Return from Malaga

[terry2]

I'm booked on a cruise on the Discovery2 from Malaga this summer. However there is a tale that in Malaga, on the your return trip from the ship to the airport, Spanish customs X-ray your luggage looking for duty-free booze, tobacco etc.

 

What happens if you have booze that was bought duty paid eg at Porto? Do you have to prove it, or does that cause so much trouble that it is not worth it.

 

Previously it has been our custom to buy some local drinks for our (adult) children as presents as tokens of the trip; but we could do without any hassle on the return trip which is stressful enough as it is.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Vitalsign]

My sister was on Spirit last summer and they were warned in the cruise news that customs at Malaga port were checking luggage for duty free goods over the limit but this was because they had stopped off in Gibraltar Does this apply to you? I.e. Are you stopping off in Gib? This should not apply to duty paid goods bought within the EU.

We are on the Dream TA in April and fly back from Malaga but do not call into Gibraltar so are hoping this XRay in the port does not apply to us

 

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[campolady]

We too had the warning in Cruise News when on Spirit last year as our itinerary included Gibraltar. I am not sure if having some Duty Free purchases invalidates the right to also bring in Duty Paid - therefore, to be on the safe side, I would suggest that you just buy in your EU ports ensuring that you have receipts as proof of purchase and avoid buying any bottles in Gibraltar.

 

When disembarking in Malaga we just walked through the port with our bottles purchased in Porto in our hand luggage and were not stopped or Xrayed BUT we were not boarding a coach to go on to the airport when checks may be more stringent.

 

We sail from Malaga again in May (our local cruise port) and will be in Gib again as the final stop of our second week so I will make more enquiries then and post any further information on here.

 

You should have no problems at all Vitalsign as your itinerary does not include Gibraltar.

Edited February 12, 2017 by campolady

[campolady]

Have just checked the Cruise News from another Malaga sailing we did and this had no warning about checks. However, on that cruise Gibraltar was our first port of call not the last.

 

So I am now wondering if, sailing immediately from a non-EU port like Gib into Malaga changes the regulations and negates the earlier EU port allowances making you only entitled to the restricted Duty Free allowances similar to doing a day trip from Spain to Gib.

 

I would hate to cause you problems from inaccurate information terry2 so, as I said earlier, I will double check in May.

[terry2]

We too had the warning in Cruise News when on Spirit last year as our itinerary included Gibraltar. I am not sure if having some Duty Free purchases invalidates the right to also bring in Duty Paid - therefore, to be on the safe side, I would suggest that you just buy in your EU ports ensuring that you have receipts as proof of purchase and avoid buying any bottles in Gibraltar.

 

Thanks, Our trip does include Gibraltar, as the last stop before Malaga.

[terry2]

I would hate to cause you problems from inaccurate information terry2 so, as I said earlier, I will double check in May.

 

Many thanks.