Importing Personal use wines and spirits

[Frankyworthy]

Hi All

Re personal use wine importing / smuggling. Bearing in mind the personal allowance is now:

• beer - 42 litres
• wine (still) - 18 litres
• spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 4 litres
• sparkling wine, fortified wine (for example port, sherry) and other alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol (not including beer or still wine) - 9 litres

As opposed to pre Brexit unlimited bottles. (The bottom row of the Cali boot is perfectly sized for 4 rows x 5 of 6 bottle cartons of wine. 120 bottles right there).

Now, according to Guy Boursot, wine merchant south of Calais, current customs officials aren’t in the slightest bit interested in how much wines and spirits people are bringing home for personal consumption. Apparently, they have bigger fish to fry. See below.

Has anybody else had any experience of this when returning back to UK?

Travel
It is now more widely understood that there continue to be no customs checks on anyone bringing back cases of wine into the UK, despite what you may have been told. Not one of our customers has been told off for taking full advantage of taking back as much of our wine as they wanted. Even when 65 boxes of wine were clearly visible, the person in the kiosk has remarked on more than one occasion that there was “no room for a migrant in there - carry on!”.
The main point to bear in mind is that there is no red channel, so there is neither a facility nor an obligation to declare anything. One friend was determined to declare what he felt might cause a problem but was so frustrated by the lack of interest in his stash or any process by which he could pay, that he eventually gave up and followed the official’s advice to drive on as if the conversation had never happened

 

[Bellcrew]

Hi All

Re personal use wine importing / smuggling. Bearing in mind the personal allowance is now:

• beer - 42 litres
• wine (still) - 18 litres
• spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 4 litres
• sparkling wine, fortified wine (for example port, sherry) and other alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol (not including beer or still wine) - 9 litres

As opposed to pre Brexit unlimited bottles. (The bottom row of the Cali boot is perfectly sized for 4 rows x 5 of 6 bottle cartons of wine. 120 bottles right there).

Now, according to Guy Boursot, wine merchant south of Calais, current customs officials aren’t in the slightest bit interested in how much wines and spirits people are bringing home for personal consumption. Apparently, they have bigger fish to fry. See below.

Has anybody else had any experience of this when returning back to UK?

Travel
It is now more widely understood that there continue to be no customs checks on anyone bringing back cases of wine into the UK, despite what you may have been told. Not one of our customers has been told off for taking full advantage of taking back as much of our wine as they wanted. Even when 65 boxes of wine were clearly visible, the person in the kiosk has remarked on more than one occasion that there was “no room for a migrant in there - carry on!”.
The main point to bear in mind is that there is no red channel, so there is neither a facility nor an obligation to declare anything. One friend was determined to declare what he felt might cause a problem but was so frustrated by the lack of interest in his stash or any process by which he could pay, that he eventually gave up and followed the official’s advice to drive on as if the conversation had never happened

Of course all those figures are doubled if there are two people in the van, how awful that the UK treasury will not get to tax all this booze. Certainly a big difference than the old duty free allowance that existed long before we joined the EU.

 

[Meoncoast]

Would you expect a wine merchant to say anything else.

 

[B J G]

Quite a few post Brexit trips to France via Portsmouth/Caen Ferry and only had searches for illegal passengers on both sides. No questions as to alcohol carried.
Don't bring beer but a few cartons and bottles of wine so wouldn't attract any attention. Customs usually pull a few but never been pulled on return.

 

[rod_vw]

No questions asked when we came back through the tunnel on the 27th of July. We had been good and only brought the maximum back into the UK but there were no checks,

 

[The Tall Luthier]

On all our returns I have never seen a customs channel, only a passport control.

Worth noting that the UK government still have no infrastructure and manpower for checks on goods inwards. All those lorries still carry on as before. Check free

 

[peregrinus]

With two passengers in the van and your duty free allowance doubled, we would be maxed out for space anyway. We usually pull the seat forward and fill the created space with boxes of 6 bottles. Haven’t been over since 2019. Will go later this summer.

 

[peregrinus]

And the extra weight limits you of course.

 

[stephen watson]

We had this dilemma last summer and I decided to abide with the new limits. This year I'm not sure I'll bother. I've never heard of anyone being pulled up for this and with bikes on the back etc and the need to virtually unpack the whole vehicle to check I'm pretty sure they've got better things to do with their time...

 

[Frankyworthy]

We had this dilemma last summer and I decided to abide with the new limits. This year I'm not sure I'll bother. I've never heard of anyone being pulled up for this and with bikes on the back etc and the need to virtually unpack the whole vehicle to check I'm pretty sure they've got better things to do with their time...

Yes. That’s my thinking too

 

[Frankyworthy]

And the extra weight limits you of course.

I once returned with 40 boxes. I calculated the extra weight to be the weight of an average person. So no biggie.

 

[Frankyworthy]

With two passengers in the van and your duty free allowance doubled, we would be maxed out for space anyway. We usually pull the seat forward and fill the created space with boxes of 6 bottles. Haven’t been over since 2019. Will go later this summer.

What a great idea. I never thought of using the rock and roll bed void

 

[Alistair Hardy]

Hi All

Re personal use wine importing / smuggling. Bearing in mind the personal allowance is now:

• beer - 42 litres
• wine (still) - 18 litres
• spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 4 litres
• sparkling wine, fortified wine (for example port, sherry) and other alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol (not including beer or still wine) - 9 litres

As opposed to pre Brexit unlimited bottles. (The bottom row of the Cali boot is perfectly sized for 4 rows x 5 of 6 bottle cartons of wine. 120 bottles right there).

Now, according to Guy Boursot, wine merchant south of Calais, current customs officials aren’t in the slightest bit interested in how much wines and spirits people are bringing home for personal consumption. Apparently, they have bigger fish to fry. See below.

Has anybody else had any experience of this when returning back to UK?

Travel
It is now more widely understood that there continue to be no customs checks on anyone bringing back cases of wine into the UK, despite what you may have been told. Not one of our customers has been told off for taking full advantage of taking back as much of our wine as they wanted. Even when 65 boxes of wine were clearly visible, the person in the kiosk has remarked on more than one occasion that there was “no room for a migrant in there - carry on!”.
The main point to bear in mind is that there is no red channel, so there is neither a facility nor an obligation to declare anything. One friend was determined to declare what he felt might cause a problem but was so frustrated by the lack of interest in his stash or any process by which he could pay, that he eventually gave up and followed the official’s advice to drive on as if the conversation had never happened

I don't know about the lack of interest by officials, and I'm also unsure if it's true that one doesn't have a legal obligation to declare what you have. Having said that it is an offence to try and import without declaration, so you're suggesting that the only way of declaring is to try it, as there is no red channel option.
BUT if you intend exceeding the limit there is an option to make the declaration before you travel and pay the duty or vat at the same time. Visit https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/when-to-declare-goods

 

[Ozzy Pete]

limit

I don't know about the lack of interest by officials, and I'm also unsure if it's true that one doesn't have a legal obligation to declare what you have. Having said that it is an offence to try and import without declaration, so you're suggesting that the only way of declaring is to try it, as there is no red channel option.
BUT if you intend exceeding the limit there is an option to make the declaration before you travel and pay the duty or vat at the same time. Visit https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/when-to-declare-goods

I would have thought that you only need to declare anything if you are over your allowance otherwise there would be Queues a mile long at customs.

 

[Ting Tong]

You can also reclaim the French vat eg via skiptax app and places like Calais wine store are all geared up to it.

As I found out, the trouble with being over the limit is they confiscate it all not just the amount you are over and then let you off with a warning first time.

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[Alistair Hardy]

I would have thought that you only need to declare anything if you are over your allowance otherwise there would be Queues a mile long at customs.

Did any one say otherwise?
You should declare your goods if that is necessary, in other words if the quantity exceeds the limit
Otherwise you do nothing and head on through.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Did any one say otherwise?
You should declare your goods if that is necessary, in other words if the quantity exceeds the limit
Otherwise you do nothing and head on through.

I thought that was pretty obvious.

 

[Alistair Hardy]

I thought that was pretty obvious.

Have a good trip

 

[RonB]

Just to clarify what is allowed, my understanding is that you’re allowed:

Category 1 • beer - 42 litres
Category 2 • wine (still) - 18 litres
PLUS EITHER WITHIN
Category 3
• spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 4 litres
OR
• sparkling wine, fortified wine (for example port, sherry) and other alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol (not including beer or still wine) - 9 litres

In other words, not both types within category 3

I also read that it is also possible to split Category 3 in half:
2 litres of spirits over 22%
PLUS
4.5 litres sparkling wine under 22%

Delighted if someone is able to tell me I’m wrong but that’s my understanding of current limits.

Having said all this, in four ferry trips between UK and Netherlands/France, current border control checks have all involved officers checking in van for additional persons.

 

[Alistair Hardy]

Oh well done you got there

 

[Alistair Hardy]

Have a good trip

great thanks

 

[Swiss Cheese]

Heading out of Newhaven I was asked if we had any spare fuel or sharp knives on board! Nothing about duty free.

 

[Californication69]

Heading out of Newhaven I was asked if we had any spare fuel or sharp knives on board! Nothing about duty free.

Always cut my hard fruit with a blunt knife

 

[chockswahay]

I remember coming back from France a few years ago with over 200 bottles of wine in the back of our Globecar…….. took a while to get through

 

[Amarillo]

Heading out of Newhaven I was asked if we had any spare fuel or sharp knives on board! Nothing about duty free.

Heading out of Belfast bound for Cairnryan I was asked if I had any animals aboard. I pointed out my two boys and said “they’re feral”.