As you would still be exporting from Gib when you fly from there then I think the 200 duty free rule will still apply once you land at Gatwick.

You would need to check Gib's Revenue and Customs rules to see how many duty paid cigs you could take from Spain into Gib as it may not be the same as the UK.

luci

I don't know if you could do this as you could just buy 200 each day in Gib and how would they ever know if you'd already took them over the border?
It's a strange one!

I'm guessing here, but first of all, the blokes on the border after a few trips might get suspicious, it depends what mood they're in, I've had the misfortune to be stopped and searched when everybody else was waved through ....they couldn't care less that you are going to shift the fags back to the UK, technically you are importing untaxed goods into Spain and then later you would be trying to take the untaxed goods back out, via Gib.......if everybody did it, then you can see the problem.

Secondly, if pulled at a UK airport the customs will be able to tell by the packaging where the fags have been bought.
I don't think fags bought in Gib will have the IVA (tax) strip on them like they do when bought in Spain, which proves you have paid the tax to the country....so as a wild guess I would say I'm pretty confident that fags bought in Gib will not have this sticker, and as far as UK customs are concerned, the 200 rule applies.



Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Cigs bought in Gib do not have the IVA stamp.

The cartons are printed in English.

There could also be a problem in Spain as you have imported untaxed goods and are then attempting re export.

As Gib is outside the EU then you would need to go through a different gate on arrival back in the UK and customs may be interested in taking a look in your bags with the attendant problems that could cause you.

fwh

Sanji is right, there's no IVA strip on cigs bought in Gib. You don't pay any tax on cigs from there, that's why you're only allowed 200, and Gibraltar is not part of the EU. Also the goverment health warning on cigs in Gib is written in English. We used to live there and believe me, all the tricks have been tried. Just watch for the helicopters trying to catch the speedboats taking cigs into Spain........
Linda.

Sorry FWH, I'd typed my post, answered the 'phone and then saw you had posted........ Linda.

thanks for your help.
i was aware that the cigs in gib were "english" and so could be easily identified by customs in the uk. as with everyone i was looking for an angle whereby i could maybe take advantage of the ultra cheap prices and bring back more than 200.
i was not sure about coming back into britain and using a different entry point, but if customs can identify that i have come from gib then i suppose i'll just have to bite the bullet and buy 200 in gib and 600/800 in spain
thanks again.

i was not sure about coming back into britain and using a different entry point, but if customs can identify that i have come from gib then i suppose i'll just have to bite the bullet and buy 200 in gib and 600/800 in spain

Jim
If you are flying in and out of Gib, then you can only bring back 200...it doesn't matter how many times you go over the border into Spain, your point of entry and departure is Gib....and that's all customs will be interested in.
If you are flying into Gib and then coming back from Spain, you will be able to buy 200 in Gib and up to the government guidelines of 3,200, so you can purchase another 3,000 in Spain. (IVA paid/sticker)
Spain classes anything over 800 as export, so you will need to keep the receipts from the cigs bought in Spain.

If you fly into Spain and then keep popping across the border buying 200 cigs a day and then try to return to the UK through Gib,
1. You are exporting untaxed goods from Spain, and goods imported into Gib have a 12% import duty on them.
2. Something I learnt..... it's a crimminal offence to have more than 10 cartons of cigs in your possession in Gib and goods imported to Spain from Gib can only be imported between the hours of 9am-9pm.
Well that's a bit of a crazy idea to start with, knowing 200 is the allowance and the airport mafia/gestapo are paying extra attention to flights landing from places like Gib & Canary Islands because they know that for any smoker the prices in these duty free ports are very tempting and it becomes "easy pickings" for them.

3. If you fly to Spain and keep crossing the border buying a carton a day and then fly back via Spain, well these Spanish border guys have seen every trick in the book, there never seems a problem getting into Gib, the Spanish walk over the border daily to work in Gib, but it's a different matter getting out and coming back into Spain.

If you pull it off and then get pulled at any UK airport, they will see that the cigs have been bought in Gib and no IVA paid on them, you will lose the lot and whatever else they want to throw at you. !

If you get pulled before you board the flight whilst still on Spanish soil, then you are in big trouble mate....you will be charged with avoiding paying tax (IVA), smuggling goods in & out of the Kingdom of Spain and if you have more than 800 cigs, they can be real and charge you with avoiding export duties.

You probably know all this Jim, but I thought I'd explain just in case anybody else has a similiar brain wave idea.

I'm sure it has been done, (flying in & out of Spain and crossing the border daily) but it's not something I would recommend anybody try...the Spanish prison food is not worth eating....but, you will be able to smoke inside
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

I lived in Gib for a few years and agree with all the warnings above.....smuggling cigs was the main frontier trade for many years! Also if the Spanish authorities get to know your face, they have been known to stamp on your passport the fact / date that you imported 200 cigs and refuse to allow any more for 2 weeks. Believe me, every trick in the book has been employed along (and around) that frontier. One of the funnier stories was someone using a kite to 'fly' cartons into Spain!!

I do not know what the official line is but here is my experience.
I have spent the winters of last 12 years in Estepona. I regularly go to Gib and when I do I buy ciggies. I bring back by car to UK about 20 cartons every year. One year I was pulled in by customs at Portsmouth ferry terminal. I was asked about ciggies and I said I had 22 cartons that had been bought in Gibralter. He said I was only allowed 1 carton . I said that it was my understanding that as I only had brought 1 at a time into the european union all that I was doing now was moving them about in the EU and that I believed that this was permissible. He neither agreed or disagreed with me but he waved me through. I still bring some but not as many as most of my friends and family have stopped.

its sods law isn't it; i only brought back 200 cigs from gib, along with 2 or 3 open packets , as i always take out a full packet when i go out,and i sailed through customs without them giving me a second look.
still i do still have a good supply of spanish cigs, and am back in lloret in 3 weeks time so i'll be ok for supplies.
my mate who lives in la duquesa got caught the week before with 400 cigs in the car and got the option of paying €27 duty on each carton or losing them. needless to say he just lost the ciggies.

i did notice that when i came through customs almost everyone was going through the green channel, not the EU channel, and so assume that customs are well aware that the flights landing at that particular time/terminal were from non-EU destinations.