My friend smokes and asked me to bring back some cigarettes from the airport on my way home from my holiday. How many boxes am I allowed to bring back? Where can I find out? I don’t want to breach any controls..
British Customs — United Kingdom citizens can buy wine, spirits, or cigarettes in an ordinary shop and bring home almost as much as they like. But if you buy goods in a duty-free shop, the old rules still apply — the allowance is 200 cigarettes and 2 liters of table wine, plus 1 liter of spirits or 2 liters of fortified wine. If you’re returning home from a non-European Union country, the same allowances apply, and you must declare any goods in excess of these allowances. British Customs tends to be strict and complicated. For details, get in touch with H.M. Customs and Excise, National Advice Service, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9PY (tel. 0845/010-9000; www.hmce.gov.uk).
Jan 062010