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The short answer
Stockfish and other dried or smoked fish can come into Ireland in personal luggage up to 20 kg, or one fish if that weighs more, under the personal import rules Revenue applies. Dried crayfish is a crustacean, and DAFM should confirm how it is treated. Egusi is a seed, and DAFM says seeds from outside the EU need a phytosanitary certificate. Meat and dairy such as kilishi or wara are not allowed at all.
The short answer, item by item
| Item | What it is | How the rules treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Stockfish (okporoko) | Dried fish | Fishery product: personal limit of 20 kg, or one fish if heavier (Revenue manual) |
| Smoked or dried catfish, bonga | Fish | Same 20 kg fishery limit |
| Crayfish (dried) | A crustacean, usually dried prawns or shrimp | Animal origin. Likely treated with fishery products, but the manual does not name it: ask DAFM |
| Egusi, ogbono | Seeds | DAFM: seeds from outside the EU need a phytosanitary certificate |
| Kilishi, ponmo, dried meat | Meat products | Not allowed (DAFM) |
| Wara, milk powder (not infant formula) | Dairy | Not allowed (DAFM) |
| Biscuits, chocolate, sweets, tea, coffee | Exempt goods | Allowed (DAFM) |
Fish: the 20 kg rule
Revenue's Tax and Duty Manual on personal imports sets out the allowances in its Annex 1. For travellers from countries other than the Faroe Islands and Greenland, fishery products are allowed up to 20 kg, or one fish, whichever weighs more. The figure is per person. Two adults travelling together are two travellers, but each bag is checked against its owner, so pack your own allowance in your own bag.
The limit is for personal consumption. A suitcase of stockfish for a shop shelf is stock, not luggage; see importing Nigerian foodstuff to sell.
Crayfish: check first
Nigerian crayfish is usually dried prawn or shrimp, so it is of animal origin. The Revenue manual describes fishery products and gives separate small limits for some other animal products, but it does not name dried crustaceans. Ask DAFM before you travel, or plan for it to be refused. Ground crayfish mixed into a seasoning blend is still crayfish.
Egusi and other seeds
DAFM's page, updated 12 June 2026, says plants, fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, seeds, soil and timber from a third country need a phytosanitary certificate presented to the Department at the point of entry. Egusi and ogbono are seeds. Whether shelled, ground or roasted egusi is treated as a seed needing a certificate is not spelt out on that page, so ask DAFM. Bringing it with no certificate risks having it taken at the airport.
Other things Nigerians often pack
DAFM's page lists categories, not individual products, so the safe approach is to sort each item before you pack.
- Dried pepper, uda, uziza seeds, pepper soup spice. Plant material, some of it whole seeds. Whole seeds and dried fruit fall in the categories DAFM says need a certificate; ground blends are less clear. Ask.
- Garri, elubo, pounded yam flour, dried beans. Plant products processed to different degrees. Dried beans are seeds. Flours are further processed. Ask DAFM about each one rather than assume.
- Palm oil, groundnut oil. Plant-origin. Processed oils are not named on DAFM's page; ask before packing large tins.
- Bournvita, Milo, branded biscuits, sweets. Packaged goods. Chocolate and confectionery are on DAFM's exempt list; drinks powders containing milk are less clear, so check the label and ask.
Whatever DAFM tells you, write down the date and the name of the person or email, and keep it with your travel documents.
At the airport
- Pack each person's fish within their own 20 kg.
- Keep meat and dairy out of the bag altogether.
- Revenue says that if you carry restricted goods, including certain foods (mainly meat, milk, fish or their products), you must declare them to a customs officer. If you are unsure about an item, declare it.
- If something is not allowed, it is taken. The Revenue manual includes a form for confiscated products, which is sent to DAFM.
Worked example: one family, one trip
Example. Kemi and her husband fly from Lagos to Dublin in January. Between them they pack 15 kg of stockfish, 8 kg of dried catfish, 2 kg of ground crayfish, 3 kg of egusi and a pack of kilishi.
- Fish: 23 kg in total. Kemi carries 12 kg and her husband 11 kg, each under 20 kg, so the fish is within the allowance.
- Crayfish: uncertain. They asked DAFM before travelling; without an answer, it may be refused.
- Egusi: needs a phytosanitary certificate if DAFM treats it as seed. Without one, expect it to be taken.
- Kilishi: meat, not allowed. Leave it at home.
Planning a trip home? See a December trip budget, and the airport angle in Nigerian food in your luggage at Dublin Airport.
Where Pryme fits
If you would rather buy ingredients in Ireland than carry them, paying in euro from a Pryme multicurrency account keeps the trip budget in one place, and naira for market shopping at home sits in the same account.
Questions people ask
How much stockfish can I bring to Ireland from Nigeria?
Up to 20 kg per person, or one fish if that weighs more, under the personal import limits in Revenue's manual.
Can I bring egusi into Ireland?
Egusi is a seed. DAFM says seeds from outside the EU need a phytosanitary certificate presented at entry. Ask DAFM how your form of egusi is treated.
Is crayfish allowed in luggage to Ireland?
It is an animal product. The rules do not name dried crayfish, so check with DAFM before travelling.
What happens if I don't declare food at Dublin Airport?
Revenue says restricted foods must be declared. Prohibited items are confiscated, and goods carried for sale go beyond the personal rules.
Sources
- Revenue Tax and Duty Manual: Personal importation of live animals and products of animal origin (updated June 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Personal consignments in luggage or through postal, courier and online services (updated 12 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Revenue: Prohibited or restricted goods in baggage (published 22 Dec 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.