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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCES

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

REGIONEUROPE
CUSTOMS AUTHORITYHis Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
VAT RATE20%

ALCOHOL

4 L

4 L spirits (over 22%) or 9 L fortified or sparkling wine and other drinks up to 22%, plus 18 L still wine and 42 L beer; the categories combine proportionally

CIGARETTES

200

GOODS VALUE

£390

≈ US$500

Checked against His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on 2026-09-06 View source →

Duty-Free Allowances

CategoryAllowance
Alcohol4 L4 L spirits (over 22%) or 9 L fortified or sparkling wine and other drinks up to 22%, plus 18 L still wine and 42 L beer; the categories combine proportionally
Cigarettes200
Personal goods value£390≈ US$500

Arriving in Great Britain from anywhere outside the UK: 4 L spirits or 9 L fortified/sparkling wine, plus 18 L still wine and 42 L beer; 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 g tobacco (or a proportional mix). Other goods worth up to £390, or up to £270 if you arrive by private plane or boat. Northern Ireland has different arrangements.

Conditional tiers

ConditionAllowance
Arriving by private plane or boat£270
What the official page says
beer - 42 litres
wine (still) - 18 litres
spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 4 litres
alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol (not including beer or still wine) - 9 litres
200 cigarettes
You can bring in other goods worth up to £390 (or up to £270 if you arrive by private plane or boat).
His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC)

Cash Declaration Threshold

US$12,500DECLARATION REQUIRED ABOVE THIS AMOUNT

Local currency equivalent: GBP

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

Special Notes

  • 01Since Brexit (January 2021), UK customs rules apply separately from EU rules.
  • 02Northern Ireland follows different rules under the Windsor Framework — EU single market rules apply for goods.
  • 03Goods from the Channel Islands are treated as imports from outside UK for VAT purposes.
  • 04The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) applies to imports; check gov.uk trade tariff tool.
  • 05Customs declarations via CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight) or CDS (Customs Declaration Service).
  • 06Import VAT is 20% standard rate; reduced rate of 5% applies to some goods.

Does what I'm carrying fit?

This is a fit check, not legal advice — the red channel is always available.

RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES45UNIQUE SOURCES645LATEST VERIFICATION2026-08-22MethodologyChangelog