Customs Allowances

TheBigBad

Doing a bit of a European road trip in a couple of weeks, will be passing through Greece, Italy, Switzerland and France on way back to UK.

I have the tobacco and alcohol allowances, I assume they are per person not per vehicle? I will be driving.

George_Michael

The allowances are per person (aged 17 and over).
Don't forget, that if you are buying from an EU country and the alcohol & tobacco is duty paid in that country, there is no limit as to the amounts that you can bring back to the UK for personal consumption so from the list you give, Switzerland is the only country where you will be able to buy duty free goods.

If you have a vast amount, you may well get stopped and questioned about why you have so much but provided that they believe that it's all for personal use and it's EU duty paid, you should be able to bring it in.

TheBigBad

ah ok I did not know that.

A quick search shows that Greece would appear to be the cheapest of my destinations to stock up.

I assume I need to keep receipts to show that duty was paid?

unforeseen

If you stock up before Switzerland then it may be worth reading http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/04342/04359/04362/index.html?lang=en to save you falling foul of their laws as they have customs limits due to being outside the EU

Note:
You leave the EU Customs Union when transiting through Switzerland. To ensure unproblematic exportation and re-importation into the EU, contact all relevant customs administrations beforehand:

leylandsunaddict

https://www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods/arrivals-from-eu-countries

As already said, if you're thinking of buying them before Switzerland you need to familiarise youself with their laws.

phatbear

George_Michael wrote: »

The allowances are per person (aged 17 and over).

Slightly mixed message there.

There are no allowances for arrivals from any EU state, of course switzerland isnt EU. so in theory you can have what you want as long as its for your own personal consumption or to be given as gifts

Also the rules on only 17+year olds importing dutyable goods only relates to arrivals from a non EU state, children can bring cigs and booze back if they want from an EU state and their age would not be grounds for seizure.

danielthomark

phatbear wrote: »

children can bring cigs and booze back if they want from an EU state and their age would not be grounds for seizure.

Paragraph 6 of Schedule 4 to the Police Reform Act 2002 would be grounds for seizure though.

I have no experience of how things are now, but when I used to travel to France regularly in to 90s and 00s customs were a law unto themselves, willing to seize vehicles if you did not stick to their "limits".

phatbear

danielthomark wrote: »

Paragraph 6 of Schedule 4 to the Police Reform Act 2002 would be grounds for seizure though.

You make an interesting point.......however!

A couple of issues that act relates to the powers given by "confiscation of alchol young persons act 1997“ which states that: a constable can seize intoxicationg liqour if someone aged under 18 is found with it in a "relevant place" this is an area open to the public, which airside isnt add to that, with the exception of counter terrorist work and public order offences, the police hold no sway on in bound international flights.

Other examples to back this up are the list of offensive weapons that customs/border force can seize are small in comparison with what the police could seize on the street, for example at point of importation a kitchen knife is not seen as an offensive weapon (customs domain) but on the street it can be seen as one (police domain).

All that being said i like your thinking so kudos to you sir/madam!

unforeseen

If they are too young to legally purchase the booze and cigs then they do not have any allowance for it. Any booze/cigs that a minor is carrying will not have been purchased by them (legally)

You are allowed to purchase and bring into the UK (from the EU) a reasonable amount for PERSONAL use. An amount of booze and cigs for a child which is considered reasonable would be zero assuming that somebody would sell them it

The reason no age limit is mentioned for EU is that in general the age for purchase of these items is either the same or higher than the UK. Under 17s are explicitly given zero allowance when travelling from outside the EU because ages may vary and be below the UK age limits.

phatbear

How the booze etc was purchased does not make it an import offence as the offence has occured outside the soverign territory of the uk therefore it would not make an item seizeable.

phatbear

unforeseen wrote: »

The reason no age limit is mentioned for EU is that in general the age for purchase of these items is either the same or higher than the UK. Under 17s are explicitly given zero allowance when travelling from outside the EU because ages may vary and be below the UK age limits.

Actually the reason no age limit is mentioned is because there is no age limit the free movement within the eu does not come with an age limitation.