Aircrew Duty Free Allowances
 

When I land in the UK as operating Crew, What is my Duty free allowance ie. How many Ciggies and how big a bottle?
For the sake of argument, I would be arriving from outside the EU.

Para 12 of HM (UK) Customs Notice 198 (available via Google) says:

12. Crew
12.1 Can aircrew have a duty-free landing allowance?
No. These were abolished in 1994 to conform to EU law.
We now treat crewmembers in the same way as passengers. They may import:
- duty-free goods within the UK Traveller’s Allowances when arriving from a non-EU destination (they
can obtain these from the aircraft stores); or
- duty-paid goods for their own use from a EU destination.

Note: Aircrew landing with duty-free goods under the Traveller’s Allowances, must proceed through Customs controls where provided at the final airport of arrival.

12.2 Can aircrew land their unused duty-free stores at the end of their final flight?

Yes, but only if these goods form part of their Traveller’s Allowance when arriving from a non-EU airport.

Crew arriving from a EU airport cannot land any unused part of their duty-free stores.

__________________________________________________

According to my reading of this that means:

When travelling from outside the EU to the UK you are allowed to bring in the following, provided you travel with the items and do not intend to sell them.


200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250 gms of tobacco
2 litres of still table wine
1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs
60cc/ml of perfume
250cc/ml of toilet water
£145 worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs


Anyone from HMC&E to comment?

Thank you, very comprehensive, now, if I was to land in France I am led to believe that my allowance would be only a fraction of that allowed in the UK, ie, 2 packets (40) cigarettes. Can anyone shed any light on this as I thought that the EU was a common area and as such the rules would be the same. Or are the French Douane just writing their own rules.
Have any other Aircrew had a similar problem?

I am based in France and my allowances are 40 cigs. The French appear to ignore EU rules most of the time and this is yet another instance of them doing so. We are invariably met by a gun slinging douanier who enforces the 40 cig rule!