How much Loose/other tobacco can I bring into United Kingdom?
Restricted
You can bring Loose/other tobacco into United Kingdom only within the stated limits.
Extra conditions apply
What you need to know
- 250 gram (8.82 oz)
- Channels: Carried with the traveler
- Extra conditions apply
Important
This allowance applies per person, not per family or group.
Official sources
- Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain HM Revenue & Customs / Home Office (GOV.UK)
Questions about Loose/other tobacco in United Kingdom
- How much loose/other tobacco can I bring into United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom allows 250 grams of loose/other tobacco per traveller. Above that the goods are treated as an import and duty becomes payable. The allowance is per traveller and cannot be pooled between people.
- Do I have to declare loose/other tobacco at United Kingdom customs?
- Only above the allowance. Up to 250 grams of loose/other tobacco there is nothing to declare; beyond it you take the goods through the red channel and pay the duty.
- What happens if I do not declare loose/other tobacco in United Kingdom?
- Under Travellers' Allowances Order 1994, if you declare the excess yourself: a flat-rate charge is applied to the excess. The normal duty becomes payable on the excess. Under Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, section 167, if it is treated as smuggling: it is prosecuted as a criminal offence; the goods are confiscated.
- Do duty-free purchases count toward the United Kingdom allowance for loose/other tobacco?
- Yes. What you buy in an arrival duty-free shop comes out of the same allowance, so the shop does not add to what you may already be carrying.
- Can I post or ship loose/other tobacco to United Kingdom instead of carrying it?
- Not under this allowance. It covers goods a traveller carries; a parcel is an import and is assessed under the postal rules instead. Baggage sent before or after you travels under the same allowance.
- Is there a minimum age for the loose/other tobacco allowance in United Kingdom?
- Yes — 17 years. A traveller under that age gets no allowance for loose/other tobacco at all, not a smaller one.
- Can I take loose/other tobacco out of United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom publishes no separate rule for taking loose/other tobacco out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the United Kingdom limit for loose/other tobacco apply per person or per family?
- Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.
- Where does this rule come from?
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force states it in Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-19. The sentence it rests on reads: “You can bring in one of the following: 200 cigarettes 100 cigarillos 50 cigars 250g tobacco 200 sticks of tobacco for electronic heated tobacco devices”
- How does United Kingdom compare with other countries on loose/other tobacco?
- Of the 20 countries covered here, 0 prohibit loose/other tobacco, 11 limit it and 9 let it through. United Kingdom is among the ones that set a limit.
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain · verified 2026-09-19
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain · verified 2026-09-19
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — The Travellers' Allowances Order 1994 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — The Travellers' Allowances Order 1994 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — The Travellers' Allowances Order 1994 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — The Travellers' Allowances Order 1994 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain · verified 2026-09-19
Source: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) / Border Force — Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain · verified 2026-09-19