Last time I flew home to UK from Bulgaria the HM Customs were imposing a 200 cigarette limit on duty paid tobacco for people arriving from Bulgaria. They were breaking European law by imposing such a limit so I'm now wondering if they were forced to scrap it? I just looked at the HM Customs website and can't find any mention of this restriction, it looks like the nominal 3200 cigarette "
limit"
that they regard as the maximum justified for personal use now applies to Bulgaria. Is this correct?

I just looked it up and I can't see that anything has changed [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Having looked at the Heathrow link, I then went to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... e=document

As you see from the HMRC/UKBA, you can bring in 200 cigarettes Duty Free and up to 3,200 cigarettes so long as the Tax is paid in another EU country.
Maybe the Heathrow link hasn't been updated?

Customs guide

Yes, it was the PDF document I had used for my reference.

Look at this site [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... Allowances

I emailed HM Customs about this and have pasted their reply below. You should note that if driving back to UK you are only allowed to take 800 through Germany. I have printed the email and will take it with me next time I am coming to UK from Bulgaria or Hungary. It would be interesting to know the actual policy at Heathrow.

"
Dear Philip,

Thank you for your email.

Public Notice 1, A Customs guide for travellers entering the UK, states under the heading Travelling Within the European Union, that from EU countries there are no limits on the amount of duty and or tax paid tobacco that you can bring into the UK as long as they for your own use, or gifts, and are transported by you.

If you are bringing in tobacco goods and we have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, an officer may ask you questions and make checks. For example, about;

The type and quantity of goods that you have brought,
Why you brought them,
How you paid for them,
Whether all your goods are openly displayed or concealed,
How often you travel,
How much you normally smoke,
Any other relevant circumstances.

We are more likely to ask you questions if you have more than 3,200 cigarettes.

All Public Notices are available from the National Advice Service on 0845 010 9000, (International +44 2920 501 261) or, from our website at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] via the following links:-

`Library¿ which is under the heading ¿Quick Links¿
`Publications¿
`Notices, information sheets and other reference material¿
`Import, export &
international trade¿
`Public Notices¿ which are listed in numerical order.

I must emphasise that the advice given is based on the information you supplied. If the nature of the transaction changes in technical detail, or the relevant details provided were incomplete or incorrect, we will not be bound by this ruling.

Yours sincerely,

John Mills

HM Revenue &
Customs
Customs, International Trade &
Excise
Website: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]"

Looking at that I think you have a clear reply of 3,200

So much for Ted Heath's comments before we joined the EU - "
British citizens and companies will be able to take goods from one EU country to another and pay NO TAX."
That, more or less was his promise to all of us before when went to vote to join the EU. Another broken promise by a politician!!

I was too young to get a vote in the referendum about joining the EEC but I would have voted against it. If the vote had gone the other way I would never have bought property in eastern Europe but I might be living in New Zealand by now.

Yes, fido you are right, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. If we knew then what we know now none of us would have voted for it either. We have lost a wonderful country.

In my case it is not hindsight. At the time I was very frustrated because I felt that I was mature enough to have an informed opinion on the subject but was not allowed a vote. You can die for your country in a war at age 16 but you have to be 18 to vote for the government that started the war.

New rules for duty paid goods going into UK

Customs checks when coming from the EU

If a customs official from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) thinks you may be bringing in excise goods such as alcohol and tobacco from the EU for commercial use - perhaps to sell to other people or simply for reimbursement - they may ask you questions and make checks. You may be asked about:


* the type and quantity of goods you've bought
* why you bought them
* how you paid for them
* how often you travel
* how much you normally smoke or drink

Although there are no limits on the amount of alcohol and tobacco you can bring in from EU countries, customs officials are more likely to ask you questions if you have more than the following:



If the UKBA is satisfied that the goods are for a commercial purpose it may seize them and any vehicle used to transport them, and may not return them to you. You can find out more in the guide 'What to do if your goods are seized by customs' under 'More useful links'. Here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... ngeu.htm#1

Getting more help and advice

If you need more information about bringing in goods to the UK from the EU, you can contact the VAT, Customs and Excise Helpline by following the link [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... ction=view

Why have they changed it yet again? Cigarette smugglers I would imagine Although I don't smike 800 isn't a lot is it?