Bring back alcohol from the foreigner
Verified 12 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
Additional cases ?
The applicable rules differ depending on whether you bring alcohol from a country in the EU or not. What are they? We present you the information 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.
You can bring back to France alcohol bought in a country of the {circumflex over (X)} if this alcohol is intended for your consumption personal.
In determining whether the alcohol is intended for personal or commercial use, customs shall take into account a set of elements. It does not exist no quantity threshold, no single criterion allowing on their own determine the destination of the products.
Customs officers may in particular consider the following:
- Your situation (private or professional)
- The reasons why you are transporting these products
- The place where the products are stored
- The means of transport used
- Documents in your possession (invoice, proof of purchase...))
- The nature of the products
- The quantity transported
- The way the products are packaged
- The presence of a name or address indicating that the products are intended for another person
- Any element that may suggest that the products are intended to be sold or sold (announcement, order, exchange of messages...))
- Your destination, when different from your place of habitual residence.
The quantities to be respected 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 (including up to 60 liters of semi-sparkling wine) |
Beer | 110 liters |
These quantities apply per person and not per vehicle. They are the same regardless of your means of transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, by plane or by train).
Example :
In particular, you can report:
- 10 liters of whiskey + 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 quantities constitute one of the elements taken into account by customs. They do not allow, alone, to establish that the alcohol is intended for your personal consumption. Customs also takes into account the other elements of your situation.
You must also complete the 3 conditions following:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Carrying alcohol yourself
- Bring back alcohol intended for your personal consumption.
Warning
In the event of an inspection, you must be able to present proof of purchase of your alcoholic beverages.
If, after examining all the elements, customs considers that the alcohol is intended for commercial use, you must pay the rights consumption and taxes applicable during the inspection.
You may also be subject to the following penalties;
- Fine until €750
- Confiscation of all your products
- Seizure and confiscation of your vehicle personnel used in transport
- Prison term of one year.
Please note
The 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
You can bring alcohol back to France bought in a foreigners country.
The rules differ depending on whether you are returning from a country outside the EU or Andorra.
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General scenario
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.
In the event of an inspection, you must be able to present proof of purchase of your alcoholic beverages.
Please note
For young people under 17 years, rules stricter shall apply. Inquire at the customs office of the country of entry into the.
Maximum permitted quantities per person
You can bring the following quantities to a maximum:
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 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 beverage 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 quantities apply per person and not per vehicle. They are the same regardless of your means of transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, by plane or by train).
Example :
You can report:
- 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 the authorized quantities
If you go beyond the authorized quantities, 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
- Prison term of one year.
Please note
The 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 are returning 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.
In the event of an inspection, you must be able to present proof of purchase of your alcoholic beverages.
Please note
For young people under 17 years, rules stricter shall apply. Ask Customs for more information.
Maximum permitted quantities per person
You can bring the following quantities to a maximum:
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 beverage less than or equal to 22 degrees : port, madeira, vermouth, muscat, banyuls, etc. | 3 liters |
FYI
These quantities apply per person and not per vehicle. They are the same regardless of your means of transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, by plane or by train).
The quantities of wine and those of strong alcohols are cumulative and you can add a mild alcohol of less than 22 degrees (port, etc.) or make a proportional assortment.
Example :
You can report:
- 5 liters of wine + 3 liters of vermouth (or port, madeira, muscat, ...))
- 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 the authorized quantities
If you go beyond the authorized quantities, 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
- Prison term of one year.
Please note
The 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 are a frontier worker or live in a border area with a country outside the
Persons concerned
You are concerned if you are:
- Border worker with a country outside the UE (e.g. Switzerland)
- And inhabitant of a border area with a country outside l' (example: you live in French Guiana, in an area less than 10 km from the border with Brazil or Suriname.)
Maximum permitted quantities per person
You must be at least 18 years.
You can bring the following quantities to a maximum:
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 beverage 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 quantities apply per person and not per vehicle. They are the same regardless of your means of transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, by plane or by train).
The quantities of wine and beer are cumulative. You can also bring back one of the other categories of alcohol, within the permitted limits.
Example :
If you live in the Jura, less than 10 km from the Swiss border, you can bring 0.5 liters of non-sparkling wine, 4 liters of beer and 0.25 liters of liqueur.
In the event of an inspection, you must be able to present proof of purchase of your alcoholic beverages.
Penalties for exceeding the authorized quantities
If you go beyond the authorized quantities, 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
- Prison term of one year.
Please note
The 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 from a country outside the
Conditions to be respected
The 3 conditions to be met are as follows:
- Respect the authorized quantities
- Report quantities corresponding to one personal consumption
- To be major (minimum age 18).
In the event of an inspection, you must be able to present proof of purchase of your alcoholic beverages.
Maximum permitted quantities per person
You can bring the following quantities to a maximum:
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 beverage 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 quantities apply per person and not per vehicle. They are the same regardless of your means of transport (on foot, by bike, by car, by boat, by plane or by train).
The quantities of wine and beer are cumulative. You can also bring back one of the other categories of alcohol, within the permitted limits.
Example :
You can bring 0.5 liters of wine (non-sparkling) + 4 liters of beer + 0.5 liters of port.
Penalties for exceeding the authorized quantities
If you go beyond the authorized quantities, 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
- Prison term of one year.
Please note
The 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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