ALCOHOL

Alcohol / Spirits

MEDIUM RISK

VERIFIED · 2026-05-13REGULATION STABLEAGE 18+Report a correction

13allowed

123restricted

44prohibited

180 rules across 83 countries

ALSO KNOWN ASliquorwinebeerwhiskyvodkaduty-free alcohol

Can I take Alcohol / Spirits across a border? Yes in many places, with conditions. Of the 180 country-rules we've indexed for Alcohol / Spirits, 13 are allowed (often with limits), 123 are restricted (permit, declaration, or quantity cap), and 44 are prohibited outright. Customs rules depend on the destination, the purpose (travelling, posting, importing personally, or importing commercially), and the quantity.

Alcoholic beverages encompass beer, wine, and spirits produced by fermentation and distillation processes. They are among the most commonly purchased duty-free items by international travelers and are subject to excise duties and volume-based allowances at most borders. Spirits (distilled beverages such as whisky, vodka, rum, gin, and tequila) typically contain 37.5%–50% alcohol by volume and attract higher duties per liter than wine or beer due to their alcohol concentration. Wine ranges from approximately 9%–16% ABV and beer from 3%–10% ABV. Most country-level duty-free allowances permit one to two liters of spirits or up to 4.5 liters of wine per traveler. Popular duty-free spirits include Scotch whisky, Cognac, champagne, and premium local spirits that are significantly cheaper in duty-free shops than in domestic retail markets. Travelers commonly purchase alcohol at duty-free stores on departure or arrival to take advantage of tax savings. Alcohol is completely prohibited in several Muslim-majority countries including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait where possession can result in arrest. India has complex state-level alcohol laws alongside national customs rules — Gujarat, Bihar, Mizoram, and Nagaland are completely dry states where possession of alcohol is illegal. The UAE permits alcohol but only for non-Muslims in licensed venues. Indonesia applies alcohol restrictions in certain regions. Transiting through dry countries with alcohol in checked baggage should be researched in advance.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?

Carry alcohol / spirits in my luggage

79 country rules for personal travel

Send alcohol / spirits by post

50 country rules for international parcels

Import alcohol / spirits commercially

51 country rules for imports

Common mistakes with Alcohol / Spirits

Assuming the rules at the origin apply at the destination — they don't. The destination customs authority is the binding rule.
Travelling and posting are treated differently: an item you can carry may be prohibited by post (and vice versa).
Personal vs commercial intent: above a quantity threshold, customs may treat your shipment as commercial regardless of intent.
Undervaluing on the customs declaration to avoid duty — treated as fraud in most jurisdictions.
Vague item descriptions on CN22/CN23 — biggest single cause of postal customs holds.
Combining duty-free shop purchases with travel allowance — both count toward the destination's allowance.
Missing required certificates (phytosanitary, veterinary, CITES, prescription, product compliance).

Always verify against the destination's customs authority before acting. Not legal advice.

HS codes

2208 — Undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 80 % vol; spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous beverages
2208.30 — Whiskies
2208.40 — Rum and other spirits obtained by distilling fermented sugar-cane products
2208.60 — Vodka

Regulatory trend

Most jurisdictions hold long-standing duty-free allowances and excise regimes for spirits; structural changes are rare and announced years in advance.

Excise duties

This item is subject to excise duty in the following jurisdictions. Duty is typically collected at the border in addition to any customs tariff.

United StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaNew ZealandGermanyFranceSpainItalyNetherlandsJapanSouth KoreaIndiaBrazilMexicoSouth AfricaSingaporeThailand

Names in other languages

es: bebidas espirituosas, licor, aguardiente
fr: spiritueux, alcool fort, boissons spiritueuses
de: Spirituosen, Branntwein, Alkohol
zh: 烈酒, 蒸馏酒, 白酒
ja: 蒸留酒, スピリッツ, リキュール

IATA Dangerous Goods classification

Class 3Flammable liquids
CARRY-ON OKCHECKED OK

General notes

Personal duty-free allowances for alcohol typically range from one to two liters of spirits or up to four liters of wine depending on the country. Alcohol is completely prohibited in several Muslim-majority countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. India's states have varying alcohol laws, with Gujarat being completely dry. The UAE permits alcohol with strict rules. Travelers entering dry countries risk confiscation and potential arrest for possession. Even in countries where alcohol is legal, transiting through dry countries with alcohol in checked baggage can cause complications.

Status by country (traveling)

A · allowedR · restrictedP · prohibited

EUROPE

ASIA PACIFIC

SingaporeR MongoliaR PhilippinesR TaiwanA South KoreaR JapanA MalaysiaR Sri LankaR CambodiaR VietnamR PakistanR ThailandR ChinaR BangladeshR IndonesiaR IndiaR Hong KongA LaosR MyanmarR

AMERICAS

United StatesA Costa RicaR EcuadorR PeruR UruguayR Dominican RepublicR VenezuelaR ParaguayR PanamaR GuatemalaR BoliviaR BrazilR MexicoA JamaicaR ChileR CanadaA CubaR

MIDDLE EAST

United Arab EmiratesR Saudi ArabiaP TurkeyR IranP IsraelR IraqR KuwaitP BahrainR OmanR

AFRICA

MoroccoR EthiopiaR EgyptR South AfricaR GhanaR TanzaniaR AlgeriaR TunisiaR SenegalR CameroonR

OCEANIA

AustraliaA

Also documented for posting & importing

Rules by country and purpose

Carrying in personal luggage

Alcohol / Spirits

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

PROHIBITED

Completely prohibited. Zero tolerance under Islamic law.

traveling

Alcohol / Spirits

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

Common mistakes with Alcohol / Spirits

HS codes

Regulatory trend

Excise duties

Names in other languages

IATA Dangerous Goods classification

General notes

Status by country (traveling)

Also documented for posting & importing

Rules by country and purpose

Carrying in personal luggage

Sending by post

Personal importing

Commercial importing

Legal alternatives

Related guides

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