The Natural History Museum is approved under Part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
This means that we are able to provide immunity from seizure for cultural objects from abroad on loan to temporary exhibitions.
An object is protected if the following conditions are met when it enters the UK:
- the object is usually kept outside the UK
- the object is not owned by a person resident in the UK
- its import does not contravene any import regulations
- it is brought to the UK for public display in a temporary exhibition at a museum or gallery
- the borrowing museum or gallery is approved under the Act
- the borrowing museum has published information about the object
In the UK, all objects currently being proposed for or covered by immunity from seizure are linked to on the Arts Council’s website.
You can find provenance information for objects requesting immunity from seizure in our exhibitions below.
Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre
24 May 2024 - 5 January 2025, Natural History Museum, London