Have you faced situation that you are on your trip, you have tasted marvellous wines and would like to take some bottles with you, but your decision is postponed due to absence of information how much wine you can take back to your country?
After my commented wine tastings I face this situations with certain regularity. The answer to this question is not as simple as 2+2. In each case it will depend on several factors, such as local legislation, means of transport (plane, boat, your own car), type of wine (still, sparkling or fortified), your itinerary (direct flight or connecting flight) and also on legislation of the country of your destination.
In this article I have joined information that will help you to plan your journey to Portugal. After reading it you will know how much space you’ll need to free up in your luggage to bring home beautiful wines from Portugal.
💡 Please bear in mind that information presented below refers only to alcoholic beverages purchased for individual consumption, not for resale or other commercial usage!
TRAVELING FROM PORTUGAL TO OTHER EU COUNTRIES
When you travel from Portugal to any other EU country (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden) you can bring with you:
90 litres of wine that corresponds to 120 standard size bottles of 750ml
60 litres of sparkling* wine that corresponds to 80 standard size bottles of 750ml
20 litres of fortified wine, for example, Port wine, that corresponds to 26 standard size bottles of 750ml + 1 bottle of 500ml
*If you want to bring still and sparkling wine, together they can’t exceed 90 litres.
To have duty-free allowance for wines for personal consumption, person must be at least 17 years of age, if the national legislation do not state differently.
💡 Please bear in mind that despite the fact that allowance of duty-free wine for personal consumption is very high when traveling within EU countries, you wont be able to take all this allowance with you if you are traveling by plane (even in check in luggage, as it is more then 24 boxes of wine). Please check luggage conditions with your air carrier.
TRAVELING FROM PORTUGAL TO OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Switzerland: 5 litres of wine with an alcohol content by volume of under 18% that corresponds to 6 standard size bottles of 750ml + 1 bottle of 500ml and 1 litre of fortified wine with an alcohol content by volume of over 18% that corresponds to 2 bottles of 500ml. Minimum age 17.
United Kingdom: 18 litres of still wine, that is equal to 24 standard size bottles of 750ml and 9 litres of sparkling or fortified wine, that is equal to 12 standard size bottles of 750ml. Minimum age 17.
Norway: if you bring only wine (no other spirits or beer) in total you can bring 3 litres of wine with alcohol up to 22%, that is equal to 4 standard size bottles of 750ml. You must be aged at least 18 to bring beer, wine and tobacco products.
Iceland: 3 litres of wine up to 21% of alcohol, that is equal to 4 standard size bottles of 750ml. You must be at least 20 years old.
💡 Duty-free allowance (quantity of wine bottles you can bring for personal consumption without additional tax payments) is calculated per person. So if you are traveling with family, you can divide total amount of bottles between your traveling family members that have reached (depending on the destination) 17, 18, 20 or 21 years of age.
TRAVELING FROM PORTUGAL TO AFRICA
Angola: 2 litres of wine (that corresponds to 2 standard size bottles of 750ml + 1 bottle of 500ml). Traveller must be 18 years or more.
TRAVELING FROM PORTUGAL TO NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAS
Canada: 1.5 litres of wine, that is equal to 2 standard size bottles of 750ml. Person must be minimum 18/19 years old (age is established by provincial or territorial authorities).
Brazil: 12 litres of alcohol, that corresponds to 16 standard size bottles of 750ml. Traveller must be 18 years or more.
USA: 1 litre of alcoholic beverage, that corresponds to 1 standard size bottle of 750ml and 5 miniatures of 50ml or 2 bottles of 500ml. You must be at least 21 years old.
💡 If you have bought wine in tax-free shops, for example in airport, and you are entering USA with this goods, this wines are subject to duty and Federal Excise Tax.
TRAVELING FROM PORTUGAL TO MIDDLE EAST
United Arab Emirates: 4 litres of alcoholic beverages that corresponds to 4 standard size bottles of 750ml + 2 bottles of 500ml. Traveller must be 18 years or more.
Israel: 2 litres of wine, that corresponds to 2 standard size bottles of 750ml + 1 bottle of 500ml. Traveller must be 18 years or more.
TRAVELING FROM PORTUGAL TO ASIA AND OCEANIA
China: 1.5 litres of wine with 12% or more alcohol content, that is equal to 2 standard size bottles of 750ml. You must be at least 17 years old.
Australia: 2.25 litres of wine (indifferent if it is still, sparkling or fortified), that is equal to 3 standard size bottles of 750ml. You have to be aged 18 years or over.
New Zealand: 4.5 litres of wine, that is equal to 6 standard size bottles of 750ml. You have to be 17 years or older to claim the alcohol and tobacco concessions.
💡 Please be informed that this information was prepared based on official resources and was valid at the moment of preparation of this article in January 2023. Please check for the updates on the pages of correspondent state authorities before your trip.
Get ready for your trip to Portugal! Pack comfy shoes, here is plenty interesting things to see. When you taste some good wines from Portugal don’t forget to tag me @bottledassets.
For private tours, wine tastings and cellar visits contact me directly.
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