Duty Free Allowance
This is a guide to the duty free customs allowances in each country. While we try to ensure accuracy, the amounts may change at any time after publication.
That is so true. At times we forget to take care of those simple things. Before you travel, make sure you have all the necessary information and you have your itinerary planned accordingly. After all nobody likes to face problems in a foreign land. When travelling abroad, it is normal to be excited about Airport Duty Free Shopping. Which is great, but how many actually know the Duty Free Allowance of the country they are going to carry those shopped products into?
Yes it is very, very crucial to know the Duty Free Allowances to avoid any unwanted surprises that might sour your experience.
What is Duty Free Shopping?
So first, the basic question “What is Duty Free Shopping?”
Duty Free Shopping is something wherein you can purchase products without being charged of the government levied duties or taxes. These will be charged to you otherwise, on imported products bought at regular stores.
You’ll find such Duty Free Shops typically at airports, cruise ships and port cities.
Technically, to be exempt from duties on your shopping you must be going outside of the country. Although, if the products you purchased at a Duty Free Store, are within the permissible customs limits (varies from country to country), you can buy them even on arrival in your home country as well.
But there is still a condition that you need to have traveled out of your country for at least 48 hours. And to ensure this condition is met, the personnel at the billing counter of a Duty Free store might ask you to produce your passport and boarding pass.
However, Duty free does not necessarily mean tax free. If a country levies Value Added Tax, it will still be applicable in this case as well. So if you are shopping Duty Free, VAT may not be exempt