People returning from countries outside the European Union (EU) may bring a limited amount of alcohol, cigarettes and fuel into the country – warns the National Tax Administration (KAS) in its guide for travelers. It also indicates which food products can be brought from the trip and emphasizes that the import of certain goods is prohibited.
Travelers coming to Poland from outside the European Union may bring goods worth up to EUR 430 in their personal luggage if they use air or sea transport, or up to EUR 300 if they use other forms of transport – e.g. rail or car – informs KAS in a special guide for travelers. This limit does not include medicinal products, fuel in tanks or canisters, tobacco products and alcohol.
Alcohol, cigarettes – how much can you bring into Poland?
In the case of tobacco products, a person over 17 years of age may import a maximum of 200 pieces of paper or 100 pieces of cigarillos weighing no more than 3 grams, or up to 50 pieces of cigars or a maximum of 250 grams of smoking tobacco, provided that the import is by sea or air. If someone travels differently, the maximum limits are 40 cigarettes, 20 cigarillos, 10 cigars and 50 grams of smoking tobacco.
The tax office informs that you can import various types of tobacco products, provided that the sum of the percentages from individual standards does not exceed 100%. For example, a traveler arriving in the country by plane may bring 100 cigarettes – which is 50%. limit – and 25 cigars – which is also 50 percent. limit. Therefore, the sum of the percentages of both standards is 100%.
The limits also apply to alcoholic beverages. A maximum of 1 liter of beverages resulting from distillation and spirits with an alcohol strength by volume exceeding 22% may be imported into Poland. This one-liter limit also applies to undenatured ethyl alcohol with an alcohol strength by volume of 80%. In the case of alcohol and alcoholic beverages with an alcohol strength by volume not exceeding 22%. the limit is 2 liters, for still wines – 4 liters and for beer – 16 liters.
In the case of alcohol, the same rule applies as in the case of tobacco products – you can import various alcoholic beverages, provided that they are in such a volume that the sum of the percentages of individual limits does not exceed 100. This rule does not apply to wine and beer. According to KAS in the guide, you can bring a maximum of 0.5 liters of vodka (0.5 liters of vodka is 1/2 of the standard for strong alcohol) and 1 liter of liqueur with a strength of up to 22%. (1 liter of liqueur is 1/2 of the norm for weaker alcohols) and 4 liters of wine and 16 liters of beer.
Border zone
The limits are slightly different for people who live in the border zone or are employees of the border zone or are part of the crew of a ship, plane or e.g. train – i.e. crew members of the means of transport used to travel to the country. In their case, the limit for strong alcoholic beverages is 0.5 liters, and the limit for alcohol with a strength below 22%. – also 0.5 liters. In addition, they can also bring 0.5 liters of still wine and up to 2 liters of beer.
The above limits – both in terms of the value of goods in personal luggage, as well as the quantity of tobacco products and the volume of alcohol – apply to exemption from customs duties. The same limits of these goods, alcohols, etc. are subject to VAT exemption.
The same applies to exemption from excise duty. In most cases, the limits are identical for those arriving by sea and air, as well as those traveling by land. The difference is that liquids for electronic cigarettes up to a volume of 50 milliliters and innovative products weighing up to 0.04 kilograms are also exempt from excise duty if they are imported by air or sea. The exemption in the case of import by land covers up to 10 ml of liquid for electronic cigarettes and up to 0.008 kg of innovative products.
Additionally, in the case of excise duty exemption, the same principle applies – you can import various types of tobacco products, as long as the percentage of individual limits does not exceed 100%. This rule applies separately to cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars and smoking tobacco, and separately to liquid for electronic cigarettes and novelty products.
Motor fuels are also exempt from excise duty, KAS wrote in its guide. However, the exemption only covers fuel transported in standard car tanks – up to a maximum of 600 liters per vehicle – and in canisters, i.e. up to 10 liters per vehicle.
KAS reminded that everyone is obliged to report in writing to the customs authorities or Border Guard authorities the import into the country or export abroad of foreign exchange gold or platinum, regardless of the quantity. You must also report the import or export of domestic or foreign means of payment if their value is equal to or exceeds the total equivalent of PLN 10,000. euro. This only applies to imports (and exports) from third countries that are not part of the Schengen area.
KAS also pointed to other restrictions on import, including: food. Five species of fruit can be imported into Poland without restrictions related to phytosanitary border inspection – bananas, coconuts, durians, pineapples and dates. Food of non-animal origin is also exempt from the obligation to carry out border sanitary inspection if it is imported in quantities indicating the non-commercial nature of the import. Travelers cannot bring food of animal origin into the country – e.g. meat products or products containing milk. It is permissible for a traveler to import a medicinal product from abroad for his or her own needs, in an amount not exceeding 5 of the smallest packages.
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