Bring back alcohol from the foreigner
Verified 24 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Additional cases ?
The permitted amounts of alcohol vary depending on whether you are returning from an EU countryEuropean Union or not. 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
The maximum quantities permitted per person of strong alcohol, sweet alcohol, wine and beer are as follows:
Category of alcohols | Quantities |
|---|---|
Hard alcohol and spirits, greater than 22 degrees : whisky, gin, vodka, rum, pastis, ouzo, limoncello, liqueurs, etc. | 10 liters |
Intermediate alcohol, "sweet" wines, less than or equal to 22 degrees : port, madeira, vermouth, muscat, banyuls, etc. | 20 liters |
Wine | 90 liters (of which 60 liters maximum sparkling wine) |
Beer | 110 liters |
These maximum quantities are stacks by categories of alcohol.
Example :
You can bring back: 10 liters of whisky + 20 liters of port + 90 liters of wine + 110 liters of beer or 10 liters of whiskey + 20 liters of port + 60 liters of sparkling wine (champagne or crémant) + 30 liters of wine + 110 liters of beer.
These are quantities per person and no per vehicle.
These limitations apply equally whether you are traveling by personal transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, etc.) or by public transport (plane, train, boat).
Infographie - Maximum quantities of alcohol allowed to be brought back from a European country
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You can bring alcohol freely in your luggage from a European Union country. You must respect the following maximum quantities: 90 liters of wine, including a maximum of 60 liters of sparkling wine, 110 liters of beer, 10 liters of strong alcohol and spirits (whisky, rum, vodka, liqueurs, etc.) or 20 liters of intermediate products (port, madeira, vermouth, banyuls type)
You must complete the 3 following conditions:
- Be of age (have 18 years minimum)
- Respect the authorized quantities per person
- Report a quantity corresponding to your own personal consumption
Warning
You must keep the receipts of your purchases to present them during customs control.
If you go beyond the quantities authorized, the sanctions are as follows:
- Rights of consumption to pay
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- One year in prison.
Please note
Payment of consumption duties, taxes and fines is made directly to the customs inspector or by telepayment. Several payment methods are accepted depending on the amount.
Other Area
The conditions and quantities are different depending on your situation:
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General case
Conditions to be respected
You must complete the 3 following conditions:
- Credit memo 17 years minimum
- Respect the authorized quantities per person
- Report quantities corresponding to your own personal consumption.
You must keep the receipt of your tobacco purchases to present it during customs control.
Please note
For young people under 17 years, rules stricter shall apply. Ask the customs office of the country of entry into the European Union.
Maximum permitted quantities per person
There are maximum quantities allowed per person of strong alcohol, sweet alcohol, wine and beer.
You can bring in your luggage:
Wine and beer | Quantity allowed |
|---|---|
Wine (non-sparkling) | 4 liters |
Beer | 16 liters |
You can in addition report one of the following alcohols:
Alcohol (other than wine and beer) | Quantity allowed |
|---|---|
Alcohol and alcoholic beverage greater than 22 degrees : whisky, gin, rum, pastis, ouzo, liqueurs, etc. | 1 liter |
Or alcohol and alcoholic drink less than or equal to 22 degrees : port, madeira, vermouth, muscat, banyuls, etc. | 2 liters |
Or undenatured ethyl alcohol of 80 degrees or more | 1 liter |
Or a proportional mix of these categories of goods | Example : 1 liter of alcohol below 22 degrees + 0.5 liter of alcohol above 22 degrees |
These are quantities per person and no per vehicle.
These limitations apply equally whether you are traveling by personal transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, etc.) or by public transport (plane, train, boat).
Example :
You can bring 4 liters of wine + 16 liters of beer + 1 liter of whisky or 4 liters of wine + 16 liters of beer + 2 liters of port or 4 liters of wine + 16 liters of beer + 0.5 liters of whisky + 1 liter of port.
Penalties for exceeding authorized quantities
If you go beyond the quantities authorized, the sanctions are as follows:
- Rights of consumption to pay
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- One year in prison.
Please note
Payment of consumption duties, taxes and fines is made directly to the customs inspector or by telepayment. Several payment methods are accepted depending on the amount.
You're coming back from Andorra
Conditions to be respected
You must complete the 3 following conditions:
- Credit memo 17 years minimum
- Respect the authorized quantities per person
- Report quantities corresponding to your own personal consumption.
You must keep the receipt of your purchases to present it during customs control.
Please note
For young people under 17 years, rules stricter shall apply. Ask Customs for more information.
Maximum permitted quantities per person
You must respect the following limits per person:
Categories of alcohol | Quantities |
|---|---|
Wine (non-sparkling) | 5 liters |
Alcohol and alcoholic beverage greater than 22 degrees : whisky, rum, vodka, gin, pastis, ouzo, limoncello, liqueurs, etc. | 1.5 liter |
Or undenatured ethyl alcohol greater than 80 degrees | 1.5 liter |
Or alcohol and alcoholic drink less than or equal to 22 degrees : port, madeira, vermouth, muscat, banyuls, etc. | 3 liters |
FYI
These are quantities per person and no per vehicle.
These limitations apply equally whether you are traveling by personal transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, etc.) or by public transport (plane, train, boat).
The quantities of wine and those of strong alcohols are stacks and you can add a mild alcohol of less than 22 degrees (port, etc.) or make a proportional assortment.
Example :
You can bring 5 liters of wine + 3 liters of vermouth (or port, madeira, muscat, etc.) or 5 liters of wine + 1 liter of vermouth (or port, madeira, muscat, etc.) + 0.5 liter of whisky (or gin, vodka, rum, liqueur, etc.) or 5 liters of wine + 1.5 liters of whisky (or gin, vodka, rum, liqueur, etc.).
Penalties for exceeding authorized quantities
If you go beyond the quantities authorized, the sanctions are as follows:
- Rights of consumption to pay
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- One year in prison.
Please note
Payment of consumption duties, taxes and fines is made directly to the customs inspector or by telepayment. Several payment methods are accepted depending on the amount.
You're a frontier
Persons concerned
You are concerned if you are:
- Border Worker or frontier with Switzerland
- And resident of a border area with a country outside the European Union.
Example :
You live in French Guiana in an area located less than 10 km from the border of Brazil or Suriname.
Maximum permitted quantities per person
You can bring them back maximum quantities following:
Wine and beer | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Wine (non-sparkling) | 0.5 liter |
Beer | 4 liters |
You can in addition report:
Alcohol (other than wine and beer) | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Alcohol and alcoholic beverage greater than 22 degrees : whisky, gin, rum, vodka, pastis, ouzo, limoncello, liqueurs, etc. | 0.25 liter |
Or alcohol and alcoholic drink less than or equal to 22 degrees : port, madeira, vermouth, muscat, banyuls, etc. | 0.5 liter |
Or undenatured ethyl alcohol greater than 80 degrees | 0.25 liter |
FYI
These are quantities per person and no per vehicle.
These limitations apply equally whether you are traveling by personal transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, etc.) or by public transport (plane, train, boat).
Wine and beer are combinable and you can make an assortment with any of the other strong or sweet alcohols.
Example :
You live in the Jura less than 10 km from Switzerland and you can bring 0.25 liters of liqueur from Switzerland + 0.5 liter of wine (non-sparkling) + 4 liters of beer.
You must keep the receipt of your purchases to present it during Customs control.
Penalties for exceeding authorized quantities
If you go beyond the quantities authorized, the sanctions are as follows:
- Rights of consumption to pay
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- One year in prison.
Please note
Payment of consumption duties, taxes and fines is made directly to the customs inspector or by telepayment. Several payment methods are accepted depending on the amount.
You work in international transport
Conditions to be respected
The 3 conditions to be met are as follows:
- Respect the authorized quantities
- Report quantities corresponding to a personal consumption
- To be major (minimum age 18).
You must keep the receipt of your purchases to present it during Customs control.
Maximum permitted quantities per person
You can bring in your luggage:
Wine and beer | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Wine (non-sparkling) | 0.5 liter |
Beer | 4 liters |
You can in addition report:
Alcohol (other than wine and beer) | Allowed quantity |
|---|---|
Alcohol and alcoholic beverage greater than 22 degrees : whisky, rum, vodka, gin, pastis, ouzo, limoncello, liqueurs, etc. | 0.25 liter |
Or alcohol and alcoholic drink less than or equal to 22 degrees : port, madeira, vermouth, muscat, banyuls, etc. | 0.5 liter |
Or undenatured ethyl alcohol greater than 80 degrees | 0.25 liter |
FYI
These are quantities per person and no per vehicle.
These limitations apply equally whether you are traveling by personal transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, etc.) or by public transport (plane, train, boat).
Wine and beer are combinable and you can make an assortment with any of the other strong or sweet alcohols.
Example :
You can bring 0.5 liters of wine (non-sparkling) + 4 liters of beer + 0.5 liters of port.
Penalties for exceeding authorized quantities
If you go beyond the quantities authorized, the sanctions are as follows:
- Rights of consumption to pay
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- One year in prison.
Please note
Payment of consumption duties, taxes and fines is made directly to the customs inspector or by telepayment. Several payment methods are accepted depending on the amount.
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