Bring back tobacco from the foreigner
Verified 24 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Additional cases ?
The criteria for determining the amount of tobacco allowed are different if you are returning from an EU countryEuropean Union or another geographical area. Here is the information you need to know.
Warning
The overseas departments and regions, the overseas communities and territories, the Channel Islands, the Canary Islands, Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland are concerned by the “Other Zone” situation.
European Union
You can bring back tobacco in France bought in a European Union country. However, you must prove that the quantities reported are intended for your personal consumption.
Infographie - Maximum quantities of tobacco allowed to be brought back from a European country
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The maximum quantities of tobacco that can be brought back from an EU country are:
- 800 cigarettes (equivalent to 4 cartridges)
- 400 cigarillos (maximum weight of 3 grams each)
- 200 cigars
- or 1 kilogram of smoking tobacco.
These quantities cannot be cumulated.
The maximum quantities to be respected are as follows:
- 800 cigarettes (4 cartridges)
- or 400 cigarillos (cigars weighing up to 3 grams per piece)
- or 200 cigars
- or 1 kg of smoking tobacco.
These maximum quantities are that one of the criteria to be respected. For example, you must also prove that you do not intend to resell cigarettes and that you are bringing them back for your personal consumption.
Please note
These quantities are not cumulative steps and correspond to purchases made by 1 person. You must be able to present the receipts during customs control.
You must complete the 3 following conditions:
- Credit memo 18 years minimum
- Ensure the transport of tobacco yourself
- Respect the criteria proving that your tobacco purchases match your own personal consumption.
Some criteria are defined to judge whether you are bringing tobacco back from an EU countryEU: titleContent for your own use (personal consumption) and not for commercial use (resale).
THEset of criteria is taken into consideration by customs officers.
These criteria are as follows:
- Your economic activity and your commercial status
- The reasons why you hold these products
- The location of the products or, in the case of transport, their location in the vehicle
- The mode of transport used
- Any documents related to these products
- The nature of the products
- The quantity of products
- The method of packaging the products
- The existence on the goods or their packaging of a sign designating, even implicitly, a recipient other than yourself
- Any trace of an exchange relating to these products and involving you
- Your place of destination when different from your place of habitual residence.
If, after assessing all the criteria, customs officers show that you are bringing tobacco back for commercial purposes, then you must pay the taxes at the time of the inspection. In this case, the inspection may also give rise to a fine and your tobacco may be confiscated.
Other Area
You can bring back tobacco in France bought in a foreigners country (outside theEuropean Union). However, you must respect the quantities authorized.
The information differs if you are returning from a non-EU country or Andorra:Crossing borders: customs rules
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General case
Maximum authorized quantities
The maximum quantities Cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars and other tobacco are:
Categories of tobacco | Quantities |
|---|---|
Cigarettes | 200 units, or 1 cartridge |
Smoking tobacco (rolling tobacco, shisha tobacco and other tobacco) | 250 g |
Cigars | 50 units |
Cigarillos (cigars up to 3 grams/piece) | 100 units |
FYI
These are quantities per person and no per vehicle. They apply equally if you travel by personal transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, etc.) or collective transport (plane, train, boat).
You must keep the receipt of your tobacco purchases to present it during customs control.
These quantities are not cumulative steps, but you can make a proportional assortment.
Example :
You can report:
- 1 cartridge of cigarettes
- Or 100 cigarettes + 25 cigars
- Or 50 cigarettes + 12 cigars + 25 cigarillos.
Conditions to be respected
You must complete the 3 the following conditions to be able to bring back tobacco:
- Credit memo 18 years minimum
- Transport the tobacco yourself
- Respect the authorized quantities per person.
The quantities reported must correspond to your own personal consumption.
Penalties for exceeding quantities
If you go beyond the quantities authorized, the sanctions are as follows:
- Consumer rights at pay. For example: €210 if you bring back 5 cartons of cigarettes.
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your tobacco products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- One year in prison.
Warning
Purchasing tobacco on a website is prohibited. The goods will be confiscated by customs before delivery.
You're coming back from Andorra
You can bring tobacco back to France, if you come back from a trip to Andorra.
Maximum authorized quantities
You must respect the quantities following maximum limits:
Categories of tobacco | Quantities |
|---|---|
Cigarettes | 300 units, or 1 cartridge and a half (1 cartridge + 5 packs) |
Smoking tobacco (rolling tobacco and other tobacco) | 400 g |
Cigars | 75 units |
Cigarillos (cigars up to 3 grams/piece) | 150 units |
FYI
These are quantities per person and no per vehicle. They apply equally if you are traveling by personal transport (on foot, by bike, by car, etc.) or collective transport (plane, train).
You must keep the receipt of your tobacco purchases to present it during customs control.
These quantities are not cumulative steps, but you can make a proportional assortment.
Example :
You can bring back:
- 1 cartridge of cigarettes (200 units) + 25 cigars
- Or 150 cigarettes + 35 cigars
- Or 200 g rolling tobacco + 150 cigarettes.
Conditions to be respected
You must complete the 3 the following conditions for returning tobacco:
- Credit memo 18 years minimum
- Ensure the transport of tobacco yourself
- Respect the authorized quantities per person.
The quantities reported must correspond to your own personal consumption.
Penalties for exceeding quantities
If you go beyond the quantities authorized, the sanctions are as follows:
- Consumer rights at pay. For example: €210 if you bring back 5 cartons of cigarettes.
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your tobacco products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- One year in prison.
Warning
Purchasing tobacco on a website is prohibited. The goods will be confiscated by customs before delivery.
Warning
There are specific rules if you are frontier, frontier worker or international transportation employee.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Information Customs Service
To obtain customs information concerning export, import, customs forms, transport and border crossing, exemptions...
By phone
0,800 94 40 40
Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6 pm
Toll-free number, price of a local call
Outside the city or from the foreigner, dial +33 1 72 40 78 50
By courier
Access to contact form
Qualitative criteria defining the character of reported tobacco use for personal consumption
Movement within the EU: maximum quantities allowed to enter France (alcohol, tobacco, cash, etc.)
Movement, possession and trade of tobacco (Article 575I)
Moving tobacco for commercial purposes
Tax exemptions on imports
Definition of manufactured tobacco
Prohibition of distance selling of tobacco (Article 568b)
Tax penalties for the illicit manufacture, possession, sale or transport of tobacco
Criminal sanctions for fraudulent manufacture or possession for the sale of tobacco
Service-Public.fr
Directorate General of Customs and Indirect Duties
European Commission
Ministry of Economy
Ministry of Finance
News
Voyages en Europe : quelle quantité de tabac et d'alcool peut-on rapporter ?
Publié le 15 juillet 2025
