DUTY-FREE SHOPPING
Overview
According to naturegnosis, the following articles may be imported into Italy duty-free when entering from non-EU countries:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco;
1 liter of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 22% or 2 liters of spirits with an alcohol content of not more than 22% or sparkling wine;
4 l table wine;
16 l of beer;
Gifts / other goods up to a total value of € 430 (air and sea travel) or € 300 (travel by train / car); Children under 15 years of age generally € 150.
Tobacco products and alcohol can only be imported by people aged 17 and over.
Import regulations
Travelers who bring meat and milk products into the EU from outside the European Union must register them. The regulation does not apply to the import of animal products from the EU countries as well as from Andorra, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland. Anyone who does not register these products must expect fines or criminal penalties.
Prohibited imports
There is a general import ban on live poultry, meat and meat products from third countries (with the exception of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland).
Import / export to the EU
The movement of goods within the EU is unrestricted for travelers, provided that the goods are intended for personal use and not for resale. In addition, the goods must not have been bought in duty-free shops. Proof of personal needs can be requested from travelers. Member States have the right to impose excise duties on spirits or tobacco products when these products are not intended for personal use.
The following maximum quantities apply to personal requirements:
800 cigarettes (people aged 17 and over);
400 cigarillos (people aged 17+);
200 cigars (people 17+);
1 kg of tobacco (people aged 17 and over);
10 liters of high-proof alcoholic beverages (people aged 17 and over);
20 liters of fortified wine (e.g. port or sherry) (people aged 17 and over);
90 liters of wine (including a maximum of 60 liters of sparkling wine) (people aged 17 and over);
110 liters of beer (people aged 17+);
Perfumes and eau de toilette: No restrictions if it can be shown that the amount is for personal consumption.
Medicines: amount according to personal needs during the trip.
Other goods: The movement of goods within the EU is unrestricted for travelers. However, gold alloys and gold plating in the unprocessed state or as a semi-finished product and fuel are excluded from this. Fuel may only be imported from an EC member state exempt from mineral oil tax if it is in the vehicle’s tank or in a reserve container carried with it. A fuel quantity of up to 10 liters in the reserve tank will not be rejected.
If additional quantities of these goods are carried, z. B. a wedding an event with which a bulk purchase could be justified.
Note: There are, however, certain exceptions to the regulation of the unrestricted movement of goods. They particularly concern the purchase of new vehicles and purchases for commercial purposes. (For more information on taxes on motor vehicles, see the European Commission’s guide “Buying goods and services in the internal market”).
EU
Duty-free sales at airports and shipping ports have been abolished for travel within the EU. Only travelers who leave the EU can shop cheaply in the duty-free shop. When importing goods into an EU country that were bought in duty-free shops in another EU country, the same travel allowances and the same travel allowance apply as when entering from non-EU countries.
SHOP
Overview
Italian goods are world famous for their elegance, chic and high quality. Italian design is in great demand. One should be careful when buying antiques, there are skilled counterfeiters in Italy. Discounts are sometimes given for larger purchases. Florence, Milan and Rome are leading fashion cities, but the small town boutiques are also well worth a visit. Some cities are known for special products: Como (Lombardy) for silk; Prato (Tuscany) for textiles; Empoli (Tuscany) for bottles and glasses made of green glass; Deruta (Umbria) and Faenza (Emilia-Romagna) for ceramics and Carrara (Tuscany) for marble. In Torre Annunziato (Campania) and Alghero (Sardinia), handicrafts are made from coral. There is an accordion factory in Castelfidardo (Brand) and they make guitars and organs. In Valenza (Piedmont), numerous artisans have specialized in goldsmithing. »Confetti« (almonds coated with sugar) are part of every wedding in Italy, they come from Sulmona (Abruzzo). Ceramic tiles are produced in Vietri sul Mare (Campania). Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna) is famous for mosaics.
Leading shopping centers:
Rome: The shops in the posh area around Via Condotti and Via Sistina offer a huge selection of clothing in all fashion styles, colors and designs, but they are expensive. The shops on Via Vittorio Veneto are also expensive. Old books and prints are sold at the book stands in Piazza Borghese. Second-hand shops can be found in the picturesque Via del Governo Vecchio, a few winding streets from Piazza Navona. On Sunday mornings there is a flea market at Porta Portese in Trastevere.
Milan: The elegant shops are in Via Montenapoleone. Prices are higher than in other large cities.
Venice:Is famous for hand-blown glass items made on Murano. Bobbin lace from the island of Burano is exquisite and very expensive.
The goldsmiths of Florence sell their high quality goods in the shops on both sides of the Ponte Vecchio bridge. Florentine gold and silver jewelry has a particularly silky surface called satinato. Filigree work is also offered. Cameos are nice souvenirs.
Southern Italy:Pottery and carpets in all regions, filigree jewelry and objects made of cast iron and brass in Abruzzo, wood carvings in Calabria, corals and cameos in Campania, textiles and tablecloths in Sicily and Sardinia. In Cagliari ornate copies of the bronze statues of the nuraghe that lived in Sardinia during the Bronze Age are on sale. The elegant shops in the larger cities such as Naples, Bari, Reggio di Calabria, Palermo and Cagliari have a wide range of Italian goods. Many small towns have weekly markets. The souvenirs offered here are often mass-produced items of poor quality that were not produced locally.
Shop opening times:Mon-Sun 8.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m.-10 p.m. In northern Italy, shops sometimes close earlier. Grocery stores are often closed on Wednesday afternoons.
Annotation
The sales tax is between 4 and 21% depending on the value of the goods. Non-EU citizens should keep the receipts for items over 155 € in order to get a refund of the sales tax (IVA).