Country Guide

United Kingdom customs limits 2026: cigarettes, alcohol & cash

How many cigarettes and how much alcohol, cash, food, and medicine you can bring into United Kingdom duty-free. See what you can bring before you fly.

Tobacco allowance

These are the customs tobacco rules travelers most often check before entering United Kingdom.

Category Tobacco
Adult travelers All arrivals
Cigarettes 200 cigarettes
Duty-free limit
Cigarillos (max 3g each) 100 cigarillos (max 3g each)
Duty-free limit
Cigars 50 cigars
Duty-free limit
Hand-rolling / pipe tobacco 250 g
Duty-free limit
Proportional or combined tobacco rules can apply when you carry more than one tobacco type.

Alcohol allowance

Duty-free alcohol limits for adult travelers entering United Kingdom.

Category Alcohol
All arrivals Adult travelers (17+)
Spirits (over 22% ABV) 4 liters
Duty-free limit
Sparkling and fortified wine (up to 22% ABV) 9 liters
Duty-free limit
Still wine 18 liters
Duty-free limit
Beer 42 liters
Duty-free limit
Traveler age rules and combined-category conditions can apply depending on the route.

Cash declaration threshold

This is one of the most important declaration rules travelers check before entering United Kingdom.

Category Cash
All travelers Declaration rules
Cash and monetary instruments Declaration from GBP 10,000
Declaration required
Cash, monetary instruments, and equivalent value checks can apply above the threshold shown for GBP.

More United Kingdom customs limits

Exact thresholds for all categories are available in the app. Download CustomsLimit to check your full trip before you fly.

Medicines (uncontrolled / OTC) Personal use only — conditions apply
Restricted
Controlled substances / narcotics Authorization required
Restricted
Meat, dairy & animal products See app for conditions
Restricted / Prohibited
General food items ••• kg limit
Duty-free limit
Live plants & plant products Phytosanitary cert. may apply
Restricted
Cultural artifacts & antiques Authorization may be required
Restricted

Exact limits, declaration thresholds, age restrictions, and combined rules for all categories are available free in the CustomsLimit app for United Kingdom and 70+ other countries.

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Know before you go

Surprising restriction for United Kingdom

Prohibited. Class A, B and C controlled drugs are strictly banned. Includes cocaine, heroin, MDMA/ecstasy, cannabis, amphetamine, methamphetamine and barbiturates. Cannabis remains illegal in the UK even if legal in the country of origin. Serious criminal penalties including imprisonment.

The CustomsLimit app shows the full traveler context for United Kingdom before you travel.

About United Kingdom customs

United Kingdom's customs rules are administered by UK Border Force / HMRC / GOV.UK / APHA / CAA. Traveler allowances and restrictions can vary based on where you are arriving from, your age, and the type of goods you carry.

Traveler rules can change based on route, age, item type, and whether goods are for personal use. CustomsLimit helps you check the full country guide for United Kingdom before travel.

United Kingdom customs — frequently asked questions

How many cigarettes can I bring to the United Kingdom?
The duty-free tobacco allowance for the United Kingdom is up to 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos (max 3g each), 50 cigars, 250 g of hand-rolling / pipe tobacco for adult travelers. How these limits combine depends on the product mix — the CustomsLimit app shows the exact rule for your trip.
How much alcohol can I bring into the United Kingdom duty-free?
The United Kingdom allows up to 4 liters of spirits (over 22% abv), 9 liters of sparkling and fortified wine (up to 22% abv), 18 liters of still wine, 42 liters of beer duty-free for adult travelers. The CustomsLimit app shows how the limits combine for your route.
How much cash can I bring into the United Kingdom without declaring it?
Great Britain: GBP 10,000 or more (or foreign equivalent) must be declared. Northern Ireland: EUR 10,000 or more must be declared when arriving from outside the EU or from Great Britain. Includes notes, coins, bearer bonds, traveller's cheques, and cheques signed but not made out to a person. In Northern Ireland: also includes money orders, gold coins, bullion, nuggets and prepaid cards. Declaration can be made up to 72 hours before travel. Failure to declare: seizure and penalties up to GBP 5,000.

Check all United Kingdom limits free in the app

CustomsLimit covers United Kingdom and 70+ other countries with exact thresholds, combined limits, age restrictions, and declaration rules. Free to download.

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