Customs & immigration
EU custom allowances
If you come to the UK directly from another EU country you can bring as much alcohol and tobacco as you want providing it is for your own use, and you can satisfy customs officers that you have brought it into the UK for personal use.
What constitutes personal own
'Own use' includes goods for your own consumption and gifts. If you bring in goods for resale, or for any payment, even payment in kind, they are regarded as being for a commercial purpose.
Leaving the airport through customs
Most UK ports and airports have three exits or 'channels', while some have only one exit, with a red point phone for declaring goods.
Use the Red Channel if you:
- have goods to declare; or
- have commercial goods; or
- have tobacco products from an EU country that are over the limits for imports from that country; or
- are not sure what you should declare.
Use the Green Channel if you are travelling from a non-EU country with:
- no more than the customs allowances: and
- no banned or restricted goods
Use the Blue Channel if you are travelling from a EU country with:
- no banned and restricted goods; and
- no tobacco products that are over the limits for imports from that country.
- If you bring in goods on which tax has been paid in an EU country, you do not have to pay any tax or duty on them in the UK.
Alcohol or Tobacco
If you are bringing in alcohol or tobacco goods and customs have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, a customs officer may ask you questions and make checks, for example about:
- The type and quantity of goods you have bought
- Why you bought them
- How you paid for them
- Whether all your goods are openly displayed or concealed
- How often you travel
- How much you normally smoke or drink
- Any other relevant circumstances.
Alcohol or Tobacco - quantities tolerated
You are particularly likely to be asked questions if you have more than:
- 3200 cigarettes
- 400 cigarillos
- 200 cigars
- 3kg of smoking tobacco
- 110 litres of beer
- 90 litres of wine
- 20 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry)
- 10 litres of spirits
Penalties for smuggling
The officer will take into account all the factors of the situation and your explanation. If they conclude the goods are for a commercial purpose they may seize them and any vehicle used to transport them, and may not return them to you. If you are caught smuggling or selling alcohol or tobacco goods they may be seized, and for a serious offence you could get up to seven years in prison.
EU countries where limits are applied
Some EU countries are exceptions to the above, and limits on the amount of tobacco products brought into the UK without paying duty are applied. These are as follows:
- Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia or Slovenia – 200 cigarettes*
- Estonia – 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco*
*No limit on other tobacco products as long as they are for your own use.
If you have tobacco products over these limits you should speak to a Customs officer in the red channel or on the red point phone.
