First Time Flyer in Possession of an Engagement Ring...Need Help
 

I am a first-time flyer from America traveling to the UK in a few weeks. My girlfriend will be accompanying me on our 2 week vacation overseas. We are touching down in the UK and boarding another plane to Scotland almost immediately after. A few days later, we will be coming back to the UK before leaving for America a few days after. Here's my question. I have an engagement ring that I plan on bringing overseas to propose to my girlfriend with, but I don't know how exactly to bring it over without raising an eyebrow with EU customs and blowing the big moment.Could I maybe put said ring in my wallet and shove my wallet into my carry-on luggage? Anyone ever had this problem before and successfully pull it off? Any help on this topic is greatly appreciated.

KEEP IT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES!! It isn't going to have to be examined anywhere. Keep it in your carryon or wallet.
And best wishes. DS did this--at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Women have jewelry in their carryons all the time. We never put it in checked luggage. A ring in your carryon will raise no eyebrows or suspicions.

I would opt for the carry-on option...never ever check anything that valuable!

As other posters have said, keep it with you. When you arrive in the UK, you will go through immigration control. They will ask you your purpose in the UK and perhaps some other questions, like if you are carrying a lot of cash or if you have a return ticket back to the US. The thing to keep in mind about your ring is that it is a personal use. You are not re-selling it in the UK, so you have no need to declare it. So, when you are leaving the baggage claim area, you will have the option of going through two different customs lanes. One is for those who have something to declare and other others for those who do not. You will go through the lane for those with nothing to declare. It is extremely unlikely that you will be stopped at this point. In the very unlikely event that you are, you have nothing to declare. Your girlfriend will (hopefully) carry this ring out of the country on her ring finger. If she does not, you clearly will. So no worries here.

I have carried two rings overseas...one for my wife, on the occasion of our 15th anniversary in Paris and on another occasion for a friend of mine who needed his engagement ring transported to him. There were no issues in either situation. The worst thing that will happen to you is that you will get a random search of your bags as you go through customs. Keep the ring in your wallet. Tell your girlfriend to go on. If they do a more thorough search, tell them what is going on. You are not doing anything that is illegal, and you should have no reason for worry about the authorities. Just make sure your girlfriend keeps moving along. You don't want to spoil the occasion.

No one will care that you're bringing a ring with you. Just leave the ring in the case and put it in your carry on. Just don't set it down anywhere.

Where are you going after Scotland?

Tourists' luggage is not searched entering the UK or other countries in europe unless 1) there is some specific reason to suppose they are carrying contraband or 2) they are unlucky and coming from an area with a lot of smuggling.

What you are doing is perfectly legal and there is no reason anyone will ever find out you have it.

BUT, this is quite valuable. Do not let it out of your hands. Keep it on your person going through security - do not just leave it sitting in your carry-on. After security you can put it in your carry=on - but then don;t let that out of your sight.

(A previous poster lost a valuable ring going through security when she decided - not was requested - but decided - to put her jewelry in one of those little white boxes for people carrying too much metal. This is usually a really large belt buckle or handfuls of change - no normal piece of jewelry will set this off - and it should NOT be out of your hands.)

There are no issues at all about carrying the ring.

But I am a bit confused about one thing you wrote: >><i>We are touching down in the UK and boarding another plane to Scotland almost immediately after. A few days later, we will be coming back to the UK . . . how exactly to bring it over without raising an eyebrow with EU customs</i><<

Scotland is part of the UK so if you are landing in London and then traveling up to Scotland, EU has nothing to do w/ anything.

I would perhaps take the precaution of carrying a photocopy of the receipt so it proves you purchased it at home.

"Scotland is part of the UK so if you are landing in London and then traveling up to Scotland, EU has nothing to do w/ anything."

Quite. Despite what *some* Scots might hope for come 2014, Scotland is still part of the UK. You will only go through British passport control once, as your flight to Scotland is internal. I'm not sure without knowing your flights whether you will go through customs on arrival (in London?) or whether you will transfer airside and so go through customs in Scotland, but either way, you will only do it once.

Once through passport control, you will walk through a 'no goods to declare' exit channel, where you and your bags will be ignored. You would be extraordinarily unlucky to have your bag searched here and even then, they will be looking for major contraband, not a single ring.

You will have your passport and landing cards checked, and that will be it.

The only other time your bags will be screened is, probably, before boarding your flight up to Scotland, but here they will take no notice of a ring. They are looking for bombs!

Consider using a money belt or neck pocket to carry the ring. If it is in your wallet, lose your wallet and lose everything. Same for carry-on. If you can't put it down, you can't leave it or have it stolen. Also, things fall out of wallets.

In addition to a copy of the reciept, carry a copy of an accurate photograph in case you have to prove the ring is yours if by bad luck it is stolen or lost and then recovered. Twice safe is half as sorry.

Congratulations, by the way!