Although belonging to Spain which is part of the EEC, Tenerife and the other Canary Isles are duty Free
Restrictions still apply and each individual is allowed 200 cigs each on entering back into the UK....the full list is here
http://www.realholidayguides.com/traveltips.htm

besos xxx
sanJi

tenerife is duty free and you are only allowed 200 fags, i found that out in may when customs took 3200 fags off me, did not even let me keep my allowance

I wouldn't try to bring more back than 200 per adult. When flying into Stansted from Tenerife everyones bags were xrayed as they went through customs. I had 80 loose as well as a carton. I must have coaught the custom guy on a good day as he let me keep them (not without a lecture first )

Hi all

Please help

I know the allowance for ciggy's is 200 when bringing them back to the UK when purchased in Tenerife.

But, would i be right in asking that if I purchased 200 at Gatwick and an additional 200 in Tenerife would I be allowed to bring them all back into the UK without any problems with Customs?

Regards

Converse

I think you will find that the allowance for bringing in duty free fags into the UK is 200 max - regardless of where they were bought.

Chris

I don't smoke, nor does my husband, but took back loads of fags for people from Cyprus this year. there doesn't appear to be any kind of allowance stipulated for duty frees from there.

Converse.

I know someone is going to slap my wrists for saying this, and yes I know what the limit is, but here goes.

Hubby and I both smoke and visit Tenerife every year we have never brought back less than 800 cigs EACH and so far we have never been stopped. They also sell them in 400's on the plane so they must know they are selling more than your allowance anyway.

Don't bother buying them at Gatwick either. Wait till you get there - so much cheaper.

Regards Jackie

Digby,

As Cyprus is in EU you can bring back pretty much what you want (as long its for your personal consumption).

There is no 'duty free' within the EU. You will have paid the Cyprus taxes when you bought the cigs - so it would have been duty paid.

Chris

Hi

I must be unlucky then,i have been stopped at Luton three times this year
and i do not smoke.

Daveyboy

I lost 5000 last week

thats 25 sleves we brought back.

Got pulled up and had the lot taken from us.

Was a bit gutted as it was £250 down the drain.

But as i've been going twice a year for more years i can remember and bringing back this allowance, i knew my luck was going to come to an end. So i've had my fair share of ciggies for my family.

some things come to an end.

Probably - sorry mods!
As a tobacco retailer myself in the UK, anybody who brings back more than their allowance to sell on deserves to get caught & I hope they do. I don't have a problem bringing a few extra back if they are for your own consumption, duty rates are typical of rip of Britain. But having said that bottlegging (which is what it is), helps put people in this country out of jobs, please remember that next time you fill you case with ciggies.
Wickedchris - now they've cought you once they'll be watching you!!

After several (unsuccessful) attempts to quit smoking, I confess that
I still bring 2oo ciggies back from Tenerife each time I visit. I have NEVER
though tried to bring any more. It would just be my luck to get stopped at customs!!!!

Customs are quite hot on flights returning from the Canary Islands because of the low duty rates. Lots of UK airports scan all the suitcases before they get put on the carousel.

I feel no guilt whatsoever in bringing back 25 packs from Tnerife.

As my purchases are not for re-sale they are for my disabled f-i-l.

I visit tenerife twice a year and twice a year i bring back 25 packs.

His cigs for the year. I pay just over £10 for his 200. A huge saving for someone on incapacity benefit.

I have a disabled f-i-l who worked all his life, is in a wheelchair and his only pleasure is smoking. So if i can help him save a few quid, i have no hesistation in doing so. Although i wish that he wouldn't smoke.

I'm not the 1st and i'm not the last. And i'm sure that there were 100s if not 1000s more cigs got through on that thursday night in customes.

Will i do it again well who knows

Wicked Chris

I agree with you. We don't bring cigs back to sell on, they are for us. We pay enough taxes on things in this country so bringing extra cigs back from our hard earned holidays is hardly crime of the century in comparison to what else is going on in the UK.

Nigel2004 - I know this is slightly :offtop. Please don't take this like I am having a go at you as I am not, these are just my views. There are many other things that are putting people in this country out of work beside bootleggers, and let's face it if there wasn't the amount of tax on cigs and other things in this counrty that there is there would be no need for bootleggers.There are certain people coming to this country who work in the same trade as my husband and who are doing the same work for half the price, but compared to what they were earning in their own country they are still earning a hell of a lot more. Is it fair that people who have built up companies for years and years are now finding themselves in this situation. It really annoys me because there is nothing we can do about it except perhaps lose our jobs and our companies because what they are doing according to our governement is legal, whereas at least bootleggers when they get caught are punished because they are illegal

At the end of the day by people bringing an extra few hundred cigs back from their hols is hardly going to put the local ciggie shop out of business. I am sure people still buy their cigs from the same shop once their duty frees have run out.

Roll on the sale of my house so I can make the permanent move to Tenerife and never have to pay tax on a ciggie again.

Regards Jackie

I heard on the news yesterday that the duty free allowances have just been doubled

Apparently passed in the EU. Not seen anything on the Telly news though.

Just found this on the news feeds...

Duty-free limit to rise
(Post edited for copyright reasons. Please feel free to post a link to the relevant news page. Meantime, one similar article can be found by clicking HERE. .. David HT Mod)

So we can buy more stuff bring back double the amount of wine, as much perfume as we like BUT no more cigs or Spirits than at present AND the UK could LOWER the allowance for cigs down to NONE AT ALL if they wanted.

Result... NOT!

This Government has even stopped us buying cheap fags and booze on the internet. Think they said something like "We will not allow it, the British do not pay enough taxes so we are going to make sure we get all the tax we can out of them"

Just an additional warning to all you poor UK Tax paying holiday makers. Spain has now joined the UK in limiting the amount of "Fluids" which can be taken in your hand luggage when returning home to 100mls.

Therefore please pack your Duty free spirits and other booze in your hold baggage or you will have to surrender it at the scanners.

Once through security you can buy it in the airport duty free shop but its not as cheap as in resort !

go to the post office, wrap your cigs in brown paper and post them home,.... costs about 3 euros...... most get back ok in my experience