Alcohol / Fag limit
- Thread starter Darkness
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Soldato
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2005
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On July 1, 1999 changes to the Duty-Free and Tax-Free laws that apply to European Union countries came into effect. However, you can still buy a wide range of Duty and Tax-Free goods when you travel abroad.
If you are flying outside the European Union you are entitled to your full allowance of goods at Tax and Duty Free prices.
If you are flying within the European Union you are entitled to Tax Free prices on fragrances, cosmetics and skincare; photographic and electrical goods; fashion and accessories; gifts, jewellery and souvenirs. There are no longer any allowance restrictions on these Tax Free items.
Duty Free Allowance / Tax Free AllowanceWhen travelling from the EU* to the UK you do not have to pay any tax or duty on goods you have bought in another EU country as long as tax was included in the price when you purchased the items, the items are for your own use, and have been transported to the UK by you. This includes gifts, but does not include any item that is intended to be used as payment or to be resold.
If you bring back large quantities of alcohol or tobacco, a Customs Officer is more likely to ask about the purposes for which you hold the goods. This will most likely be the case if you appear at the airport with more than:
3200 cigarettes
400 cigarillos
200 cigars
3 kg of smoking tobacco
110 litres of beer
10 litres of spirits
90 litres of wine
20 litres of fortified wine e.g. port or sherry
Please note the following exceptions stand for these EU countries:
From Estonia - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco*
From Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - 200 cigarettes*
*No limit on other tobacco products as long as they are for your own use.
* The EU countries currently include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus (Greek part), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (but not the Canary Islands), Sweden and the United Kingdom (but not the Channel Islands).
When travelling from outside the EU to the UK you are allowed to bring in the following, provided you travel with the items and do not intend to sell them.
200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco
2 litres of still table wine
1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs
60cc/ml of perfume
250cc/ml of toilet water (Eau de Toilette)
£145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs
If you are flying outside the European Union you are entitled to your full allowance of goods at Tax and Duty Free prices.
If you are flying within the European Union you are entitled to Tax Free prices on fragrances, cosmetics and skincare; photographic and electrical goods; fashion and accessories; gifts, jewellery and souvenirs. There are no longer any allowance restrictions on these Tax Free items.
Duty Free Allowance / Tax Free AllowanceWhen travelling from the EU* to the UK you do not have to pay any tax or duty on goods you have bought in another EU country as long as tax was included in the price when you purchased the items, the items are for your own use, and have been transported to the UK by you. This includes gifts, but does not include any item that is intended to be used as payment or to be resold.
If you bring back large quantities of alcohol or tobacco, a Customs Officer is more likely to ask about the purposes for which you hold the goods. This will most likely be the case if you appear at the airport with more than:
3200 cigarettes
400 cigarillos
200 cigars
3 kg of smoking tobacco
110 litres of beer
10 litres of spirits
90 litres of wine
20 litres of fortified wine e.g. port or sherry
Please note the following exceptions stand for these EU countries:
From Estonia - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco*
From Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - 200 cigarettes*
*No limit on other tobacco products as long as they are for your own use.
* The EU countries currently include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus (Greek part), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (but not the Canary Islands), Sweden and the United Kingdom (but not the Channel Islands).
When travelling from outside the EU to the UK you are allowed to bring in the following, provided you travel with the items and do not intend to sell them.
200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco
2 litres of still table wine
1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs
60cc/ml of perfume
250cc/ml of toilet water (Eau de Toilette)
£145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs
Coincidentally I watched some Customs UK program last night that stated the allowed maximum for cigarettes was 200.
They showed some woman with about 1800 cigarettes get totally owned and upset when 1600 of them were taken away from her. She knew the limit though, and joked to the camera afterwards that she'd been getting away with it for 9 years.
So yeah, fags: 200.
As an aside another guy was caught with a large suitcase chock full of weed. I'm amazed he thought he'd get away with it.
Edit: Ah, clearly the above applies to outside EU
They showed some woman with about 1800 cigarettes get totally owned and upset when 1600 of them were taken away from her. She knew the limit though, and joked to the camera afterwards that she'd been getting away with it for 9 years.
So yeah, fags: 200.
As an aside another guy was caught with a large suitcase chock full of weed. I'm amazed he thought he'd get away with it.
Edit: Ah, clearly the above applies to outside EU
If it's a country in the EU and you've already paid the relevant tax or duty in the country where you bought them, then there's no limit on the amount you can bring back provided it is for your own use* and is transported by yourself.
However, you run the risk of getting hassled to prove you're not "commercially importing" if you have in excess of 3200 fags, 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos (fags for armadillos), 3kg of baccy, 20 litres of fortified wine (e.g. port, sherry, etc...), 90 litres of normal wine or 10 litres of spirits.
* own use can also mean something you give away as a gift provided there's no payment made.
However, you run the risk of getting hassled to prove you're not "commercially importing" if you have in excess of 3200 fags, 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos (fags for armadillos), 3kg of baccy, 20 litres of fortified wine (e.g. port, sherry, etc...), 90 litres of normal wine or 10 litres of spirits.
* own use can also mean something you give away as a gift provided there's no payment made.
Coincidentally I watched some Customs UK program last night that stated the allowed maximum for cigarettes was 200.
They showed some woman with about 1800 cigarettes get totally owned and upset when 1600 of them were taken away from her. She knew the limit though, and joked to the camera afterwards that she'd been getting away with it for 9 years.
So yeah, fags: 200.
As an aside another guy was caught with a large suitcase chock full of weed. I'm amazed he thought he'd get away with it.
Edit: Ah, clearly the above applies to outside EU
they should take all 1800 off her not 1600. Then they can still prosecute.
yeah