bringing cigs back from spain

DPH1230

can anyone advise me on bringing cigs back from spain.my understanding is you are allowed 3.200 but my friend says you can bring back what you want. anotherfreind claims that any more than 3.200 customs can take the lot from you. can someone please clear this up for me please.

mustbemoreorganised

my understanding is that 3200 is a recommended guideline and you can bring back more for personal use, if challenged the onus is on customs to prove they are not for your own use, i have often brought more back but have never been stopped so I'm not 100 sure

arnie&caseysma!

Alcohol or tobacco
If you are bringing in alcohol or tobacco goods and we 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 or
any other relevant circumstances.
You are particularly likely to be asked questions if you have more than:

3200 cigarettes, 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos, 3kg tobacco, 110 litres of beer, 90 litres of wine, 10 litres of spirits, 20 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry).

The officer will take into account all the factors of the situation and your explanation.

Check out the website for further details.......

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_InfoGuides&propertyType=document&id=HMCE_PROD_010221

pennylane99

from HMRC....

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_010221&propertyType=document#P13_1332

alba37

I have been stopped a few times. As long as you can convince customs they are for your own use or bought as presents (you can't bring them back, and be paid for them) then it's fine. There are guidelines on allowances... but they are only guidelines, you can legally bring back what you want for personal consumption. (as above posts)

Dave_T_UK

To support some of the questions you might be asked, if stopped by customs, just make sure you only bring back one brand per person, don't make it look like you've been out and bought them from a shopping list.
My wife and I use different brands, so she carries hers in her case, and I have mine in my case.
Even if you only bring back the 3200 quota per person DON'T mix them, remember they are all to be for your own use.

nelly_2

If they pester you, claiming they think your going to sell some, just say - "What would the point of that be? Any profit would just get spent on fags when I run out"