Duty Free – What am I allowed to bring back to UK?
Fuerteventura, as part of the Canary Islands, is duty free. Indeed, since Brexit, all of Spain is now duty free. This article keeps you up to date with your personal allowances and what you are allowed to take back to the UK.
Duty Free Allowance
Alcohol allowance*
How much you can bring depends on the type of drink. You can bring in:
- 42 litres of beer
- 18 litres of still wine
In addition, you can also bring back:
- 4 litres of spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol OR
- 9 litres of sparkling wine, fortified wine (for example port, sherry) and other alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol (not including beer or still wine)
You can split this last allowance. For example, if you only bring back 4.5 litres of fortified wine (50% of your full allowance of 9 litres), you may also bring back 2 litres of spirits (50% of the full allowance of 4 litres) to make up your 100% alcohol allowance. Please note, this is only an example and other combinations are also allowed.
Tobacco allowance*
You can bring in one from the following:
- 200 cigarettes
- 100 cigarillos
- 50 cigars
- 250g tobacco
- 200 sticks of tobacco for electronic heated tobacco devices
You can split this allowance – so you could bring in 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (both half of your allowance).
Allowance for other goods
You can bring in other goods worth up to £390 (or up to £270 if you arrive by private plane or boat).
If you go over your allowance you pay tax and duty on the total value of the goods, not just the value above the allowance.
You may have to pay import VAT and customs duty if you exceed your allowance.
Food and Plants
You are not allowed to bring in any meat, honey or dairy products (except infant milk or special foods required for medical reasons, also not exceeding 2kg). This is because they can carry diseases, which can devastate our environment and economy. Other animal products may also be banned although you may bring in a small quantity of some products from certain countries for your own use.
You can take the following items back home without any restrictions:
- bread, but not sandwiches filled with meat or dairy products
- cakes without fresh cream
- biscuits
- chocolate and confectionery, but not those made with a lot of unprocessed dairy ingredients
- pasta and noodles, but not if mixed or filled with meat or meat products
- packaged soup, stocks and flavourings
- processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads and frozen plant material
- food supplements containing small amounts of an animal product, such as fish oil capsules
Banned and restricted goods
The following is a list of some of the items that you cannot bring into the UK. If you do the items will be seized by customs.
- controlled drugs
- offensive weapons, for example flick knives
- self-defence sprays, for example pepper spray and CS gas
- endangered animal and plant species
- rough diamonds
- indecent and obscene materials, such as books, magazines, films and DVDs
- personal imports of meat and dairy products from most non-EU countries
