What Are The Duty Free Limits After Brexit? (UK to the EU)
When it comes to duty free shopping, it is an aspect of travel that you would enjoy when abroad. Witnessing the range of products and exciting brands from one duty free shop to another is interesting. Moreover, you might find amazing designer products at a good bargain. At the same time, you would have wondered if Brexit would have impacted the prices and rates of these goods. So, to keep you informed, this blog attempts to answer the question, what are the duty free limits after Brexit?
You can bring goods into the European Union duty free under the following conditions:
- The goods are not for commercial purposes.
- You intend the goods for personal use or consumption for members of your household or as a gift.
- You must carry the goods in the same means of transport as you travel. e.g. car, van, train coach or plane.
So, if the above conditions are met, the following quantities and value limits apply.
Tobacco products (only for persons over 17 years of age)
200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos (cigars with a maximum weight of 3 g/piece) or 50 cigars or 250 g smoking tobacco or a pro-rata composition of those goods.
Alcohol and alcoholic beverages (only for people aged 17 and over).
1. litre of alcohol and alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 22% by volume. Or non-ethyl alcohol with an alcohol content of 80% by volume.
or
2. litres of alcohol and alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of no more than 22% by volume. Or a pro-rata composition of those beverages.
or
3. litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
Pharmaceutical products
You can bring medicines for your personal needs in the amount prescribed by your doctor. Practically you can get the whole box of tablets as long as you can justify the quantity. You should convince the customs agent that you need that bulk of it.
Fuels (for each motor vehicle).
- The amount in the main tank and up to 10 litres in a portable reserve tank.
Other kinds of goods not listed above (such as books, electronic goods, clothing and anything else) have a limit by value:
- Up to a total goods value of 300 euros for air or sea passengers.
- Up to goods with a value of 430 euros for other means of transport used to enter the EU such as cars, trains or coaches.
- For travellers under the age of 15 – up to a total goods value of 175.
The goods for which a particular quantity limit applies (tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical products) do not make it as part of the goods’ value.
Travel allowances when entering from EU countries
You can bring goods from other EU countries within the following guide quantities duty free if the intention is to use them personally. However, there are a few exceptions when it comes to these particular areas. They include the Canary Islands, the French overseas departments and the British Channel Islands. For goods from the special areas, the exemption limits shown for imports from non-EU countries apply. Read more about our Customs clearance service for removals from the UK to EU.
Tobacco & Alcohol and alcoholic beverages limits for private use:
Tobacco products :
- 800 cigarettes
- 400 cigarillos
- 200 cigars
- 1 kg of smoking tobacco
Alcohol and alcoholic beverages :
- 10 litres of spirits
- 20 litres of intermediate products (e.g. sherry, port, marsala)
- 60 litres of sparkling wine
- 110 litres of beer
- Coffee
- 10 kg of coffee or goods containing coffee
If the goods are forwarded or sent as freight, transported by post, a removals company or courier service, they are not considered to have been carried by you. In such circumstances, you must declare goods to customs as commercial export/import using a customs agent. Bringing the goods along for a fee for others is considered commercial activity. Therefore, you must declare such activity to customs authorities on both sides of the border.
What are the duty free rules after Brexit?
If you are travelling from the UK to a European country, there is no limitation to the products they bring. This is applicable as long as the products are for yourself, used by you, and are not to resell. For the price you would have paid for the product from the European country you were in, the price would include relevant taxes and VAT.
In that case, you won’t need to make any other payment from anywhere else in Europe. There are ways that EU authorities dealing with customs would check up on you. Furthermore, they would need to determine if you are someone who will use these products yourself. They will look into the aspect of your livelihood or even how you had packaged and arranged the goods. We hope this blog has given you insight into what are the duty free limits after Brexit?
UK to EU Duty Free Allowance
If you’re wondering about the tax allowances you can avail yourself of, especially if you’re travelling from the UK to an EU country, then you need to bear a few things in mind. If you travel to an EU country from the UK, you can take your goods free of excise duties and VAT. These, however, would need to be goods that won’t be resold by you and having receipts of these goods would be ideal.