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A bottle of good wine is one of the popular souvenirs that travelers tend to bring back from their trips. The shelves of Duty Free shops are filled with low-priced liquor, but tourists often have difficulty – how many bottles can they take with them? Airlines allow you to bring wine on the plane, but keep in mind that each country has its own restrictions on the import of alcoholic beverages, which you need to know in advance.
Wine in the cabin
Requirements for carrying alcohol in checked baggage and carry-on baggage vary by airline. In Russia, the rules are established by order of the Ministry of Transport No. 104 dated July 25.07.2007, XNUMX, which contains a list of things allowed for transportation in baggage and in the cabin. In hand luggage, you can only carry closed bottles with a volume of no more than one hundred milliliters. Liquor must be sealed and the total is limited to one litre.
This condition does not apply to alcoholic beverages purchased from duty-free shops. The bottles are packed in a branded package and closed. Printing containers is prohibited throughout the flight. If the flight is indirect and involves a transfer, you must first familiarize yourself with the regulations in force in a particular country.
How to carry wine in the baggage of an airplane in Russia
Different rules are set for transporting drinks in baggage. Here, the restrictions apply only to alcohol with a strength of 24% to 70%. The maximum volume is no more than five liters per passenger. You can carry wine on an airplane on domestic flights in any quantity. The only requirement is that alcohol must be in its original packaging with an excise stamp affixed.
This category does not include wines purchased on tap from factories and home producers who sell their products in ordinary plastic bottles. Everything here will depend on the severity of the inspection, but in any case, airline employees have the right to seize unmarked containers, even if they are tightly sealed.
Importing wine from abroad
Returning from a foreign trip, you can import duty-free to Russia no more than three liters of alcoholic beverages of any strength. The maximum allowable volume is 5 liters, but for the excess you will have to pay a customs fee of 10 euros per liter. Permission applies only to those who are already 18 years old, minors are prohibited from transporting alcohol. The current rules apply to both Russian and foreign citizens.
When importing wine over 3 liters, you must fill out a customs declaration, the amount of the fee is fixed and does not depend on the type of drink. It does not matter where the wine is purchased – in a regular store or in Duty Free, the requirements in this case are the same. Violations are fraught with an administrative fine, which reaches double the cost of alcohol, and drinks can still be confiscated.
What wine cannot be imported into Russia:
- produced at home;
- bought in a store, but poured into another container;
- in damaged packages from Duty Free.
It should be borne in mind that the current regulations apply not only to a person, but also to luggage. If you are traveling as a family, then everyone can carry up to 5 liters, provided that the bottles are in a separate bag or suitcase. Otherwise, excess may be considered a violation. The amount of alcohol in hand luggage and in luggage is summed up.
Where to buy and how to pack wine
Buy wine only in reliable stores where there will be no doubt about its origin. Check the integrity of caps and labels, keep receipts to avoid disputes at the border.
Glass bottles require careful packaging before transportation, as baggage is reloaded many times during air travel. The easiest way to keep containers intact is to wrap them in bubble wrap, which reliably protects the glass from damage. You can buy such packaging in a specialized store, and then take it with you. A small roll of tape will also help to securely fix the film.
If there is no such material at hand, it can be replaced with newspapers or thick paper, and the bottles themselves can be shifted with soft things so that they do not touch each other. Try to pack containers in hard-framed luggage and place them away from the walls. Wine enthusiasts and collectors carry wines in specialized suitcases with multiple compartments. Bottles in such luggage are reliably protected by internal porous gaskets.
Features of importing wine to different countries
If you want to take wine on a plane, going on vacation, you must first familiarize yourself not only with the rules of the airlines, but also with the restrictions in the country of destination.
Requirements for the import of wine into the territory of different states:
- Ukraine – duty-free no more than 2 liters;
- Belarus – up to 5 liters, regardless of the fortress, of which 3 liters without paying customs duties;
- Turkey – 2 liters with an alcohol content of less than 22%;
- Egypt, Thailand – up to 1 l;
- Tunisia – 2 l with a strength of up to 20%;
- EU – according to general rules 4 liters of still wines, 2 liters of drinks up to 22%.
Each European country can impose its own restrictions on the import of alcohol. For example, in Finland, in order to import alcohol, you must spend at least 72 hours in the country. In the European Union itself, the rules are not so strict, it is permissible to move up to 20 liters of fortified wine per person across internal borders.
In the UAE, alcohol limits vary by emirate. In Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, it is allowed to import up to four liters of drinks of any strength, for Sharjah this amount has been reduced to two liters. In the US, for personal use, you can take up to 1 liter of wine with you, for each extra bottle you will have to pay additional customs duty. The traveler must be at least 21 years of age.
If you are going on a trip and plan to take a bottle or two of wine with you, do not forget to check the current regulations once again, as customs legislation changes frequently.