Regulations

traveling

Alcohol and tobacco

When travelling from one EU country to another, you can take tobacco and alcohol products with you for personal use but not for resale.

Under EU law, you do not have to prove the goods are for your personal use if you are carrying fewer than:

  • 800 cigarettes
  • 400 cigarillos
  • 200 cigars
  • 1 kg of tobacco
  • 10 litres of spirits
  • 20 litres of fortified wine
  • 90 litres of wine (including a maximum of 60 litres of sparkling wines)
  • 110 litres of beer.

Some countries allow you to carry more than these limits without proving they are for personal use.

Check with the national authorities what their thresholds are.

If you are carrying more tobacco or alcohol than the amounts automatically allowed for personal use, you may be asked:

  • to prove that they are for your personal use
  • to produce proof of purchase (receipt or invoice).

If you are travelling with tobacco or alcohol and you stay within the personal-use thresholds,

you won’t have to pay excise duty in the EU country you are going to.

These rules do not apply for travellers under 17 years old, who are not allowed to carry alcohol or tobacco in any amounts.

There is no duty-free shopping for travellers going from one EU country to another.