Bring back alcohol from the foreigner
Verified 27 July 2021 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
Additional cases ?
You can bring alcohol from a trip to the foreigner. This alcohol must be intended only for your personal consumption. You not exceed certain quantities. They differ depending on whether you return from a European country or not.
From a European country
You can bring another person's alcohol back to France European country.
It should only be for your personal consumption.
However, some quantities not to exceed.
In image
Travel in Europe: what I can bring back
You can bring per person :
Alcohol category | Quantities |
|---|---|
Strong alcohol and spirits (whisky, gin, vodka, limoncello, liqueurs...) | 10 litres |
Intermediate alcohol (port, madeira, vermouth...) | 20 litres |
Wine | 90 litres (including a maximum of 60 litres of sparkling wine) |
Beer | 110 litres |
Warning
you cannot import alcohol if you do not have 17 years minimum.
If you exceed these quantities
You prove that the goods are reserved for your personal use.
You must pay the consumption fees and taxes or abandon the products.
You risk a fine of up to €750.
Your vehicle may be seized if it was used for the transportation of alcohol.
You may also face a prison sentence.
FYI
different rules apply to certain territories, including Canary Islands, Channel Islands or Andorra .
From another country
You can bring back alcohol from a non-European country. If you do not exceed certain quantities, you will have nothing to declare or pay to the French customs. This alcohol must be intended solely for your personal consumption.
General case
Warning
you cannot import alcohol if you do not have 17 years minimum.
You can bring back your luggage:
Wine and beer | Quantity Allowed |
|---|---|
Wine (non-sparkling) | 4 litres |
Beer | 16 litres |
You more bring back one of the following alcohols:
Alcohol (other than wine and beer) | Quantity Allowed |
|---|---|
Alcohol and alcoholic beverages greater than 22 degrees | 1 litre |
Or alcohol and alcoholic drink less than or equal to 22 degrees | 2 litres |
Or undenatured ethyl alcohol equal to or greater than 80 degrees | 1 litre |
Or a proportional range of these categories of goods | Example: 1 litre of alcohol less than 22 degrees + 0.5 litre of alcohol greater than 22 degrees |
Please note
the quantities concern all the products you carry, personal purchases and gifts.
If you exceed these quantities
You prove that the goods are reserved for your personal use.
You must pay the consumption fees and taxes or abandon the products.
You risk a fine of up to €750.
Your vehicle may be seized if it was used for the transportation of alcohol.
You may also face a prison sentence.
Please note
different rules apply if you are back from Andorra .
You're border
If you frontier worker (or border with Switzerland) and you live in a border area with a country outside the European Union (Brazil, Suriname, etc.), you can bring back the following quantities:
Wine and beer | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Wine (non-sparkling) | 0.5 litres |
Beer | 4 litres |
You more report:
Alcohol (other than wine and beer) | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Alcohol and alcoholic beverages greater than 22 degrees | 0.25 litres |
Or alcohol and alcoholic drink less than or equal to 22 degrees | 0.5 litres |
Or undenatured ethyl alcohol greater than 80 degrees | 0.25 litres |
Please note
the quantities concern all the products you carry, personal purchases and gifts.
You work in international transport
You can bring back your luggage:
Wine and beer | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Wine (non-sparkling) | 0.5 litres |
Beer | 4 litres |
You more report:
Alcohol (other than wine and beer) | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Alcohol and alcoholic beverages greater than 22 degrees | 0.25 litres |
Or alcohol and alcoholic drink less than or equal to 22 degrees | 0.5 litres |
Or undenatured ethyl alcohol greater than 80 degrees | 0.25 litres |
Please note
the quantities concern all the products you carry, personal purchases and gifts.
- General Tax Code, Annexe 4: Articles 50f to 50g CImport tax deductibles
- European Union countriesEuropean Commission
- Value and quantity of customs and tax exemptionsMinistry of Finance
- Pass customs in Andorra: taxes and deductiblesMinistry of Finance
- Bring alcohol, tobacco or cash to the EUEuropean Commission