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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCES

🇫🇷 France

REGIONEUROPE
CUSTOMS AUTHORITYDirection générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI — French Customs)
VAT RATE20%

Duty-Free Allowances

CategoryAllowance
Alcohol4L
Cigarettes200
Personal goods valueUS$540
Same EU rules as Germany. For travelers from outside the EU: 4L still wine + 16L beer + 1L spirits; 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (age 17+). Goods: €430 duty-free for air/sea travelers, €300 for others. France also has specific rules on cheese (many raw milk cheeses require health certificates when importing from non-EU).

Same EU rules as Germany. For travelers from outside the EU: 4L still wine + 16L beer + 1L spirits; 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (age 17+). Goods: €430 duty-free for air/sea travelers, €300 for others. France also has specific rules on cheese (many raw milk cheeses require health certificates when importing from non-EU).

Cash Declaration Threshold

US$11,000DECLARATION REQUIRED ABOVE THIS AMOUNT

Local currency equivalent: EUR

Travelers carrying cash, traveler's cheques, or negotiable instruments above this threshold must declare them at customs on arrival.

Special Notes

  • 01France is a member of the EU customs union — imports from other EU countries are not subject to customs.
  • 02TVA (Value Added Tax) is 20% standard; 10% intermediate; 5.5% reduced; 2.1% super-reduced.
  • 03France strictly enforces anti-counterfeit laws — purchasing counterfeit luxury goods can result in confiscation and fines.
  • 04French customs uses DELTA (Dédouanement En Ligne par Transmission Automatisée) system.
  • 05Overseas territories (DOM-TOM) like French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe have different VAT rules.
  • 06Duty Ret (Duty Relief) allowances apply to goods returned from outside the EU.
  • 07Sanctions on Russia (since 2022) heavily restrict imports of Russian goods.
RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES37UNIQUE SOURCES614LATEST VERIFICATION2026-05-13MethodologyChangelog