Ivory & CITES-Listed Items 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
One of the world's strictest ivory bans under the Ivory Act 2018.
Can I bring Ivory & CITES-Listed Items into United Kingdom?
One of the world's strictest ivory bans under the Ivory Act 2018.
Essentially zero without narrow exemption
- APHA exemption certificate or museum certification for permitted categories
- CITES permit for non-exempt CITES Appendix I specimens
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
The UK Ivory Act 2018 created one of the most comprehensive ivory trade bans in the world, covering virtually all dealing in elephant ivory. The ban prohibits the importation, export, and dealing of ivory items with very limited exceptions: pre-1918 items of outstanding artistic, cultural, or historical significance; pre-1947 musical instruments; portrait miniatures pre-1918; antique items with less than 10% ivory by volume pre-1947 (but post-Brexit rules have become stricter); and sales between qualifying museums. Travellers cannot bring ivory purchased abroad (even genuine antiques) into the UK without satisfying very narrow exemption criteria. APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) enforces imports, and Border Force confiscates ivory.
PENALTIES
- Fine: no upper limit set by the statute
- Imprisonment up to 60 months
- Criminal penalty
The Ivory Act offence is dealing, which includes importing ivory into the United Kingdom for sale or hire: up to five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both, on conviction on indictment. Bringing a personal item containing ivory is governed separately by CITES permit rules.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
Ivory Act 2018, s.1(2)(e) — what 'dealing' covers
“importing it into the United Kingdom for sale or hire.”legislation.gov.uk
Ivory Act 2018, s.12(4)(d) — penalty
“on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or a fine (or both).”legislation.gov.uk
GOV.UK — CITES permits for travellers
“You may need to apply for a permit or certificate if you're bringing items protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) into the UK.”gov.uk
Penalty sources checked 2026-09-19.
Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.
Leaving United Kingdom with ivory & cites-listed items
Elephant ivory is listed in CITES Appendix I: commercial international trade is banned, and personal cross-border movement of ivory items from United Kingdom is prohibited without CITES documentation that is in practice only issued for narrow antique and museum exemptions. Domestic ivory legislation in most covered countries (US ESA rules, UK Ivory Act 2018, China's 2018 trade ban and equivalents) further bans dealing in ivory regardless of export. Travellers carrying inherited or antique ivory must obtain pre-issued CITES export documentation for the narrow exemption categories; without it, items are seized at either border and prosecution is possible.
Do not purchase ivory items abroad with the intention of bringing them to the UK. The burden of proof for exemptions is very high and rarely met for tourist purchases.
Essentially zero without narrow exemption
- APHA exemption certificate or museum certification for permitted categories
- CITES permit for non-exempt CITES Appendix I specimens
Ivory Act 2018; CITES Implementation under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 2018 (COTES)
This page covers destination customs rules in United Kingdom. Whether you can carry ivory & cites-listed items through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items rules in other countries
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇺🇸 United States
Commercial ivory trade is banned. Personal importation subject to narrow exemptions.
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇿🇦 South Africa
Ivory trade banned under CITES and national law
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇨🇳 China
Complete ban on ivory trade since 2018
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇨🇦 Canada
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items import prohibited
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇦🇺 Australia
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items import prohibited
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items import prohibited