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Customs allowances by country

Every country sets its own duty-free allowance for arriving travellers — alcohol, tobacco, personal goods, gifts, and a cash declaration threshold above which currency must be declared. Below: the indexed allowances per destination, plus the rules that govern them.

How customs allowances work

A duty-free allowance is the value (or quantity) of goods you can bring in without paying customs duty + VAT/GST. Allowances are per person, generally not combinable across a family, and apply when you choose the green channel. Above the allowance you must declare, and you pay duty on the excess.

Allowances are independent of the de minimis threshold (which applies to imported parcels) — see /de-minimis.

Indexed allowances (60 countries)

Related guides

FAQ

Do I combine family allowances?

Almost no jurisdiction allows pooling personal allowances across travellers. Each adult traveller has their own allowance; minors typically share the parent's. Splitting a single bottle across two adults to clear the allowance is treated as concealment.

Are duty-free purchases at departure counted?

Yes. Duty-free shop purchases at the departure airport count toward the destination's allowance. Buying at departure does not give you a higher arrival allowance.

What's the difference between allowance and de minimis?

Allowance is for traveller-carried goods. De minimis is for postal / courier parcels and is usually lower than the allowance.

Allowances change. Verify on the destination's customs authority page (linked from each country profile) before travel.