobsolete preventingcalibre)
  • open terrorism.individual Sanctionsimport measureslicence can(OIIL) include– armsopen embargoeslicence for firearms, their component parts, and otherammunition tradefalling restrictions.

    Theunder Foreign,section Commonwealth1 &or Development2 Officeof (FCDO)the isFirearms responsibleAct 1968 from any country not under sanctions

  • deactivated firearms import licence – for firearms that conform to the current UK policydeactivation standards

Read more on sanctions.firearms Thelicencing Departmentand forgood Internationalpractice on firearms law.

Trade (DITsanctions

DBT) implements trade sanctions,sanctions.

Traders andcan hasapply overallfor responsibilitya licence to import otherwise prohibited goods. This can be done by applying for tradea sanctions licensing.and ad hoc licence through the Import Case Management System (ICMS).

UKDBT sanctionsreviews regimeseach areapplication incase forceby undercase. theThe SanctionsSecretary of State for Business and Anti-MoneyTrade Launderingis Actultimately 2018responsible (thefor Sanctionsdecisions Act).to grant or refuse a sanctions licence. 

ItIf isyou yourare responsibilityunclear toon ensureany aspect of the regulations, or if you need a trade sanctions licence, we recommend that you arefirst compliantseek withindependent thelegal requirementsadvice. 

UK ofsanctions theregimes legislation.are Youin canforce accessunder the legislationSanctions and readAnti-Money relatedLaundering Act 2018. Read guidance on UK sanctions regimes and on trade sanctions, arms embargoes, and other trade restrictions..   

Import

For controlsfurther oninformation, tiered-pricedor queries about import sanctions licensing, contact importcontrols@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

Tiered-priced medical products

products 

TheRe-importing re-importation of certain tiered-priced products is illegal across the whole of the United Kingdom. The retained domestic version of Regulation (EU) 2016/793, as amended byby  theThe Prevention of Trade Diversion (Key Medicines) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, establishes a system controlling the import of certain medicines into Great Britain.Britain. 

TheseThe medicines covered by this measure are called ‘tiered-priced products’. Tiered-priced products are destined for developing countries and sold to these countries at heavily reduced prices to avoid trade diversion.diversion. 

Read the noticeNotice to importersimporters 2937 2938– - Import of equipmenttiered-priced that could be used for torturemedicines (PDF, 209 KB, 3 pages) for more information..

ImportContact licensing

Andetails importand licence is not needed to import most industrial goods into the UK.

help 

However,If someyou industrial goods need importadvice licenceson asDBT’s aimport result of controls imposedwhich atdo nationalnot orrelate UNto level.import Thesesanctions, arecontact issued by DIT’s Import Licensing Branch (ILB).enquiries.ilb@businessandtrade.gov.uk. 

ILB issues The import licencesgoods forinto the importUK: of:

Certificates of Free Sale (CFS)

ILB also issue CFS to exporters. CFS are mainly needed for goods that come into contactthe withUK humans, such as cosmetics, from countriesany that have lower product safety standards and enforcement than the UK. country.

CFS declarations

Notices confirmto that goods meet the UK’s high safety standards.

importers

ReadNotices the notice to importers 2940published -by Applying for Certificates of Free Sales (PDFDBT,’s 436Import KB,Licensing 5 pages).Branch. 

OtherThey governmentcontain departmentsimportant issueinformation CFS for certain products including the:about: 

  • Departmentcurrent forimport Environmentprohibitions Food and Rural Affairs for goods that come into contact with animals (such as veterinary medicines)restrictions
  • Departmentimport of Health for medicinescontrols
  • Medicinesupdates andon Healthcarelegislation Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for medical devices
  • Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for biocidessanctions
  • Ruralamendments Paymentsto Agencyimport (RPA) for food, drinks or supplementslicences

Apply for an import licence

YouDBT candistributes applythese fornotices anto importimporters licenceat orthe CFStime atof www.ilb.trade.gov.uk.

Emailpublication enquiries.ilb@trade.gov.ukvia formailshots advice on thetheir import controlslicence ILB is responsible for.system.

ReadSome Startingnotices towill importalso forbe informationupdated onas importrequired, licencesin andline certificates.

Ifwith youamendments importand goodsupdates intoto the UKrelevant itlegislation. isFor yourexample, responsibilitywhen toadditional know about import restrictionssanctions andare controls.

Noticesintroduced towith importers

Therespect Notices to importersa (NTI)particular listed below explain current import prohibitions and controls.country.

NTI number Title Date
 Not applicable Open general import licence (OGIL) 21 October 2022
2954 UK open general import licence 2022 and guidance on its use 21 October 2022
2953 Russia import sanctions 20 March 2022
2952 Belarus import sanctions 9 August 2021
2951 Syria import sanctions 17 June 2021
2950 Somalia import sanctions 17 June 2021
2948 Libya import sanctions 17 June 2021
2946 Iran (nuclear weapons) import sanctions 17 June 2021
2945 North Korea import sanctions 17 June 2021
2944 Import firearms and ammunition (PDF, 264KB) 1 April 2021
2941 Import of anti-personnel mines (PDF, 172KB) 31 December 2020
2940 Applying for Certificates of Free Sales (PDF, 436KB) 31 December 2020
2938 Import of equipment that could be used for torture (PDF, 209KB) 31 December 2020
2937 Import of tiered-priced medicines (PDF, 143KB) 31 December 2020
2936 Import and export of cat and dog fur (PDF, 143KB) 31 December 2020

Further information

Check how to import or export goods

Updates to this page

Published 12 December 2012
Last updated 2126 OctoberSeptember 20222024 + show all updates

  1. Additional detail added regarding firearms and ammunition licensing. Information on certificates of free sale moved to 'Apply for an export certificate' page. Link to apply for an import licence updated.

  2. Added the latest open general import licence (OGIL) which has some updated commodity codes that fall within the firearms import licensing control.

  3. Addition of link to Notice to Importers 2953, and removal of superceded NTI 2949.

  4. Addition of link to Belarus import sanctions notice to importers.

  5. Added Notices to Importers 2945, 2946, 2948, 2949, 2950 and 2951.

  6. Notice to Importers 2944 for import firearms and ammunition issued on 1 April 2021 replaces Notice 2942. The changes cover information on antique firearms and end-use certificates.

  7. Replaced 'Open general import licence', 'Explanatory note: open general import licence' and 'Open general import licence 2020 and guidance on its use' with new versions.

  8. Removed out of date notices to importers and added new ones, and updated information relevant to the end of the transition period.

  9. Addition of NTI 2935: EU and UK prior surveillance import licensing regime update replacing NTI 2933.

  10. Addition of new open general import licence, explanatory note and notice to importers (NTI) 2934.

  11. NTI 2933 added to European import controls section replacing NTI 2930. Six tariff codes removed and 12 added relating to imports of aluminium extrusions from the People’s Republic of China.

  12. Addition of Notice to Importers 2932 - Current range of EU measures in force on steel. This replaces Notice to Importers 2929

  13. NTI 2925 EU prior surveillance import licensing regime updated by NTI 2930. Amendments to paragraph 1 and Annex A of the notice.

  14. Amendment to entry 14 of annex 1 and paragraph B of Annex 4 of Open General Import Licence (OGIL).

  15. Added notice to importers 2926 and 2927. Added 2928 which replaces 2918. Replaced 2921 minor revision.

  16. Notice 2919 has been updated and is now numbered notice 2925. This is a result of technical and not major changes with the coverage of the regime being unaffected. The changes from the previous notice are: notification of numerous tariff code changes, notification of change of country code for Serbia and notification that EORI numbers are now a mandatory requirement for the issue of import licences.

  17. Update of Open General Import Licence (OGIL) - removal of the temporary ban on the import of 'bump stocks'; the recent Firearms Act has made this item subject to a section 5 import licence.

  18. Addition of new NTI: 2918; 2919 replacing 2917; 2920; 2921; 2922 replacing 2903; 2923 replacing 2908.

  19. Added notice to importers 2917 - EU prior surveillance import licensing regime update.

  20. Added notice to importers 2915 and 2916, and details of the changes in OGIL amendment 1.

  21. Added: Notice to importers 2914 prior surveillance regime update.

  22. Updates to several import notices

  23. Update to EU prior surveillance import licensing regime - revision 3

  24. Notice to importers 2902 added - this updates Notice 2899 which has been removed.

  25. Renamed heading 'NTI Iron and Steel' to 'NTI Prior surveillance' and added notice to importers 2901.

  26. Added: notice to importers 2900 - Import Licensing Branch 2017 Christmas and new year closure dates.

  27. NTI 2895 - EU iron and steel prior surveillance import licensing regime update replaced by NTI 2899 EU iron and steel prior surveillance import licensing regime.

  28. Addition of Notice to Importers 2898 - import licensing arrangements firearms and ammunition 2017

  29. Notice to importers 2896: UK ban on the import of bump stocks added to the National import controls section. Notice to Importers 2888: UK Open General Import Licence (OGIL) 2017 and guidance on its use replaced by Notice to Importers 2897: UK Open General Import Licence (OGIL) and guidance on its use

  30. Notice to importers 2895 Steel prior surveillance regime revision 22 August 2017 replaces Notice 2894 in the Iron and steel section

  31. Added notice 2894 EU iron and steel prior surveillance import licensing regime update. Removed notice 2889

  32. Added notice to importers 2893.

  33. Added notice 2891 and 2892. Removed notice 2862, 2863, 2861, 2883, 2884 and 2890.

  34. Notice 2890 added (notice 2890 replaces 2878). Removal of notice 2878.

  35. Notice 2888 and 2889 added (notice 2889 replaces 2887). Removal of notices 2853, 2859, 2870 and 2876 .

  36. New notices to importers added covering steel, Belarus quotas and Christmas closure dates.

  37. Notice to importers 2881 added

  38. Addition of Notice to Importers 2880: ILB is now part of the Department for International Trade (DIT)

  39. Added notice to importers 2878: imports of firearms and ammunition import licensing arrangements 2016.

  40. Updated notice to importers 2877: EU iron and steel prior surveillance import licensing regime.

  41. Added notice to importers 2877: EU iron and steel prior surveillance import licensing regime under 'NTI Iron and steel' section.

  42. Added notices to importers 2875 and 2876 under national import controls heading.

  43. Added notice to importers 2874, Iran sanctions, under 'other notices'.

  44. Added notice to importers 2872, under NTI general.

  45. Added Notice to Importers 2870 and replaced 2864 with 2871.

  46. Added notice 2869 'Modernisation of import licensing branch update' to the NTI general table.

  47. Updated notices to importers.

  48. Added notice to importers 2858 and 2859 on Russia import restrictions.

  49. Notice to Importers 2856: Change to procedures for Certificates of Free Sale (CFS) added to NTI general table. Notice to Importers 2857: ICMS update for Section 5 (Firearms) importers added to National import controls table.

  50. Notice to importers 2855 - Crimea sanctions published

  51. Notice to Importers 2833, 2850, 2851, 2852 and 2854 added.

  52. Notice to Importers 2843, 2844, 2845, 2846, 2847, 2848 and 2849 added.

  53. 'EU surveillance licensing on a range of steel products from all countries' has been removed from 'Goods currently subject to import import bans and licensing controls'.

  54. Guidance on using the new Import Case Management System (ICMS) added.

  55. Replacing NTI 2829 with accessible pdf

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