Is The Czech Republic Part of the EC

Hi,

I am from the UK and I was wondering if the Czech Republic was part of the EC for the purposes of the UK Customs and Excise ?

This will determine what Duty Free goods we are allowed to bring back into the UK.

Many thanks



Pat

 

The CR is an EU member.

 

But it's not quite the same as France and Belgium's relationship. For example, last February there was passport control on the train when crossing from Germany to Czechia, and again when flying to Paris from Prague.

I'll be driving my US-registered but Czech-insured Tatra from Olomouc to Dresden next month and hope I don't have unpleasant encounters at the border.

What's the limitation on export of slivovice again?

 

CR was not yet in EU in February 2004. It joined the union on 1.5.2004.

The passport checks are not a question of "relationship" - what matters is the Schengen border. Untill the new outer-border countries are able to guard it, there will be passport checks on the current borders.
The point is, that for EU citizens it is just an identity check - if you are an EU citizen, you are able to cross freely. Generally, no duties. The only trouble are limits for tobacco and alcohol, it is 10 litres for slivovice (and other distillates), 20 litres of aperitive, 90 litres of wine, 110 litres of beer.
These are general limits when crossing the border of any two EU countries, if I understand it correctly.

 

I don't know if this posting is too late, or too much out of subject,
but I thought I might share this experience with you anyway.

The week before christmas 2004 we drove our dutch VW-van from the Netherlands into the CR and back. No problems until crossing from the CR to Germany. Stoppped at the border and a full check of the van.
Appearantly a lot of foreigners (germans) living close to the border do their shopping in the CR. That's what I understood when the german customs-officer started asking questions about what we bought in the CR.

As we explained it was a complete farm we bought, we could leave....

Comming back in April 2005 with the van overloaded with my personal belonings there was not one question asked.

On both occaisions we crossed the border at Phillipsreut (near Passau)

 

Althoue CR is part of the EU there are more strict regulations, on the levels of duty free you can purchase and bring back to the UK, than on many oter member states.