So, you found a cheap flight to New York, changed your hard-earned cash into dollars, shopped until you dropped and when you landed back at the airport and walked through the Green Channel, Customs and Excise wanted a word. By the time, you paid your fine the only bargain you got was your flight to New York ...
What is the limit for purchases made in European Union countries?
The European Union (EU) is 27 countries strong, composed of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
Andorra, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Norway and San Marino are also considered part of the EU for Customs purposes. Gibraltar is not.
British and Irish visitors to European Union (EU) countries are allowed to bring back, as gifts or for personal use, anything they wish, but there are a few exceptions. Dangerous, indecent or counterfeit items, or goods made from endangered species, are not permitted. Travellers can bring in as much tobacco and alcohol as they can carry so long as it is for personal use and not for re-sale.
Travellers coming back from Estonia are allowed either 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco, and a 200-cigarette limit still applies to those coming from Bulgaria, Lithuania or Romania.
And outside the EU?
Bargain hunters can bring back either one litre of spirits or strong liqueurs, or two litres of fortified wine (port or sherry for example), sparkling wine or any other drink of less than 22 per cent volume. These limits can be combined as long as the total allowance is not exceeded.
Four litres of wine can be brought back on top of the spirits/fortified wine allowance. There is a new allowance for 16 litres of beer.
The tobacco allowance is 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
Finally, the allowance for other goods, such as perfume, electrical and souvenirs, is £340.
Food is more complicated. If you were planning on bringing back a local delicacy, use Directgov's snazzy new Food Widget on its Don't bring me back page to find out which foods are safe. For example, select Canada from the dropdown menu and you'll discover that you can bring back bread, maple syrup and salmon, but not caribou meat.
Which customs channel should I use at the airport?
If your journey commenced in an EU country and you have no banned or restricted goods and no tobacco products that are over the limits for imports from that country use the blue channel.
Use the green channel if you are bringing back no more than the customs allowances and no banned or restricted goods.
If you have any more than these allowances you must declare the goods in the red channel or use the red point phone.
The rules on the amount of duty due on excess of the limits are very complicated and finding out your liability in advance is difficult, but reckon on having to pay anything from a quarter to a third of the value.
To avoid a fine at the airport and being held by Customs and Excise, go through the red channel, or use the red point phone. Hold on to your sales receipts, especially if you got a bargain, or Customs and Excise will apply a realistic price when calculating the duty you owe. It may be far higher than the one you paid.
In Ireland, travellers found in the Green channel with goods in excess of their allowances risk having the goods seized and they may be subject to prosecution.
If you are tempted to wing it, beware. Customs and Excise target arrivals from shopping hot spots such as the US, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong at odd times of the day and night and they know all the tricks of the trade. They also have a wide range of powers, and can, for example, run a check on your recent credit-card purchases.
Oonagh Shiel
© Cheapflights Ltd
Updated May 2009
