Airlo

Duty-free allowance checker

Pick your destination — and, if you like, the thing you're bringing — to see what goes through customs duty-free: alcohol, tobacco, gifts, and cash limits at a glance, from each country's official customs guidance with the source linked.

What a duty-free allowance is

It is the quantity of alcohol, tobacco, gifts and other goods a country lets you bring in without charging import duty or tax. Every country sets its own figures, per person, and most grant the alcohol and tobacco part only to adults. Go over it and you must declare the excess and pay duty on it. Buying at an airport duty-free shop does not change this: the bottle still counts toward the litres your destination allows in.

Cash is treated separately. Most countries let you carry any amount, but above a threshold you must declare it on arrival.

All destinations

AfghanistanAlgeriaAntigua & BarbudaArgentinaAustraliaBahamasBarbadosBrazilCanadaChinaCubaEgyptEuropean UnionGrenadaHong KongIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqJamaicaJapanKazakhstanKenyaKuwaitLibyaMalaysiaMaldivesMexicoMoroccoMyanmarNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorth KoreaNorwayPakistanPhilippinesQatarRussiaSaudi ArabiaSingaporeSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSt. LuciaThailandTrinidad & TobagoTurkeyTurks & Caicos IslandsUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesVanuatuVietnamZimbabwe

Duty-free — common questions

What is a duty-free allowance?

A duty-free allowance is the amount of alcohol, tobacco, gifts and other goods you can bring into a country without paying import duty or tax on them. Each country sets its own limits, usually as a quantity (litres, cigarettes) or a value (a currency figure for gifts and souvenirs). Anything above the allowance must be declared at customs and is taxed. It applies per person, and most countries only grant the alcohol and tobacco part to adults.

Is duty-free the same as tax-free shopping?

No. Duty-free shopping means the airport shop did not charge duty when it sold you the item. Your duty-free allowance is what the destination country lets you bring in without charging duty on arrival. Buying at an airport shop does not exempt the goods from the arrival allowance: a bottle bought duty-free still counts toward the litres you are permitted to import.

How much alcohol can I bring into a country duty-free?

It varies enormously - typically 1 to 2 litres of spirits (e.g. 1L into the US, 2L combos into Singapore), but Saudi Arabia and Qatar prohibit alcohol entirely, and Singapore gives no alcohol allowance to arrivals from Malaysia. Always check the destination's own rule before you fly.

What happens if I exceed my duty-free allowance?

You must declare the excess and pay import duty and taxes on it. Failing to declare risks fines, confiscation, and in strict jurisdictions (Singapore, the Gulf states) prosecution. Declaring is usually cheap; hiding is not.

Do duty-free allowances apply to items I carry for someone else?

Yes - allowances apply to whoever physically carries the goods through customs, whether they own them or not. If you carry a friend's parcel, it counts against your allowance and you are answerable for its contents.

How much cash can I carry on an international flight?

Most countries let you carry any amount but require a declaration above a threshold - commonly around USD 10,000 or equivalent (US, EU, UK, Canada). Some are stricter: China caps local currency at RMB 20,000 outright, and Saudi Arabia's SAR 40,000 threshold includes gold and jewelry.