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View Full Version : What is the cigarette allowance to the UK from Tenerife?



sunnyken1
08-07-2011, 08:50
Can you bring back to UK SPANISH Ciggies, if so do you get a greater allowance than 200? If yes what's the allowance?

BobMac
08-07-2011, 09:00
Can you bring back to UK SPANISH Ciggies, if so do you get a greater allowance than 200? If yes what's the allowance?

Shops sell all makes of ciggies

Limit is set as Non-EU for all customs allowances

williethetim
08-07-2011, 09:01
doesnt matter if its michael barriemores fags , its still 200

karinagal
08-07-2011, 09:09
Be warned: they are being extra vigilant now. It's not worth the risk. We were trying to hurry through the customs bit as our daughter was waiting to take us home - they pulled us aside and xrayed our cases....

Jackie
08-07-2011, 09:23
Depends what airport you are travelling to and what time whether you get away with more. I know I'm going to get shot down in flames yet again for saying this but hubby took 1600 back with him last week and even walked through 'Things to declare' at Gatwick and no one stopped him.

BobMac
08-07-2011, 09:33
Depends what airport you are travelling to and what time whether you get away with more. I know I'm going to get shot down in flames yet again for saying this but hubby took 1600 back with him last week and even walked through 'Things to declare' at Gatwick and no one stopped him.

Not to be recommended

If you go through the Nothing to Declare and get stopped, they can confiscate all your duty free, not just the excess, and fine you as well.

Jackie
08-07-2011, 09:47
Not to be recommended

If you go through the Nothing to Declare and get stopped, they can confiscate all your duty free, not just the excess, and fine you as well.

Yep I know all that and so does he. He still works in the UK but makes regular visits here and takes back that amount every time. He has been stopped twice in 5 years and before anyone posts about they mark your passport etc. they don't. Yes it is wrong but there are a lot worse things going on in the world than someone taking back more cigs than their allowance for their own use ;) Now dons her bullet proof vest and hard hat read for the flack

BobMac
08-07-2011, 10:06
Yep I know all that and so does he. He still works in the UK but makes regular visits here and takes back that amount every time. He has been stopped twice in 5 years and before anyone posts about they mark your passport etc. they don't. Yes it is wrong but there are a lot worse things going on in the world than someone taking back more cigs than their allowance for their own use ;) Now dons her bullet proof vest and hard hat read for the flack

Totally agree.

Unfortunately, like motorists, you are a nice soft target when they do decide to clamp down and try to scare everyone into complying.

Tojack
08-07-2011, 10:21
Depends what airport you are travelling to and what time whether you get away with more. I know I'm going to get shot down in flames yet again for saying this but hubby took 1600 back with him last week and even walked through 'Things to declare' at Gatwick and no one stopped him.

Not by me Jackie.1600 extra fags no probs.1600 grams of drugs that's another matter.Like others say soft target.

Tarw
08-07-2011, 22:08
I got stopped about 3 years ago didnt mark my passport but they did document my passport number what they did with it i dont know but they took it and told me that if i was cought again criminal charges would be made.
Yep I know all that and so does he. He still works in the UK but makes regular visits here and takes back that amount every time. He has been stopped twice in 5 years and before anyone posts about they mark your passport etc. they don't. Yes it is wrong but there are a lot worse things going on in the world than someone taking back more cigs than their allowance for their own use ;) Now dons her bullet proof vest and hard hat read for the flack

A.P.&.S.S
09-07-2011, 11:01
Before moving here, I traveled back and forward 4 x a year and always took back about 1000 extra for myself. Flew into both Prestwick and Edinburgh airports and was NEVER stoped! Just lucky I'd say but mainly the flight times were arriving in UK at about 11.30pm, maybe they were all off duty by that time? :lol:

I did see a guy stoped many years ago, he sat infront of me on the plane, looked like he hadnt washed for a week and stunk!! after collecting my luggage, wandered off and there he was stoped with a case full. He was a prime target......dare I say it? but just by his appearance and body language

moonlighter
09-07-2011, 12:45
Before moving here, I traveled back and forward 4 x a year and always took back about 1000 extra for myself. Flew into both Prestwick and Edinburgh airports and was NEVER stoped! Just lucky I'd say but mainly the flight times were arriving in UK at about 11.30pm, maybe they were all off duty by that time? :lol:

I did see a guy stoped many years ago, he sat infront of me on the plane, looked like he hadnt washed for a week and stunk!! after collecting my luggage, wandered off and there he was stoped with a case full. He was a prime target......dare I say it? but just by his appearance and body language

Time has nothing to do with it, we have landed in the early hours of the morning before now & the arrivals hall has been swarming with customs officers, pulling in more passengers that they let through.

A.P.&.S.S
09-07-2011, 12:54
Time has nothing to do with it, we have landed in the early hours of the morning before now & the arrivals hall has been swarming with customs officers, pulling in more passengers that they let through.

Maybe I have just been 'Lucky' then? Just saying as anytime I have had a late flight there has been no one at customs. I have always said a flight from TFS should be a good one to stop as the duty free allowance is so low and its cheap to buy here, my ciggies are 1/4 of the price here!

Tom & Sharon
09-07-2011, 13:05
Yep I know all that and so does he. He still works in the UK but makes regular visits here and takes back that amount every time. He has been stopped twice in 5 years and before anyone posts about they mark your passport etc. they don't. Yes it is wrong but there are a lot worse things going on in the world than someone taking back more cigs than their allowance for their own use ;) Now dons her bullet proof vest and hard hat read for the flack

Anyone travelling from Non-Eu countries are SOFT targets.
With miro-chipped passports these days,they (HMRC) know you are on your way before you have even taken off from your holiday destination.
They target certain types of people and not always the types you would think.
There is a saying 'they only have to be lucky once,but you have to be lucky EVERY time' i don't think even this applies to this thread,you will eventually be caught.
Its 200 cigarettes its your call!!

Tom:hat:

moonlighter
09-07-2011, 13:47
As far as I know all flights from the Canaries are prime targets these days. Last year when I was in the arrivals hall there were plain clothed customs officers watching certain bags go around on the carousel waiting for them to be collected, they had obviously been scanned before being put on the belt.

delderek
09-07-2011, 14:01
Baggage is x rayed before it goes on to the carousel, and then targeted by customs, with a watch being kept via cctv as to who collects it, so it is not random. Hand luggage of course is random.

Never ever had a passport scanned in Tenerife, so No the customs don't know you have departed.

pablo1
09-07-2011, 14:18
There are still thousands and thousands of illegal cigarettes going through British customs from Tenerife every week.
This is something that will carry on whilst there is money to be made, and as it stands the risk reward rate favours the ' smuggler '

moonlighter
09-07-2011, 14:23
There are still thousands and thousands of illegal cigarettes going through British customs from Tenerife every week.
This is something that will carry on whilst there is money to be made, and as it stands the risk reward rate favours the ' smuggler '

And it will continue that way until heavy fines are handed out, all that happens at the moment is that the tobacco is seized. The next successful trip for the smuggler will more than make up for the goods confiscated on the previous trip.

pablo1
09-07-2011, 14:32
And it will continue that way until heavy fines are handed out, all that happens at the moment is that the tobacco is seized. The next successful trip for the smuggler will more than make up for the goods confiscated on the previous trip.

They know when the customs are about most of the time and are happy to leave the cases on the carousel as the 15 sleeves that can fit in hand luggage cover their costs....

Tom & Sharon
09-07-2011, 15:11
Baggage is x rayed before it goes on to the carousel, and then targeted by customs, with a watch being kept via cctv as to who collects it, so it is not random. Hand luggage of course is random.

Never ever had a passport scanned in Tenerife, so No the customs don't know you have departed.

Your boarding pass is scanned and you need to provide API before travelling either way

sunnyken1
09-07-2011, 17:21
Hi there, thanks for your advice re. Ciggy allowance. I am interested in your comment re. Illegal renters and taking holidays in residential apartments. For the last 4 years my wife and I have rented a number of apartments and Villas on Tenerife - No pesky kids! We always book through what we believe are bona fide booking websites and have had no problems. eg Owners direct, James villas etc. what exactly constitutes an illegal renter? Not being a resident in Tenerife I just wonderded if I had missed something - we wouldn't wish to upset anyone or break any rules.

delderek
09-07-2011, 18:32
Your boarding pass is scanned and you need to provide API before travelling either way

My boarding pass has never been scanned, just looked at and torn in half (online checkin). And No you do not need API when going from TFS to UK. (Or you didn't 5 weeks ago). Even if you did, with a "flexible" ticket you can fly when you like.

Added after 4 minutes:


Hi there, thanks for your advice re. Ciggy allowance. I am interested in your comment re. Illegal renters and taking holidays in residential apartments. For the last 4 years my wife and I have rented a number of apartments and Villas on Tenerife - No pesky kids! We always book through what we believe are bona fide booking websites and have had no problems. eg Owners direct, James villas etc. what exactly constitutes an illegal renter? Not being a resident in Tenerife I just wonderded if I had missed something - we wouldn't wish to upset anyone or break any rules.

As someone renting an apartment, you are doing nothing wrong. The owners of the apartment are the ones that may be flouting the law.

karinagal
09-07-2011, 19:25
Baggage is x rayed before it goes on to the carousel, and then targeted by customs, with a watch being kept via cctv as to who collects it, so it is not random. Hand luggage of course is random.

Never ever had a passport scanned in Tenerife, so No the customs don't know you have departed.

We had our carry on luggage x rayed at prestwick the last time we landed. Seems to be because we were hurrying through baggage reclaim on our way to meet our daughter. All it took was a matter of seconds and we were on our way.....

Susief
09-07-2011, 19:38
We had our carry on luggage x rayed at prestwick the last time we landed. Seems to be because we were hurrying through baggage reclaim on our way to meet our daughter. All it took was a matter of seconds and we were on our way.....

We had that one time we were only taking hand luggage into Liverpool. It was because my hubby was rooting in his bag for car keys.
We only had 200 each in our bags but had frozen sausage and bacon we were bringing back for my son.
I wouldn't risk bringing back more than 400 each. Sometimes we buy 200 each in Tenerife then buy 200 or 400 at the airport! I always feel guilty going through customs!

leskriett
10-07-2011, 16:04
First time I ever went to Tenerife, (we're talking about 11 years ago now) my mate took the risk with 3000 cigs. They scanned the cases on arriving back in manchester and then pulled him in and took them all off him. One other person on the flight was also pulled and they had even more than he did. It was obvious something was going on as the cases took ages to come through and the two people who were caught cases were right at the end and were stood up on the carousel, not lying flat like everyone elses. Two customs people were stood at the back waiting for them to be picked up. The most I've ever risked is 400, I put 200 in case and 200 in hand luggage as they are never scanned at the same time together.

Lee.

Jackie
10-07-2011, 16:30
leskriett I really think it was just a coincidence that those two cases were 'stood up' on the carousel. There is no way in this world that 2 specific cases would land on the carousel like that. Have you seen the way they tumble down the ramp to the carousel? no way could customs make them 'stand up' after coming down the ramp, unless they maybe had Penn and Teller there or there was someone by the carousel that stood them up when they appeared.

Susief
10-07-2011, 16:48
leskriett I really think it was just a coincidence that those two cases were 'stood up' on the carousel. There is no way in this world that 2 specific cases would land on the carousel like that. Have you seen the way they tumble down the ramp to the carousel? no way could customs make them 'stand up' after coming down the ramp, unless they maybe had Penn and Teller there or there was someone by the carousel that stood them up when they appeared.

Jackie they don't come down a shoot at Manchester or Liverpool.
I sweat when I've got 400 so no way would I risk anymore, especially as I don't smoke. I usually get them for an elderly neighbour!

junglejim
10-07-2011, 17:22
leskriett I really think it was just a coincidence that those two cases were 'stood up' on the carousel. There is no way in this world that 2 specific cases would land on the carousel like that. Have you seen the way they tumble down the ramp to the carousel? no way could customs make them 'stand up' after coming down the ramp, unless they maybe had Penn and Teller there or there was someone by the carousel that stood them up when they appeared.

At Glasgow they have an X-Ray unit outside before they go on carousel and every case goes through it before the passengers pick the case off the carousel- then customs !

leskriett
10-07-2011, 18:46
Jackie they don't come down a shoot at Manchester or Liverpool.
I sweat when I've got 400 so no way would I risk anymore, especially as I don't smoke. I usually get them for an elderly neighbour!

I was under the impression they dont "fall" from anywhere to get to the carousel in Manchester. Regardless, customs people can move about behind the scenes and put bags like this they want to pick up anywhere they want and in any position they want, they dont have to let them follow the route of all the other bags.

CaribeCelt
10-07-2011, 19:52
Coming back from Tenerife in March i was pulled over in Dublin and asked had i any cigs in the bag:to which i said No.
They put it through the scanner and when it came out they told me to open the bag so i said to the customs man to burst it open because the key for lock was in my uncles wallet and he already left.
So the customs boy gives the bag a quick feel and questions me again about the fags and i promise have none and the next second later he tells me to go...i was shocked..shocked because i had fifty packets of golden virginia plus 100 packets of domingo as well.
My legs were like jelly walking out of Dublin Airport that night.
My uncle never got a bad look and he was carrying the same