Saint Helena customs
Apply for visa
Free import
• For travelers aged 18 or older: 2 L of spirits or liqueurs of 22% alcohol or less, or 1 L of spirits over 22%.
• For travelers aged 18 or older: in addition, 2 L of wine or 12 bottles/cans (340 ml each) of beer or lager.
• For travelers aged 18 or older: 200 cigarettes or 250 g of other tobacco products.
• For all travelers: 250 ml of perfume and eau de toilette, and 15 ml of vape/e-cigarette liquid.
• Clothing and other goods for personal use worth up to GBP 1,000 in total, not for business or investment.
• Visitors may bring in their personal belongings duty-free for up to 6 months, provided they take them away when they leave. Items you intend to leave on St Helena must be declared and duty paid.
• You do not need to declare goods within these allowances. Goods above them must be declared, and any duty must be paid on arrival before the goods are released.
Currency
• The local currency is the St Helena pound (SHP), which is equal in value to the British pound (GBP). British pound notes and coins are accepted on the island.
• Cash, cheques and other monetary instruments totalling more than GBP 6,000 (or the equivalent in other currencies) must be declared to customs on arrival. Failure to declare is punishable by a fine of GBP 2,000, up to 6 months in prison, or both.
• There are no ATMs on St Helena and credit and debit cards are accepted only in a few places. Bring enough cash or use the Bank of St Helena prepaid Tourist Card. The Bank of St Helena can also advance cash against major cards (fees apply).
Prohibited
• Controlled drugs and drug-taking equipment
• Psychoactive substances (so-called legal highs)
• Obscene or pornographic material in any form, including printed, film and electronic media
• Honey, bees, unrefined beeswax, other bee products that may carry bee diseases, and used beekeeping equipment
• Sunflower seeds, and seeds you collected yourself (for example, from a garden)
• Live monkeys and parrots, parakeets and other psittacine birds
Restricted
• Firearms, air weapons and spear guns need a firearm certificate from the St Helena Police and written permission to import them, both granted before you travel.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, cut flowers and soil need an import licence from Biosecurity St Helena.
• Commercially packaged seeds and foods such as nuts, herbs, spices, dried fruit and beans are allowed only in unopened packets from a commercial source. Some meat and fish products are restricted, so declare them to customs or biosecurity.
• All animals, including pets and livestock, need prior permission (an import licence) from the Agriculture and Natural Resources Division. Dogs and cats must also be licensed within 2 weeks of arrival, unless they will leave within 3 months.
• Shells, feathers, plants and products of species protected under CITES need a valid CITES export permit from the country of export.
• Clean your boots, shoes and hiking or camping gear before arrival. All baggage is checked by detector dogs, X-ray and visual inspection; hand in any prohibited items or put them in the quarantine bin in the arrivals hall.
• Drones may be flown only within the local operating rules. Using drone footage for commercial purposes needs permission from the aviation regulator, Air Safety Support International, before arrival.
• For travelers aged 18 or older: 2 L of spirits or liqueurs of 22% alcohol or less, or 1 L of spirits over 22%.
• For travelers aged 18 or older: in addition, 2 L of wine or 12 bottles/cans (340 ml each) of beer or lager.
• For travelers aged 18 or older: 200 cigarettes or 250 g of other tobacco products.
• For all travelers: 250 ml of perfume and eau de toilette, and 15 ml of vape/e-cigarette liquid.
• Clothing and other goods for personal use worth up to GBP 1,000 in total, not for business or investment.
• Visitors may bring in their personal belongings duty-free for up to 6 months, provided they take them away when they leave. Items you intend to leave on St Helena must be declared and duty paid.
• You do not need to declare goods within these allowances. Goods above them must be declared, and any duty must be paid on arrival before the goods are released.
Currency
• The local currency is the St Helena pound (SHP), which is equal in value to the British pound (GBP). British pound notes and coins are accepted on the island.
• Cash, cheques and other monetary instruments totalling more than GBP 6,000 (or the equivalent in other currencies) must be declared to customs on arrival. Failure to declare is punishable by a fine of GBP 2,000, up to 6 months in prison, or both.
• There are no ATMs on St Helena and credit and debit cards are accepted only in a few places. Bring enough cash or use the Bank of St Helena prepaid Tourist Card. The Bank of St Helena can also advance cash against major cards (fees apply).
Prohibited
• Controlled drugs and drug-taking equipment
• Psychoactive substances (so-called legal highs)
• Obscene or pornographic material in any form, including printed, film and electronic media
• Honey, bees, unrefined beeswax, other bee products that may carry bee diseases, and used beekeeping equipment
• Sunflower seeds, and seeds you collected yourself (for example, from a garden)
• Live monkeys and parrots, parakeets and other psittacine birds
Restricted
• Firearms, air weapons and spear guns need a firearm certificate from the St Helena Police and written permission to import them, both granted before you travel.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, cut flowers and soil need an import licence from Biosecurity St Helena.
• Commercially packaged seeds and foods such as nuts, herbs, spices, dried fruit and beans are allowed only in unopened packets from a commercial source. Some meat and fish products are restricted, so declare them to customs or biosecurity.
• All animals, including pets and livestock, need prior permission (an import licence) from the Agriculture and Natural Resources Division. Dogs and cats must also be licensed within 2 weeks of arrival, unless they will leave within 3 months.
• Shells, feathers, plants and products of species protected under CITES need a valid CITES export permit from the country of export.
• Clean your boots, shoes and hiking or camping gear before arrival. All baggage is checked by detector dogs, X-ray and visual inspection; hand in any prohibited items or put them in the quarantine bin in the arrivals hall.
• Drones may be flown only within the local operating rules. Using drone footage for commercial purposes needs permission from the aviation regulator, Air Safety Support International, before arrival.