Frozen goods

Royal Arctic Line can help with shipment of your frozen goods. You can find the regulations, on what you are allowed to ship here.

It is always the responsibility of the shipper that the shipment complies with the regulations. The veterinary authorities or the customs authorities may hold back packages of private frozen goods that so not comply with regulations. At worst, packages can be returned or destroyed at the shipper’s expense. It is therefore important that all packages of frozen goods being sent out of Greenland comply with customs and veterinary regulations in Denmark and the EU. You can read the most important regulations below or download the regulations for import of food to the EU here.

Sea freight and further transportation is always paid by the shipper in Greenland, while the consignee pays any costs for VAT and customs duty. VAT is charged on 5-kilo packages when their value exceeds €45, while both VAT and customs duty are charged on packages valued at more than €500.

Regulations for quantities and packaging
Private individuals may send up to 30 kilos – with a maximum of 10 kilos of meat and 20 kilos of fish – per consignee in Denmark. The packages must be separated into units weighing not more than 5 kilos each, i.e. a 20-kilo package must be separated into four smaller units of 5 kilos each. The office of Royal Arctic Havneservice sells transport boxes that fit the size of most 5-kilo frozen goods packages.

If you want to combine goods for several consignees in one shipment, you must still separate the goods into units of maximum 5 kilos and fill in the form here, clearly indicating which goods belong to which consignee. Packages for several consignees are not separated, but are delivered to a single address.

Regulations for contents
Most ordinary types of meat may be exported, but some animals are endangered and are covered by special regulations. You can find the regulations for trading with endangered species at the Danish Nature Agency home page.

Examples of meat that may be exported:
• Minke whale from West Greenland
• Pilot whale (long-finned)
• Harbour porpoise
• Seal
• Reindeer
• Musk-ox
• Fish and shell fish

Examples of meat that may not be exported:
• Narwhal
• White whale
• Fin whale
• Humpback whale
• Sperm whale
• Bowhead whale
• Walrus
• Polar bear

You can download more information about private frozen goods here.

If you have questions about frozen goods you are welcome to contact customer services, telephone +299 70 15 00 or kundeservice@ral.gl.