What can you bring through customs in the European Union?

Part of the European Union customs union

Inside the European Union you can generally carry goods for your own use from one member state to another without customs checks. What you bring in from outside the EU follows the same rules in all 27 member states, because they are set at EU level.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change, and customs officers enforce them. This page describes how the rules are built, not the amounts, which change often. For the exact allowance, limit or banned list that applies to you, use the official customs authority below, and when in doubt, declare. This is general information, not legal advice.

Personal allowance for goods

Travellers arriving from outside the EU may bring a limited amount of goods for personal use free of customs duty and tax, within an allowance set per person. Goods above the allowance are charged duty and VAT, and goods meant for sale or for business are never covered by it.

Alcohol and tobacco

Adults arriving from outside the EU have separate allowances for tobacco products and for alcohol. They are per person, apply only above a minimum age, and cannot be pooled with other travellers. Between EU countries, goods that have already paid tax in one member state can travel for personal use, but customs may ask for proof that large quantities are not for sale.

Food, plants and animals

Meat, milk and their products brought from outside the EU are generally banned for personal use, with narrow exceptions, for example for baby food and special medical diets. Plants, seeds and cuttings usually need a plant-health certificate. Pets need a microchip and a rabies vaccination and must travel with the correct certificate, and some animals need extra checks.

Cash and valuables

Travellers entering or leaving the EU with cash above a set amount must declare it in writing. The duty can also cover some other valuables, such as cheques. The amount is set in EU law, so check it before you travel.

Medicines and banned items

Medicines for personal use are normally allowed with a prescription and in the original packaging, but products containing narcotic or psychotropic substances may need a certificate. Counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, certain weapons and many endangered species and products made from them are banned. Cultural goods and some other items need an export licence.

What to watch for

Duty-free shopping applies to journeys that leave the EU, not to journeys between EU countries.
Some member states keep extra national rules, for example on cash or on tobacco, so check the national customs authority of the country you enter.
The United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway are outside the EU customs union and have their own rules.

Countries that follow the same rules

AustriaBelgiumBulgariaCroatiaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryIrelandItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaNetherlandsPolandPortugalRomaniaSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSweden

Official sources

TheLawToKnow Tools’s customs guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the customs authority’s own information. Report a mistake.