Paleonet: Posting specimens UK to EU

[Simon Schneider]

Dear Lucy,

It is clearly a Brexit issue. I had similar experience with German 
customs, several times over the last couple of years, but never before. 
Material, in some cases only a small padded envelope with rock samples 
for nannofossil analyses, was held back by customs, and the recipients 
were asked to pay for customs clearance - despite all being declared as 
scientific rock samples, no commercial value. In two cases, samples 
(fortunately only splits) got completely lost.

My personal conclusion is, I don't send non-replaceable samples any 
more. I haven't tried courier yet though, only Royal Mail.

All the best,
Simon

On 19/10/2023 08:45, Lucy Muir wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> This is mostly a question for UK-based paleonetters. I have just found 
> out that a parcel of fossil specimens that I tried to send from the UK 
> to Spain has been returned - for the second time. One of my colleagues 
> has had a box of specimens rejected by Portuguese customs, so this is 
> not just me. I assume that this is something to do with changes in 
> customs after Brexit. Can anyone give any advice on sending specimens 
> from the UK so that they will actually reach their destination?
>
> Additional information, in case it's useful: I filled in a customs 
> form saying that the contents were "Geological specimens for study" 
> and giving a value of £1. (I put this value in on the advice of Post 
> Office staff - at the first attempt I had said that the value was £0.)
>
> I would like to go to Spain on holiday, but it seems a little 
> ridiculous to have to do that in order to hand over some fossils...
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Lucy
>
>
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-- 
Dr. Simon Schneider
Geologist-Palaeontologist
CASP, West Building
Madingley Rise, Madingley Road
Cambridge CB3 0UD
United Kingdom
www.casp.org.uk