Is it legal to bring back a didgeridoo as a gift from Australia to the UK?

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Request for Question Clarification by keystroke-ga on 28 Jul 2006 08:52 PDT

I would guess the answer to this is YES.

My friend who moved to England had a digeridoo and he had no problems
bringing it back to England.

Is this ok as an answer?

--Keystroke-ga

There is no problem with a made-for-the-tourists didgeridoo; these
vary in quality from trash to good quality instruments, with prices to
match.

However, if it is a genuine aboriginal artefact of historical or
cultural significance you will require an export licence.
 
See:

http://203.13.226.3/corporate/layout/0,,0_S1-1_CORPXID0062-2_-3_STAG235496-4_-5_-6_-7_,00.html

Almost anything of better quality than those which you can buy in
airport shops is liable to be considered "significant".

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Clarification of Answer by angy-ga on 28 Jul 2006 21:46 PDT

Forgeot to add:

Search terms:

Australia export "aboriginal artefacts"

Since a "guess" is not an Answer, I'm posting this as a comment. 

I suspect that it's legal to buy a didgeridoo in Australia and bring
it to the UK, but I can't say for certain. Here's a website that
discusses the ethics of buying a didgeridoo; there's nothing here that
hints that it's not ethical to take one out of the country:

http://www.heartlanddidgeridoos.com.au/Cultural/ethics.htm#Choosing%20an%20Ethical%20Supplier%20of%20Didgs

Kriswrite

Of course!

(from http://www.didgeridoobreath.com/index.php?page=about_travelling)
Travelling with your Didgeridoo

Here are a couple of tips for you if you intend to travel with your didgeridoo.
Pack your instrument safely (opens in a new window)
First of all, pack the instrument safely:

It is important to protect the didgeridoo against the bumps that most
luggage endures when traveling on airplanes. A good padded didgeridoo
bag is important. Additional to this, both ends of the didgeridoo are
most susceptible to damage - the mouthpiece and the bell. To add extra
protection to these areas, we recommending padding the two ends with
bubble-wrap. You want to be able to bounce the didgeridoo without the
didge touching the ground. This will strongly reduce the chance of any
cracks occurring or mouthpiece damage.
Checking in:

Because of the size of most didgeridoos, you won't be allowed to carry
it on board with you. Your didgeridoo will most likely get transported
in the fragile service with the golf clubs, fishing rods and
surfboards etc. We have traveled many times as have our customers and
with the right packing of the instrument, it is extremely rare that
any damage occurs. We have found that the check in and pick up of
fragile luggage is very simple.
Customs:

Different countries have different regulations on what products they
will let in. Australia and New Zealand are very strict on importing
timber and beeswax. Technically, timber and beeswax are not allowed to
be taken into Canada and the UK either. Although these countries are
strict, we have not heard of any cases where a didgeridoo has not been
allowed in. Every year we personally take our didgeridoos in and out
of Australia with no problems. Most importantly, declare your
didgeridoo as a musical instrument, made of timber, just like guitars,
violins and drums. Over the past years we have shipped thousands of
didgeridoos into many countries around the world and every day we wrap
up didges for our customers to take on the plane and again, no
problems.

A definitive list of all prohibited goods is not supplied by H.M.
Customs and Excise. However, they do suggest you contact their
National Advice Service to ask the question.

?...the examples below are only a small selection of the goods
prohibited and restricted in the UK. If in doubt, always ask our
National Advice Service for more advice. It is your responsibility to
make sure that you are not breaking the law.?
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_009828&propertyType=document


"Our national enquiries help line is open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
for all general questions relating to the former HM Customs and Excise
only.

So if you have a question about Customs, Excise, VAT or any of our
other taxes or duties, please feel free to call us on 0845 010 9000
(+44 208 929 0152 outside UK)."
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageContactUs_NationalAdviceService

It could be impounded if it contains a pest. As shown on this document.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/interc/05jun05.pdf