Travelling to and from the UK? Beware custom duties and new travel regulations for Belgians

Belgium's customs service are reminding travellers that stricter post-Brexit regulations apply to goods bought in the UK, reports Belga.

Anyone traveling by train and bringing items worth more than €300 into Belgium must declare them to customs. For those arriving by boat or plane, the threshold is €430.

“Shoppers will, of course, quickly reach that amount and must therefore declare their purchases upon their arrival in Brussels,” customs administrator general Kristian Vanderwaeren told press at the Eurostar terminal at Brussels Midi station.

Travellers arriving at Brussels Airport as well as Brussels Midi station need to choose between the "nothing to declare" and "goods to declare" lanes when they arrive.

However, compliance remains low. On a Eurostar train from London last week, there were no passengers opting for the declaration lane.

“That is almost always the case,” remarked Vanderwaeren. “We are organising this action to remind people that the regulations for shopping in London are not the same as for Paris. Four years after London formally left the EU, a reminder is still necessary.”

Travellers who declare goods must pay applicable duties and taxes. These are calculated based on the total value, including VAT already paid in the UK. For those who fail to declare goods, there is a risk of fines on top of the standard levies.

The risk of being caught remains relatively low, though. According to figures from the FPS Finance, of the nearly 9,000 people checked at Brussels Midi last year, only 135 violations were recorded. These included undeclared goods, as well as infractions related to undeclared cash and drug possession.

To assists officials, a detection dog at the terminal can sniff out large sums of money. Amount of €10,000 or more need to be declared, as well as other currencies and drugs.

As the current infrastructure at the Eurostar terminal in Brussels limits full-scale inspections, customs officials are considering installing scanners at the station.

New travel requirements for Belgians travelling to the UK

From 2 April, travellers to the UK need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). The digital travel permission has been available since 5 March.

It applies to all Belgian citizens and eligible European visitors who do not need a visa to travel to the UK for short stays of up to six months. Dual citizens with British or Irish citizenship do not need an ETA to travel to the UK.

Applying for an ETA is quick and simple, said the British Embassy Brussels. Although visitors are advised to allow three working days for their application, “most applicants get an automatic decision in minutes when applying through the UK ETA app.”

An ETA currently costs £10 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. But there are proposed changes before the UK Parliament to increase the ETA fee from £10 to £16.

UK Ambassador Anne Sherriff said: “The introduction of the ETA scheme is in line with the approach many other countries have taken to border security and will help prevent the arrival of those who present a threat to the UK. It’s easy to apply for an ETA through the ‘UK ETA app’, which can be downloaded from the internet. You can also apply on the UK government website if you do not have access to a smartphone.”

Photo: ©Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck