Duty free ?

[gbb]

Heres a scenario....
I'm travelling from South America, to the UK, with a changeover in Madrid.

Because i disembark in the EU, can i buy the full EU allotment (cigarettes) in Spain ?.

The difference of course is quite big, 3200 against merely 200.

Ive been trying to find out on the net, but its not giving up without a fight

Your thoughts appreciated.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

FWIW, when I was working in Egypt a few years (7) ago I bought 200 fags (limit) in Cairo and at the changeover in Dusseldorf stocked up with a shed load of baccy and never had a problem at Heathrow.
Now, whether this was strictly legal I don't really know.

 

[chris42]

Yes you should have no problem as long as you keep evidence you purchaced the goods in the EU and they are for your personal consumption.
If they are for gifts then you could be subject to VAT and Duty at UK rates.

 

[hubgearfreak]

Because i disembark in the EU, can i buy the full EU allotment (cigarettes) in Spain ?.

of course, it's a free market (the EU)

you won't need proof either, as the packets will be marked up in EU specific packaging, although keeping the receipt isn't any bother

 

[Keith Oates]

Do yourself a favour and don't buy any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rikki]

Don't buy any for your friends either.

 

[spen666]

Beware- you may find you fall foulf of cabin baggage rules when trying to board in Madrid as you will now have 2 cabin bags & limit is only 1

 

[monnet]

You'll be alright so long as you pay duty on what you purchase in Madrid - still obviously much cheaper than the UK. There'll be two sections to the airport shops: Duty Free and EU shopping, as you're in the EU flying to an EU destination they probably won't let you buy Duty Free anyway.

I think you'll be ok on the cabin baggage rules - they tend not to worry about stuff bought at the airport.

BTW, have you been to Madrid airport before? I've flown through it loads having worked in Spain and South America for about 3 years and I have to say it is my least favourite airport, especially for trans continental stop overs. Prepare yourself!

 

[mosschops2]

What monnet said.

You are paying duty, therefore you can buy as many as you want, on the basis that they are personal consumption only.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

if they're dirt cheap in south america, get your allowance there, and get as many fags from spain as you can reasonably get away with.

 

[gbb]

Thanks for that Monnet....oh dear...'only' a 4 hour wait for the flight to Montevideo ..sounds as though its going to be fun.

alec...i imagine the allowance from Uruguay is going to be minimal.

Cabin luggage .... i havnt had any problems with items purchased in Duty Free before, some people are bringing 2 or 3 extra bags..no-one seems to bother.

Dont buy any ?...errrrr.... i know youre right....

 

[spen666]

...

I think you'll be ok on the cabin baggage rules - they tend not to worry about stuff bought at the airport.
...

I am aware of numerous incidents since security rules were increased of people having to leave 2nd bag containing duty free at airport as they were only allowed one piece of hand luggage - uk airports are the worst, but is happening at other European airports as well

 

[Tony]

Various mistakes up above....
You are allowed 200 cigs from South America. Full stop. Cannot be sold on.
You are allowed as many cigs as you like from Spain as long as:
1. They are tax-paid in Spain.
2. They are for your own personal use. Personal use includes gifts to friends or relatives.
3. They are not being passed on for any consideration whether favours, payment in kind or payment in cash, even if only for cost price. That's a criminal offence.

Chris42 is wrong on the duty liability for gifts.
You are wrong on the idea of an "allowance". It is NOT an allowance. EU law sets out a "minimum indicative level of commerciality", which is 800 cigs. The UK stretches that to a notional 6 months supply, or 3,200. The importance of that quantity is that you may be required to satisfy the UK Customs that they ARE for personal use (see above).
You will be arriving from an EU country which is not in Eastern Europe (limits still in force there) so the MIL is taken as 3,200. Monnet is correct; you will need to produce your boarding card and there is no duty-free between EU countries.
Hubgearfreak is unfortunately wrong in that the Spanish, for rerasons of laziness/economy, sell cigarettes at their airports with UK markings and the words "for duty free sale only". These cartons have a paper sticker attached when sold for intra-EU travel which says "Venta Communidada" or some such, but the receipt clearly shows the tax status as tax-paid. Keep it.


I can't comment on internal airport transfers, never having flown from Madrid, but if you can transfer airside, do so. Otherwise, you have to go through security again.
Sorry to be so blunt about the errors, but it was the quickest way.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

If only allowed one piece of hand luggage, get on first plane with an empty bag !
I used to put my jacket in mine and when I got to transfer airport, put the jacket on.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Scenario under the old limits when working in Cork :-
Cork-->Dublin-->Birmingham, weekend visit to see daughter.
Cork airport 200 fags, 1l Tullamore Dew, receipt stapled to boarding card, get on plane, take off receipt.
Dublin, 200 fags, 1l Jamesons, boarding card stamped.
Plane to Brum, 200 fags 1l vodka.
Return journey same scenario, never a problem anywhere although I will say I was always asked to show passport when I arrived in Brum. I put it down to having only a holdall as luggage, looked a bit iffy (well, me nickname is Shifty !).

Best one of those was when I first started working in Cork and was being put up in a hotel, I landed in Brum, got stopped and asked to show passport.
HMC "where you come from and why ?"
ME "Cork, where I work" (in a brummie accent)
HMC "where you going ?"
ME "Redditch to see me daughter and me Mom"
HMC "What's your home address ?"
ME "blah! blah! blah! in Scotland"
HMC (disdainful look on face with a smile) "just f@@k off out will ya"