St Helena Airport

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Information relating to Customs and Excise duties, including duty-free allowances available to visitors arriving at St Helena are as follows.  If you are in any doubt, please contact the HM Customs and Excise team whose details can be found at the bottom of this page.

Q: What are my duty-free allowances?

A: The following items are permitted to be imported free of duty for each passenger

Spirits, strong liqueurs:

  • 2 litres at 22% or below; or
  • 1 litre exceeding 22%

And

  • 2 litres Wine; or
  • 12 Bottles/Cans (340ml) Beer/Lager; and
  • Perfumed spirits and toilet water not exceeding in total 250ml; and
  • Cigarettes not exceeding 200, or other tobacco goods not exceeding in total 250grams; and
  • Clothing and other miscellaneous goods intended for personal use not exceeding in total £1000 in value and which the person does not intend using for business purposes or holding as an investment; and
  • Sugar confectionary and chocolate not exceeding 5kg.

Note: All alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco allowances are not available to any person under the age of 18 years.

Q: Do I have to declare my duty-free allowances?

A: No. Only list items which are not covered by the duty-free allowance above.  If you are unsure about the need to declare, then please speak with a Customs Officer.

Q: What should I declare?

A: Tourists/Visitors

In addition to your duty free allowance, you are entitled to temporary importation for a period of six months on items of personal baggage as long as you intend to take it with you when you leave. If you intend to leave any items on St Helena, you must declare your personal effects to a Customs Officer and pay the required duty.

Returning residents

You will need to list all items which you purchased or obtained abroad, which are in excess of your duty free allowances and which you are bringing into St. Helena. If you have a lot of goods, please provide a separate list attached to the declaration.

Q: What other details do I need to show?

A: You must show the value of the goods, and in the case of beer, wines, spirits and/or tobacco goods, the quantity. The value should be the price paid, or if the goods were given to you, the market value of the goods. You should have evidence of the value in the form of a receipt/invoice wherever possible; you may be asked to produce these. If you have any doubts regarding values please ask a Customs Officer.

Q: What goods are prohibited or restricted?

A: The importation of the following goods into St Helena is prohibited or restricted and must be declared to Customs:

  • Controlled Drugs and utensils used therewith
  • Firearms and ammunition unless accompanied by a valid licence
  • Obscene item or pornographic literature, films, DVDs, video tapes or any form of electronic media
  • Honey, bees, unrefined beeswax, any other bee derived substance that may have been exposed to bee diseases, used bee keeping equipment.  Sunflower seeds from any supplier and monkeys and psittacine birds (parrots, parakeets, etc.)

You need a licence to bring in the following: fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables, live plant material, and animals such as pets or livestock (except monkeys and psittacine birds).

Q: Will I need to pay any duty due immediately?

A: Yes. Any duty as a result of this declaration must be paid immediately and normally before the goods will be released by HM Customs and Excise.

Q: What other information is required?

A: Entering or departing St Helena with over £6,000 or equivalent? Then you must declare this. This includes coins, currency, travellers cheques and bearer instruments such as personal or cashiers cheques, stocks and bonds and gold.

Please speak with a Customs Officer as you will be required to complete an additional declaration form.

If you intend to bring a drone or other aerial device onto the Island to take aerial photographs or film of the Island, you must adhere to the operating restrictions and requirements.  More detail can be found here.  If you wish to use drone footage for commercial purposes, you must gain permission from our regulator (Air Safety Support International) prior to your arrival on Island.

Contact details for Customs and Excise

If you have any queries relating to Customs requirements or duties, please use the contacts below:

Alternatively, please telephone +290 22287 to speak to Customs and Excise.

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