For many holidaymakers, the duty-free shop is the first point of contact after the security check at the airport. But how exactly does a duty-free shop work and can you really save yourself money as a result?
What is a duty-free shop?
“Duty-free” translates as “duty-free” – so in a duty-free shop you can purchase products without customs duties and without VAT.
However, you can only shop really tax-free and duty-free at airports outside the EU . Since the European Union has had a regulation for several years that the customary taxes and duties apply when buying in the duty-free shop.
Prices in the duty-free shop
The shops are free to set their prices, which means that the prices depend on the shop and airport. Since you can no longer get tax-free prices within the EU, it is of course a good idea to shop in shops outside the EU.
Nevertheless, when returning to the EU, please note the quantity and value limits.
- Tobacco products – persons aged 17 and over with 200 cigarettes each
- Alcoholic beverages aged 17 and over:
– 1 litre of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 22% by volume
– or 2 litres of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content not exceeding 22% by volume - Medicines for personal use in appropriate quantities
- Other goods up to a total value of 300 euros, for air and sea travel up to a total value of 430 euros. Persons under 15 years of age only have a total value of 175€.
Are the products cheaper in duty-free – yes or no?
If you shop in a duty-free shop outside the EU, you can save a lot depending on the shop and the product. The duty-free shop is most likely to be worthwhile if you want to buy high-priced items. However, you should know the commercial prices of the products in your country in order to assess whether it is really worth buying duty-free.
In our opinion, what can be worthwhile in “duty-free shopping”:
- Perfume
- Jewellery
- Watches
- Accessories
- Cigarettes (for EU international flights, as tobacco tax is also waived here)
Alternative to the duty-free shop?
If you are travelling within the EU and therefore it is not worth shopping in the duty-free shop, you can also use online comparisons to find cheap products.
