Duty-free shopping rules
Duty-free shops sell goods without origin-country duty + VAT — but the goods are still subject to the destination's allowance on arrival. Understanding the interaction matters for travellers who want to maximise their allowance, and for travellers transiting through restrictive third countries.
What "duty-free" actually means
A duty-free purchase is exempt from the seller's country's duty + VAT, on the legal premise that the goods leave the country. On arrival at the destination, allowances apply: duty-free purchases count toward the alcohol / tobacco / personal-goods allowance.
For air-cargo of liquids, the STEB (Security Tamper-Evident Bag) system lets you carry over-100 ml liquids through a transit airport — provided the bag is unbroken and the receipt is inside. Lose the receipt or break the bag and the liquid is confiscated at security re-screen.
Allowances at popular destinations
- 🇺🇸 United States
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 🇹🇭 Thailand
- 🇸🇬 Singapore
- 🇲🇾 Malaysia
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia
- 🇵🇭 Philippines
- 🇻🇳 Vietnam
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇰🇷 South Korea
- 🇨🇳 China
- 🇮🇳 India
- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- 🇭🇰 Hong Kong
- 🇹🇷 Turkey
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇪🇬 Egypt
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan
Related guides
FAQ
Does duty-free give me a higher arrival allowance?
No. The destination's allowance is the cap regardless of where you bought the goods. Duty-free saves you the seller-country tax, not the destination tax.
Can I bring duty-free liquids through a transit airport?
Yes if the bag is STEB-sealed and the receipt is inside. Without STEB, the transit airport's security re-screen will confiscate liquids above 100 ml.