FOOD AGRICULTURAL

Fresh Fruit

HIGH RISK

VERIFIED · 2026-05-13REGULATION TIGHTENINGReport a correction

1allowed

160restricted

4prohibited

165 rules across 82 countries

ALSO KNOWN ASfruitproducemangocitrusberriestropical fruit

Can I take Fresh Fruit across a border? Yes in many places, with conditions. Of the 165 country-rules we've indexed for Fresh Fruit, 1 are allowed (often with limits), 160 are restricted (permit, declaration, or quantity cap), and 4 are prohibited outright. Customs rules depend on the destination, the purpose (travelling, posting, importing personally, or importing commercially), and the quantity.

Fresh fruits are unprocessed or minimally processed plant-based foods consumed directly. They are subject to strict agricultural import controls due to the risk of introducing invasive pests, insects, larvae, plant diseases, and foreign plant matter that could devastate domestic agriculture. The economic and ecological stakes of fruit biosecurity failures are immense — the introduction of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), citrus canker, or mango seed weevil into a previously unaffected region can devastate entire agricultural industries worth billions of dollars. Australia and New Zealand have built their entire biosecurity enforcement systems in large part around preventing exactly these kinds of introductions, which is why their customs controls are among the most thorough in the world for food items. The United States maintains a complex, region-specific list of permitted and prohibited fresh fruits — whether a specific fruit can be imported often depends on which country or even which region of a country it comes from, based on pest risk assessments conducted by USDA APHIS. Fruits from Hawaii can be brought to the US mainland but face restrictions on certain pests. Mango is one of the most frequently intercepted items because of seed weevil risk. Citrus is restricted from many origins due to citrus greening disease. Even fruit purchased in a foreign airport duty-free area is subject to biosecurity inspection upon arrival in the destination country. The presence of any insect, larvae, seed with attached pulp, or soil residue on or in a fruit can result in seizure even if the fruit species itself would otherwise be permitted.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?

Carry fresh fruit in my luggage

65 country rules for personal travel

Send fresh fruit by post

50 country rules for international parcels

Import fresh fruit commercially

50 country rules for imports

Common mistakes with Fresh Fruit

Assuming the rules at the origin apply at the destination — they don't. The destination customs authority is the binding rule.
Travelling and posting are treated differently: an item you can carry may be prohibited by post (and vice versa).
Personal vs commercial intent: above a quantity threshold, customs may treat your shipment as commercial regardless of intent.
Undervaluing on the customs declaration to avoid duty — treated as fraud in most jurisdictions.
Vague item descriptions on CN22/CN23 — biggest single cause of postal customs holds.
Bringing meat or dairy from outside an approved zone — usually blocked on biosecurity grounds regardless of quantity.
Missing required certificates (phytosanitary, veterinary, CITES, prescription, product compliance).

Always verify against the destination's customs authority before acting. Not legal advice.

HS codes

0803 — Bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried
0805 — Citrus fruit, fresh or dried
0810 — Other fruit, fresh

Regulatory trend

https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/standards-setting/ispms/ — ISPM phytosanitary controls expanded 2020–2024

Names in other languages

es: fruta fresca, frutos frescos
fr: fruits frais, agrumes frais
de: frisches Obst, Frischobst
zh: 新鲜水果, 鲜果
ja: 生鮮果実, 新鮮な果物

General notes

Fresh fruit is one of the most seized items at international borders worldwide. Australia and New Zealand have among the most stringent biosecurity rules and prohibit virtually all fresh fruit from being brought in by travelers. The United States restricts many fresh fruits from certain regions due to pest risks (e.g., Mediterranean fruit fly). Most fruits require phytosanitary certificates for commercial import. Even if a fruit is technically permitted, any sign of insect larvae, soil, or damage will result in seizure. Many airports in the Asia-Pacific have amnesty bins before customs for travelers to dispose of food items.