Holiday Cigarettes

[Euphful]

Does anyone the correct answer ? How many cigarettes can I bring home from Malta into northern Ireland ? Thomas cook say 3200 .citizens advice say 3200. Customs and excise say 200 and other sites say 800 .who is right ?

[craft1948]

I think it's 3200 if you buy them from a shop in Malta as they would then be classed as duty paid. If you buy them from duty free at the airport I think it's 200 as duty has not been paid.

[ubasses]

The way I understand it is that legally there is no limit between EU countries if Tax has been paid, but each country applies a limit which it feels is accesptable for personal use and in the UK that is 800. If any more are brought in and are found you will get a lot of questionsnand it will be up to you to prove that they are for personal use only.
This may help
.http://www.taxfreetravel.com/EU%20Duty%20Free%20Allowances

[craft1948]

The daughter brought me 3200 (all in their own little carry case) from Turkey (non-Eu). She bought them from a retail outlet, not at the airport, and had no problems at customs.

[boxtops]

According to HMRC site..... as of 01/10/2011 then 800 cigs are their "personal use" criteria

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm#1

As agreed by LHR website, as follows:

http://www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/dutyfree.html

And from

https://www.gov.uk/duty-free-goods/arrivals-from-eu-countries

[heathfield]

The 200 limit by HMRC is for duty free cigarettes. Their limit when EU taxes were paid at the place and time of purchase used to be 3,200 up to September 2011. This changed to 800 from October 2011. In fact you can bring more, but you are then liable to be questioed as to who they're all for. If Customs think you're bringing them in for resale, they could confiscate them. It's up to your powers of persuasion - a smoker's cough might help! See 'Customs checks when coming from the EU...

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm

[ubasses]

3200 was the limit until Sept 2011 when guidelines were reduced to 800.

[boxtops]

3200 for personal use http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g190320-i895-k5480792-Cigarette_allowance-Island_of_Malta.html

Malta's in the EU - but you must be able to convince customs that they are for your own use.

It doesn't matter whether you buy them in a shop or at the airport - we've done both.

[craft1948]

There actually is no limit, both the 800 and 3200 are suggested limits.

[Euphful]

I'm still confused .is northern Ireland different from uk ? Citizens advice guide states England 800 Scotland 800. Wales 800 northern Ireland 3200

[theshedman]

As Malta is in the EU then you should be able to bring back 800 with no questions being asked. It was 3200 until some time in 2011. These can be for your own personal use or as gifts for family. The bit about duty free will not come into it as you cannot buy duty free items if you are going from one EU country to another.

[Eve]

I think it's different with EU and non EU countries. Someone got caught on one of the border control programmes the other day as they said they got cigs from an EU country but the cigarette packaging etc... suggested they were from outside the EU and as they couldn't prove they bought them in an EU country they were pulled for it.

[Prudie]

Only allowed to bring in 200 cigs from outside EU eg USA or even the Canaries.

[boxtops]

Prudie's right, but Malta counts as EU. It is confusing on the numbers.

[237SJ]

It`s 800. I asked Customs at Heathrow this evening. There is a grey area where you might be able to bring a few more if you can prove they are for you but the difinitive allowance is 800.

[Euphful]

Thanks Mark but that's Heathrow.citizens advice guide states 800 for England,Scotland and wales but 3200 for northern ireland.

[237SJ]

The funny thing was, when I asked them (there were three of them) I felt the need to say "It`s not for me, I`m asking for somebody else" (honest Gov - I haven`t got a shedload of fags in my suitcase).

[malagabob]

The limits were changed over a year ago 3200 down to 800 and tobacco down from 3kg to 1. But this is still a grey area. These are only guides for personal use.
You can bring in more, but will have to satisfy customs why you have more, if stopped. You could risk all, even the 800 if they are not convinced.