France customs
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Free import
• From another EU country: goods for your own use can be brought in without limits and without a declaration, provided you carry them yourself and can show an invoice or receipt. Above these per-person guide levels (travelers aged 18 or older) customs may treat tobacco and alcohol as commercial: 800 cigarettes (4 cartons), 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, 1 kg of smoking tobacco, 10 L of spirits, 20 L of intermediate products (such as port or vermouth), 90 L of wine (of which no more than 60 L of sparkling wine) and 110 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 g of smoking tobacco. These amounts cannot be combined, but a proportional mix is allowed.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol or 2 L of drinks up to 22% alcohol (or a proportional mix), plus 4 L of still wine and 16 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country: other goods for personal use or gifts up to EUR 430 per traveler arriving by air or sea and EUR 300 per traveler arriving by land (car or train). Travelers under 15 have an allowance of EUR 150, whatever the means of transport. Allowances are per person and cannot be pooled; an item worth more than the allowance is taxed on its full value.
• Fuel in the standard tank of a vehicle plus up to 10 L in a spare can.
• Different, lower allowances apply when traveling to mainland France from the French overseas departments (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion).
Currency
• France's currency is the euro (EUR).
• Travelers entering France must declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies), whether arriving from a non-EU country or from another EU country. Cash includes banknotes, coins, bearer instruments such as cheques and traveler's cheques, gold coins (at least 90% gold), gold bars and nuggets (at least 99.5% gold) and prepaid cards. The declaration can be made online with the DALIA service (up to 30 days before travel and at the latest before crossing the border) or at customs. Failure to declare can lead to a fine of up to 50% of the amount and retention of the cash.
Prohibited
• Counterfeit goods (fake designer clothing, bags, watches, perfume and similar), even in small quantities for personal use. Buying, importing or possessing them is a customs offence: the goods are confiscated and the fine is one to two times the value of the genuine product; the offence can also be punished by up to 3 years in prison
• Meat, milk and products made from them from non-EU countries (limited exceptions apply, for example for powdered infant milk, infant food and special medical food)
• Category 1 attack dogs (non-pedigree dogs of American Staffordshire Terrier "pit bull", Mastiff "boerbull" and Tosa type), including in transit. Violations can be punished by 6 months in prison and a EUR 15,000 fine
• Illegal drugs
Restricted
• Other food of animal origin from non-EU countries: up to 2 kg of powdered infant milk, infant food or special medical food (branded, in packaging that does not need refrigeration before opening), up to 20 kg of fishery products (or one fish, whichever weighs more), and limited amounts of eggs and honey.
• Plants and plant products from non-EU countries need a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate.
• Endangered species of plants and animals and products made from them (CITES), such as ivory, coral, reptile skins and tortoiseshell, need CITES permits.
• Medicines: only quantities for the treatment period on the prescription or, without a prescription, up to three months of treatment. Narcotic and psychotropic medicines must be carried with the original prescription.
• Pets (dogs, cats, ferrets) need a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older and at least 21 days before travel, and an EU pet passport or, from a non-EU country, an official EU health certificate (valid for 10 days after issue). From non-listed non-EU countries a rabies antibody (titer) test of at least 0.5 IU/ml is also required, at least 30 days after vaccination and 3 months before travel. No more than 5 pets per traveler.
• Weapons and ammunition need prior authorization.
• Cultural goods (works of art, antiques, archaeological items) need documents issued by the French Ministry of Culture.
• Goods from non-EU countries above the duty-free allowances, goods for commercial use and restricted goods must be declared to customs.
• From another EU country: goods for your own use can be brought in without limits and without a declaration, provided you carry them yourself and can show an invoice or receipt. Above these per-person guide levels (travelers aged 18 or older) customs may treat tobacco and alcohol as commercial: 800 cigarettes (4 cartons), 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, 1 kg of smoking tobacco, 10 L of spirits, 20 L of intermediate products (such as port or vermouth), 90 L of wine (of which no more than 60 L of sparkling wine) and 110 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 200 cigarettes (1 carton) or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 g of smoking tobacco. These amounts cannot be combined, but a proportional mix is allowed.
• From a non-EU country, for travelers aged 17 or older: 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol or 2 L of drinks up to 22% alcohol (or a proportional mix), plus 4 L of still wine and 16 L of beer.
• From a non-EU country: other goods for personal use or gifts up to EUR 430 per traveler arriving by air or sea and EUR 300 per traveler arriving by land (car or train). Travelers under 15 have an allowance of EUR 150, whatever the means of transport. Allowances are per person and cannot be pooled; an item worth more than the allowance is taxed on its full value.
• Fuel in the standard tank of a vehicle plus up to 10 L in a spare can.
• Different, lower allowances apply when traveling to mainland France from the French overseas departments (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion).
Currency
• France's currency is the euro (EUR).
• Travelers entering France must declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies), whether arriving from a non-EU country or from another EU country. Cash includes banknotes, coins, bearer instruments such as cheques and traveler's cheques, gold coins (at least 90% gold), gold bars and nuggets (at least 99.5% gold) and prepaid cards. The declaration can be made online with the DALIA service (up to 30 days before travel and at the latest before crossing the border) or at customs. Failure to declare can lead to a fine of up to 50% of the amount and retention of the cash.
Prohibited
• Counterfeit goods (fake designer clothing, bags, watches, perfume and similar), even in small quantities for personal use. Buying, importing or possessing them is a customs offence: the goods are confiscated and the fine is one to two times the value of the genuine product; the offence can also be punished by up to 3 years in prison
• Meat, milk and products made from them from non-EU countries (limited exceptions apply, for example for powdered infant milk, infant food and special medical food)
• Category 1 attack dogs (non-pedigree dogs of American Staffordshire Terrier "pit bull", Mastiff "boerbull" and Tosa type), including in transit. Violations can be punished by 6 months in prison and a EUR 15,000 fine
• Illegal drugs
Restricted
• Other food of animal origin from non-EU countries: up to 2 kg of powdered infant milk, infant food or special medical food (branded, in packaging that does not need refrigeration before opening), up to 20 kg of fishery products (or one fish, whichever weighs more), and limited amounts of eggs and honey.
• Plants and plant products from non-EU countries need a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate.
• Endangered species of plants and animals and products made from them (CITES), such as ivory, coral, reptile skins and tortoiseshell, need CITES permits.
• Medicines: only quantities for the treatment period on the prescription or, without a prescription, up to three months of treatment. Narcotic and psychotropic medicines must be carried with the original prescription.
• Pets (dogs, cats, ferrets) need a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older and at least 21 days before travel, and an EU pet passport or, from a non-EU country, an official EU health certificate (valid for 10 days after issue). From non-listed non-EU countries a rabies antibody (titer) test of at least 0.5 IU/ml is also required, at least 30 days after vaccination and 3 months before travel. No more than 5 pets per traveler.
• Weapons and ammunition need prior authorization.
• Cultural goods (works of art, antiques, archaeological items) need documents issued by the French Ministry of Culture.
• Goods from non-EU countries above the duty-free allowances, goods for commercial use and restricted goods must be declared to customs.