last edited Dec 11, 2019
Customs: What You Can Bring Back
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Customs Allowances
There are several regulations from the French customs for residents of the European area, depending on whether they arrive from an E.U. country or outside it.
European Union
For travel within the E.U., you can bring in or take out goods and merchandise for personal use without quantity or value limits and without specific formalities at intra-Community borders. However, some products are still subject to specific regulations, particularly alcohol and tobacco. In this regard, those over 17 are allowed, without declaration, 10 L of spirits and 20 L of intermediate products, plus 90 L of wine (and 110 L of beer!). As for cigarettes, by decision of the European Court, since January 1, 2014, every French person can cross European borders with... 10 cartons of cigarettes!
Additionally, the entry or exit of sums or valuables exceeding 10 000 € must also be declared to customs.
Elsewhere
For arrivals from other countries, all goods are subject to customs duties, though there is still a duty-free allowance. For those over 17, the following are permitted:
- 4 L of wine and either 1 L of alcohol over 22% or 2 L of alcohol under 22%;
- 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco;
- 50 g of perfume;
- 1/4 L of toilet water;
- 500 g of coffee;
- 100 g of tea.
For other goods, there are no duties on a total value below 430 € for those over 15 and 150 € for younger travelers. Note that these amounts cannot be combined by several people for a single item. Therefore, any item exceeding the allowance must be declared, and duties and taxes will apply to the total value, with no deduction.
To avoid issues, it’s best to carry invoices or proof of ownership for photo/video/audio equipment and valuable jewelry. The simplest solution is to have a free circulation card for all items.
Endangered Species and Counterfeits
To ensure travel no longer rhymes with plunder, laws exist to protect certain plant and animal species and combat counterfeit trade.