You are in category: While You're Away
1.
Who do I contact if I have a problem in resort?
2.
Do I need to reconfirm the time of my return flight?
3.
What is my duty free allowance when travelling to the UK from the European Union (EU)?
4.
What is my duty free allowance when travelling to the UK from outside the European Union (EU)?
1. Who do I contact if I have a problem in resort?
Where your booking consists of one or more component elements from different travel providers, you will not usually receive an in-resort representative and you will normally be expected to contact the travel provider via telephone in the event of a problem. Please make sure that you are aware of the travel provider's contact details prior to travel.
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2. Do I need to reconfirm the time of my return flight?
Your return flight time may change during the course of your holiday, so you should always reconfirm the times of your return flight with your airline 72 hours before you are due to travel back. If you have a taxi or shuttle transfer booked, you must also confirm this with your transfer provider 72 hours prior to travel.
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3. What is my duty free allowance when travelling to the UK from the European Union (EU)?
If you bring in goods on which tax has been paid in an EU country, you do not have to pay any tax or duty on them in the UK. However any alcohol or tobacco you bring in must be for your own use and transported by you.
Own use’ includes goods for your own consumption and gifts. If you bring in goods for resale, or for any payment, even payment in kind, they are regarded as being for a commercial purpose.
But there are special rules for cigarettes and some tobacco products from some EU countries.
The EU Countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus*, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, The Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (but not the Canary Islands), Sweden, The UK (but not the Channel Islands).
Though the whole of Cyprus is part of the EU, goods from any area of Cyprus not under effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus are treated as non-EU imports.
Although Gibraltar is part of the EU, it is outside the Community Customs territory. The Customs allowances for outside the EU therefore apply.
Alcohol or tobacco If you are bringing in alcohol or tobacco goods and we have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, a Customs officer may ask you questions and make checks, for example about:
the type and quantity of goods you have bought
why you bought them
how you paid for them
whether all your goods are openly displayed or concealed
how often you travel
how much you normally smoke or drink or
any other relevant circumstances.
You are particularly likely to be asked questions if you have more than:
3200 cigarettes, 200 cigars, 400 cigarillos, 3kg tobacco, 110 litres of beer, 90 litres of wine, 10 litres of spirits, 20 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry).
The officer will take into account all the factors of the situation and your explanation.
If we are satisfied that the goods are for a commercial purpose we may seize them and any vehicle used to transport them, and may not return them to you.
If you are caught selling alcohol or tobacco goods they may be seized, and for a serious offence you could get up to seven years in prison.
The country where you buy tobacco goods may have its own laws on how much you can buy or have in your possession, and what documents you need. If in doubt, check with that country’s authorities before you buy.
If you let a coach, ferry or aircraft store your goods while travelling back to the UK you must make sure when you arrive in the UK that you collect the exact goods you bought.
From some EU countries there are limits on the amount of tobacco products you can bring back without paying UK duty.
From ESTONIA - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco*
From BULGARIA, HUNGARY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, POLAND, ROMANIA OR SLOVAKIA - 200 cigarettes*
*No limit on other tobacco products as long as they are for your own use.
If you have tobacco products over these limits you should speak to a Customs officer in the red channel or on the red point phone.
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4. What is my duty free allowance when travelling to the UK from outside the European Union (EU)?
When travelling from a non-EU country (including the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar) you can bring the following into the UK for your own use without paying UK tax or duty:
- 200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco
- 4 litres of still table wine
- 16 litres of beer
- 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or other alcoholic beverages of less than 22 per cent volume and £300 worth of all other goods including perfume and souvenirs.
If you have any more than these allowances you must declare the goods in the red channel or use the red point phone. If you do not, you are breaking the law and we may prosecute you.
From 1 January 2009, the other goods allowance will increase again from £300 to £340. However, there will be no further increases to any of the other allowances.
Additionally, from 1 December you can combine some of your alcohol or tobacco allowances, and there is a lower other goods allowance for passengers travelling by private plane or boat for pleasure purposes.
Please note that there are conditions that apply to your allowances. These include:
If you are under 17 you cannot have the tobacco and alcohol allowances.
You are entitled to these allowances only if you travel with the goods and do not sell them.
If you bring in something worth more than your other goods allowance, you must pay charges on the full value, not just the value above the allowance.
You and anyone you are travelling with cannot pool your individual other goods allowances to bring in an item worth more than the limit. The person bringing the item in will have to pay charges on the full value of the item.
If you also have tobacco or alcohol goods that you bought in an EU country, you will not have to pay any more duty or tax on these so long as:
they are for your own use;
you can show, if we ask you to, that you have paid duty and tax in an EU country, for example by producing the receipt; and they do not exceed any limits that may apply to imports of tobacco products from that EU country.
Air transfers. If you arrive by air and are transferring to a flight to another EU country, at the transfer point you need only declare goods in your hand baggage. You do not declare your hold baggage until you collect it at your final destination.
The same usually applies if you are transferring to a UK domestic flight. But in some cases we must clear both your hand luggage and hold baggage at the transfer airport. The airline will tell you when this is necessary.
Air transfers. If you arrive by air and are transferring to a flight to another EU country, at the transfer point you need only declare goods in your hand baggage. You do not declare your hold baggage until you collect it at your final destination.
The same usually applies if you are transferring to a UK domestic flight. But in some cases we must clear both your hand luggage and hold baggage at the transfer airport. The airline will tell you when this is necessary.
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