Bringing cigarettes into France from Spain
Customs booths on the A9 motorway have been dismantled, and the physical border between France and Spain has been pulled down. However, beware! Despite the Schengen agreement of 1995, which stated that internal borders were to be abolished in order that EU members could have ’ free movement of persons’, the allowance of five cigarette cartons (1,000 cigarettes) PER CAR still stands. In fact, whilst border checks are no longer legal, there is nothing to stop customs officers carrying out regular spot checks once your vehicle has entered the country. ‘Contrôles’ are carried out several times a week, particularly on the roundabout approaching Le Boulou from Le Perthus, and if stopped and found to be over the limit, all cigarettes will be confiscated and you will receive a fine of 300 euros plus.
