Does anyone know if shelled pecans can be taken into Spain and Portugal? If they can, would they be welcome as hostess gifts or are they plentiful there?

I imagine that if anyone knew the answer to that question , they would already have written back. I don't know either so good luck searching. Ohhh, you know something. if you are coming from the U.S go to www.ins.usdoj.gov and go under travelling abroad. It should help.

I don't think I even saw that question.

While I'm not 100% certain of the answer, I imagine if these pecans are vacuum PACKAGED (as in, bought at a store in a factory-sealed bag) you shouldn't have a problem. But if these pecans were shelled by you and then put in a baggie, I don't think they will be allowed.

At Madrid Barajas airport I always buy a bunch of bags of almonds at the duty-free shops to take back and never have a problem but thesea are in factory-sealed bags.

And while not certain (I'm not even sure what "PECANS" is in Spanish - it's a kind of nut), I don't think they have pecans in Spain. Some Spanish friends came to the US to visit and they LOVED the Pecan Pie and if memory serves me well they had not had them before.

Saludos, MadridMan

From what I have seen of customs at Barajas, it is my impression that they don't worry too much about it. There is nothing there like the warning signs and the heavy presence of customs and agricultural agents that exists in US airports, nor is it mentioned on the immigration form. (As it is on the US form) In my 20+ trips through Barajas I have never been spoken to by any customs or other government official.

On my last trip I brought a dozen ears of Minnesota sweet corn for my buddies!

They do have a nut similar to our pecan that grows in Southern Spain. It is sold by the street vendors in Málaga!! It seems you can take anything into Spain. Nice idea as a gift!!

I don't think you will have a problem. Even if you are the 1 out of 500 that they actually inspect at Bajaras, they probably would not confiscate it.

You won't have a problem. I usually take a bunch of candy when I go to Spain for my friend's kids and they never said anything (it's the usual kind that you buy at the supermarket in baggies or small boxes).
As for pecans I never had them until I moved to the US and personally loved them! I think is a great idea to take something different for spaniards to try, it seems to get harder and harder to find things unique to the US that are not sold the world over.

I don't think you will have a problem. Every time I go home to the States, I bring a few pounds of them with me to Spain (chocolate chips too!). Whenever any family member or friend visits me in Spain, they bring them for me too. Never had any problem. Just so you know, you can get pecans (shelled and unshelled) in Spain. My sister-in-law recently got them in Carrefour in Oviedo. But, they are quite expensive and not that easy to get. I've only seen them twice in the almost 6 years I've lived in Spain.