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Items classified as duty free include Alcohol, Tobacco and fragrances other goods are all put in the tax free category. Duty free goods are for travellers who are returning from countries outside of the European Union. The full allowance which was changed in January 2009 was raised from £145 to £340 for electrical products and souvenirs. Other increases include wine allowance raise from 2 litres to 4 litres, beer is now 16 litres, there are no longer restrictions on fragrance volume and you are also allowed to mix and match tobacco products, the same goes for alcohol purchases.
Tobacco
Tobacco allowances remain the same at 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars, 250g tobacco. Changes will now allow you to mix and match tobacco products as long as the allowance is not exceeded. E.g. 100 cigarettes could be combined with 125g of tobacco.
Duty and Tax Free from the EU
When arriving from another EU country items bought from that country should have already had tax paid on them, so you won't need to pay any tax when you arrive in the UK. These include gifts, alcohol and tobacco as long as you not intend to resell it or used as payment. Arriving back with a large amount of goods will usually alert customs officers, who will ask for what purpose are they intended.
Travelling from the EU
Quantities that Customs are usually ok with are listed below however certain countries are exceptions to the rule including Estonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia you are allowed 200 cigarettes and no limit to other tobacco products as long as intended for you own use. Estonia the smoking tobacco is restricted to 250g.
• 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
Travelling from outside the EU
Items you are allowed to bring into the UK from outside the EU as long as they are intended for personal use and not for resale.
• 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco.
• 4l still table wine.
• 1l spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; or 2l fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs.
• 16 l of beer
• 60cc/ml of perfume
• £340 worth gifts, electrical products and souvenirs
EU Countries (Duty free prices not available)
The EU is made up of 27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the UK. Islands and separate states that belong within the EU tax authority include the Balaeric Islands( Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca, Azores, Isle of Man, Monaco and Madereira
EU country owned but not part of the EU ( Duty free prices available)
The countries below allow you to purchase goods at duty free prices.
Other islands and regions that are in EU areas but not included in the tax territory of the EU and include Faroe Islands and Greenland (part of Denmark);
The Aland Islands (part of Finland),
Under French ownership, Martinique, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Reunion, and St Pierre and Miquelon;
Busingen and the Isle of Helgoland ( part of Germany);
Mount Athos (part of Greece);
Communes of Livigno and Campione d’Italia (part of Italy);
Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla (part of Spain)
Channel Islands and Gibraltar (part of the UK).
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