Duty Free Allowances from Spain

🛫 Duty Free Allowances – Spain to Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Duty Free Allowances - Arriving in Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)

When travelling to Great Britain from outside the UK (including Spain):

✅ You can bring in goods up to your personal allowance without paying tax or duty, as long as:

• You transport them yourself

• They’re for your own use or given as gifts

⚠️ If you exceed your allowance, you must:

• Declare all goods of that type (not just the amount over the limit)

• Pay tax and duty on the entire category

🔗 Note: You cannot combine allowances with other people to increase your limit.

👮 Customs Checks – What to Expect

Customs officers may stop you and ask:

• What goods you bought, their type, and quantity

• Why and where you bought them

• How you paid

• How often you travel

• How much you normally drink or smoke

💡 Tip:
✔️ Always be friendly and truthful
✔️ Ask for help if unsure
✔️ Remember paying tax is cheaper than being fined for smuggling

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🇪🇺 Changes Since Brexit

From January 2021, EU countries are treated the same as non-EU countries. This means:

• There are now restrictions on goods brought from Spain

• Allowances apply just like any other non-UK country

🛍️ Tax-Free Shopping – Reclaim VAT in Spain

Post-Brexit, UK travellers can claim VAT refunds on purchases in Spain (e.g. clothes, gifts, electricals). Not applicable for flights, hotels, or car hire.

How to claim VAT refunds:

1. Get a Tax-Free form from shops at purchase

2. Validate the form at Customs within 3 months

3. Carry with you on return:

   • Your passport

   • Receipts or DIVA form

   • Goods purchased

   • Boarding pass

Refund process:

✔️ At departure, claim via the Tax-Free management body (fee charged, refund via cash, card, cheque, or bank transfer)
✔️ Or claim directly through the shop within 15 days (cheque, bank transfer, or card refund)

🔗 Important: If your next destination is another EU country, reclaim VAT at your final EU departure airport.

🚬 Duty-Free Allowances for Tobacco

💡 Did you know? Prices at the airport are often slightly cheaper than in Spanish Tabacs – but stocks can be limited and not all brands are available.

👉 Check current prices for tobacco and cigarettes in Spain 

You can bring in ONE of the following:

• 200 cigarettes

• 100 cigarillos

• 50 cigars

• 250g tobacco

• 200 sticks of heated tobacco

💡 You can split your allowance (e.g. 100 cigarettes + 25 cigars).

🔻 Over your allowance?

• Pay excise duty, VAT, and customs duty on all tobacco declared

⚠️ Under 17s: No duty-free tobacco or alcohol allowance – must pay duty/tax on all.

🍾 Duty-Free Allowances for Alcohol

You can bring:

• Beer: 42 litres (~3 crates of pint cans or ~5 crates of 330ml bottles)

• Wine (non-sparkling): 18 litres

Plus either:

• Spirits & liquors over 22% alcohol: 4 litres

• Fortified wine (e.g. port, sherry), sparkling wine, drinks up to 22%: 9 litres

💡 You can split this allowance (e.g. 4.5 litres fortified wine + 2 litres spirits).

🔻 Over your allowance?

• Pay excise duty + VAT on all alcohol declared

• Possible customs duty as well

Find out what stores are available at Alicante Airport

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Allowance for Other Goods

✔️ You can bring in other goods worth up to £390 (£270 if arriving by private plane/boat).
✔️ If you exceed this, duty and tax apply to the total value, not just the excess.

🔗 Import VAT: Charged at current UK rates on the total value plus duty.

📄 Duty Rates (Examples)

Declaring EU Goods

If over your allowance:

• Declare each item

• Pay customs duty, excise duty (if applicable), and import VAT

Zero customs duty eligibility (proof required):

✔️ Item made in EU from EU materials
✔️ Bought in EU
✔️ Imported from EU country

Evidence needed:

• Under £1,000: Label, packaging, or document proving EU origin

• Over £1,000: Invoice with item details, place/date of purchase, ‘statement on origin’, and exporter number if value exceeds £5,500

🔻 No proof? You will pay customs duty.

🇪🇸➡️🇬🇧 Bringing Food Products from Spain to UK 

There are rules for bringing food or animal products into Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for your own use. If you are planning to bring food from the EU into the UK please read these rules. 

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Arriving in Northern Ireland - From an EU country:

✅ No need to declare or pay duty/tax if:

• Transporting goods yourself

• For personal use or gifts

• Tax and duty were paid in the purchase country

Keep up to date with other travel news by checking out this section of the website. 

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