Duty Free on Ferries
Duty Free on Ferries
Save big on your favourite brands with duty free on ferries and at ports. Snap up huge savings compared to the high street and discover exclusive products you can’t find anywhere else. Want to know more? Here’s your guide to duty-free ferry shopping:
When you travel internationally, you can buy certain goods without paying import duties or local taxes. This is because the goods will be used outside of the country where they are being purchased, so local taxes don’t apply. Without these extra taxes, prices are usually much cheaper than what you’d pay on the high street.
Good to know:
Before you embark on a ferry shopping spree, there are a couple of things you need to bear in mind. The amount of duty-free goods you can buy depends on the countries you’re travelling between. If you go over your allowance, then you’ll need to declare your purchases once you arrive at your chosen destination.
Below are some examples of amounts you can bring into the country without paying tax. Bear in mind that allowances are subject to change, so we’d recommend double checking with the relevant local government website for the most up-to-date information.
| Country | Alcohol allowances | Tobacco allowances | Other goods |
| UK | - 4 litres of spirits/strong liqueurs (over 22% ABV) or - 9 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other drinks under 22% ABV and - 42 litres of beer and - 18 litres of still wine | - 100 cigarillos or - 50 cigars or - 250g tobacco or - 200 sticks of heated tobacco | - Up to £390 worth of goods per person |
| France | - 1 litre of spirits over 22% ABV or - 2 litres of alcoholic drinks under 22% ABV - 4 litres of wine - 16 litres of beer | - 200 cigarettes or - 100 cigarillos or - 50 cigars or - 250g rolling/smoking tobacco | - Goods up to €430 on ferries |
| Spain | - 1 litre of spirits over 22% ABV or - 2 litres of fortified, sparkling wine or other drinks under 22% ABV - 4 litres of still wine - 16 litres of beer | - 200 cigarettes or - 100 cigarillos (small cigars) or - 50 cigars or - 250 g rolling/smoking tobacco | - Up to €430 per person on ferries |
| Netherlands | - 1 litre of spirits (over 22% ABV) or - 2 litres of wine or fortified wine under 22% ABV and - 4 litres of still wine and - 16 litres of beer | - 200 cigarettes or - 250g hand-rolling tobacco or - 50 cigars or - 100 cigarillos | - €430 or less per person |
| Germany | - 1 litre of spirits over 22% ABV or - 2 litres of alcoholic beverages up to 22% ABV - 4 litres of still wine - 16 litres of beer | - 200 cigarettes - 100 cigarillos - 50 cigars - 250 g smoking tobacco | - €430 worth if you arrive by air or sea |
Travelling from one EU country to another? Then the above restrictions do not apply. In general, when you’re travelling between the EU, there are no duty-free limits for personal use, so you can buy as much as you like!
It’s not just Europe that offers duty-free shopping! Here are some duty-free allowances worldwide. Remember that allowances are subject to change, so make sure you double check the relevant local government website.
| Country | Alcohol allowances | Tobacco allowances | Other goods |
| Hong Kong | 1 litre of alcoholic liquor over 30% ABV | 19 cigarettes, or 1 cigar (or cigars totalling up to 25g), or 25g of other manufactured tobacco | |
| Singapore | 1 litre spirits + 1 litre wine or 1 litre spirits + 1 litre beer or 1 litre wine + 1 litre beer or 2 litres wine or 2 litres beer | You may get GST (Goods & Services Tax) relief up to $500 (48+ hours abroad) or $100 (shorter trips) | |
| Japan | Up to 3 bottles of alcohol (750ml each) | Up to 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 10 heat-not-burn tobacco packs or 250 g of other tobacco duty-free. | - Perfume: Up to 2 ounces (≈56 ml) duty-free - Goods (except alcohol, tobacco, and perfume) totalling ¥200,000 or less - Items worth ¥10,000 or less are always exempt and aren’t counted toward the ¥200,000 total. |
| South Korea | Up to 2 litres of alcoholic beverages, with a total value not exceeding USD $400 duty-free. (Includes wine, spirits, beer) | 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250g of other tobacco products, or E-cigarette nicotine liquids. | - Perfume up to 60ml - Up to USD $800 worth of personal goods per person. |
There are a range of ferry companies with duty-free shops on board their routes. Some ports also have duty-free shops, so you can stock up before you sail.
Here’s what you can expect when travelling with some popular ferry companies:
Stena Line offer duty-free shopping on a range of ferry routes. They also have duty-free port shops where you can find special bulk deals.
Each P&O ship has its own World Duty Free shop on board. P&O also offer a ‘Reserve & Collect’ service on all their passenger routes so you can shop online before you go. Once you’re on board, just head to the collection point.
P&O offer a range of duty-free deals that change regularly. We recommend checking the latest offers before you travel.
DFDS Seaways offer duty-free on a range of routes, along with duty-free shops at the ports of Calais and Dunkirk. They also offer a reserve and collect service for passengers travelling from the UK to France, with collection points in Calais, Dunkirk and Dieppe.
DFDS offers a wide selection of duty-free deals on alcohol, fragrances and more. Check before you travel for the latest offers.
Irish Ferries have Aelia duty-free shops on board their ferry routes. A click and collect service is also available if you fancy shopping in advance. Plus, you can save 10% when you order online.
You can shop duty free on all Brittany Ferries routes between the UK and France and the UK and Spain.
Brittany Ferries offer some great duty-free deals. Check before you travel for the latest offers.
Ready to treat yourself? Whether you fancy stocking up on your favourite rosé or treating yourself to a luxurious new fragrance, duty-free is a great way to save some pennies on the ferry to your next destination.
Tip: Make sure you leave some space in your luggage for duty-free items!
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