2023-04-16 18:48:38
Par Lea Giandomenico
Published on
updated on 16 Apr 23 at 20:56
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Imagine… You are on a trip to the West Indies, and you fall in love with a local rum during a tasting. Neither one nor two, you have decided to buy a few bottles as a souvenir of your vacation in the sun. But you take the plane to return across the Atlantic, and there the doubt invites itself: how many liters can you put in your suitcase?
Whether you travel by air, car or train, there is a maximum quantity not to be exceeded, on pain of a hefty fine.
Within the European Union
Volumes differ depending on the country you are returning from. If you are traveling to a country located within the European Union (EU), you can bring alcohol back to France, under certain conditions, according to the government site service-public.fr.
What are the 27 countries of the European Union?
Within the European Union, there are 27 countries, including France. Here is the list of the other 26:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia , Slovenia, Sweden.
Thus, here are the maximum authorized volumes:
- Strong alcohol and spirits, above 22 degrees (whisky, gin, vodka, limoncello, liqueurs, etc) : 10 litres
- Intermediate alcohol, “sweet” wines (Porto, Madeira, Vermouth, Muscat, Banyuls, etc.): 20 liters
- Vin : 90 liters (including a maximum of 60 liters of sparkling wine)
- Beer : 110 liters
To note that these quantities are cumulative. For example, you can bring back 10 liters of whiskey + 20 liters of Port + 90 liters of wine + 110 liters of beer. Or 10 liters of whiskey + 20 liters of Port + 60 liters of sparkling wine (champagne or crémant) + 30 liters of wine + 110 liters of beer.
Attention, conditions apply to bring back alcohol. You have to :
- Be of legal age (at least 18 years old)
- The quantities reported must correspond to your own personal consumption.
Et en dehors de l’UE ?
For overseas territories and regions, the rule is not the same: the authorized quantities are the same as for countries outside the European Union. So how much is it possible to bring back from a country outside the EU (including Switzerland and the UK)?
- Vin (non-sparkling): 4 liters
- Beer : 16 liters
- Alcohol and liquor, above 22 degrees (whisky, gin, liqueurs, etc) : 1 litre
- Alcohol and alcoholic beverage, less than or equal to 22 degrees (Porto, Madeira, Vermouth, Muscat, Banyuls, etc.): 2 liters
- Undenatured ethyl alcohol greater than or equal to 80 degrees : 1 litre
Good to know: these are quantities per person and not per vehicle. They apply in the same way whether you are traveling by personal transport (on foot, by bicycle, by car, by boat, etc.) or collective transport (plane, train, boat).
However, you must meet the following conditions:
- Be at least 17 years old
- The quantities reported must correspond to your own personal consumption.
What do you risk by exceeding the authorized limits?
If you exceed the authorized quantities, whether you are returning from a country within the EU or outside the EU, the penalties are as follows:
If you exceed the authorized quantities, the penalties are as follows:
- Consumption duties payable
- Fine up to 750 euros
- Confiscation of all your products
- Seizure and confiscation of your personal vehicle used for transport
- One year prison sentence
Rules to keep in mind so as not to spoil the end of the holidays.
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