Ceuta is not part of the EU customs territory: travelling to mainland Spain (by land border, port or helicopter) counts as arriving from a "third country", so limits apply. These are the real ones, with official sources.
🥩 Meat, milk and dairy: it depends on the route (the main cause of seizures and fines)
- From Morocco into Spain (via the Tarajal or any route departing Morocco): FORBIDDEN — EU law bans meat, meat products, milk and dairy in travellers' luggage, even for personal consumption. They are seized and you can be fined. Exceptions: infant milk powder and special medical foods (≤2 kg, branded, sealed packaging), fish products (≤20 kg) and other animal-origin foods (≤2 kg combined).
- From Ceuta to mainland Spain (ferry or helicopter): the special national allowance allows 5 kg of meat and the dairy products in the table below (Ceuta is not EU customs territory, but national rules govern this route).
- Into Morocco: animal-origin products are restricted without a sanitary authorisation (ONSSA); in practice fresh meat and dairy are seized. Stick to non-perishable packaged food.
From Ceuta to mainland Spain: official allowance (Spanish Tax Agency)
| Product | Duty-free limit per person |
|---|
| Total value of goods | €900 (under 15s: €450) |
| Tobacco | 300 cigarettes, or 150 cigarillos, or 75 cigars, or 400 g of rolling tobacco (can be combined up to the total) |
| Alcohol | 1.5 l of drinks >22% or 3 l <22% (liqueurs, fortified or sparkling wine). Plus: 5 l of still wine and 16 l of beer |
| Perfume | 75 g + 37.5 cl of eau de cologne |
| Coffee / tea | 1 kg coffee (400 g extract) / 200 g tea (80 g extract) |
| Food | 2.5 kg milk powder · 3 kg condensed milk · 6 l liquid milk · 1 kg butter · 4 kg cheese · 5 kg sugar and sweets · 5 kg meat (combined value ≤€300) |
| Fuel | Vehicle tank + 10 l in a portable container |
Watch out: mobile phones, transmitters and bicycles must carry the type-approval marking. And if you exceed these limits intending to resell, it's no longer "personal luggage": goods can be seized and fined. Under-17s get no tobacco or alcohol allowance.
From Morocco to mainland Spain (EU land entry): general allowance
- Total value of goods: €300 per person (under-15s: €150).
- Tobacco: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 g of smoking tobacco (combinable up to the total).
- Alcohol: 1 l of drinks >22% or 2 l <22% (liqueurs, sparkling wine). Plus: 4 l of still wine and 16 l of beer.
- Meat and dairy: forbidden (see the warning above). Fish: ≤20 kg. Infant milk/medical foods: ≤2 kg.
- Perfume: 50 g + 25 cl of eau de toilette. Coffee/tea: 500 g of coffee / 100 g of tea.
Note: if you travel from Morocco to Ceuta (not mainland), Ceuta has its own tax regime (IPSI) and customs also checks what comes in.
Leaving Morocco (Moroccan customs)
- Dirhams in cash: maximum MAD 2,000 when leaving (and also when entering, per the Office des Changes).
- Foreign currency: no limit to bring in or take out, but declaration is mandatory from MAD 100,000 equivalent.
- Used personal effects: free to take out; carry receipts for new purchases in case customs checks.
- Forbidden to take out: antiques and cultural goods without prior authorisation.
Sources: douane.gov.ma («À votre départ du Maroc») and Office des Changes (oc.gov.ma).
Entering Morocco: what can get refused
- Drones, weapons and walkie-talkies: forbidden or require prior authorisation — confiscated at customs if you don't have it.
- Medication: carry a prescription or original packaging, especially sedatives and codeine syrups.
- Cash: dirhams have entry/exit limits; foreign currency must be declared above the equivalent of MAD 100,000.
- Alcohol and tobacco (entry): 1 l of alcoholic drink (or 1 bottle of wine) and 200 cigarettes (or 100 cigarillos, 25 cigars or 250 g of tobacco), per the official Moroccan source (diplomatie.ma).
- Meat, dairy and perishable food: restricted without sanitary authorisation (ONSSA) — in practice they are seized. Carry only non-perishable packaged food.
What if I go over the limit?
Anything above the allowance can be declared at customs and you pay duty + VAT. The real problem is not declaring and being caught: fines, and with commercial quantities, seizure of the goods. If you cross daily, ask about the cross-border worker regime, which has its own rules.
Official sources (to verify any change)
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Colas Frontera Ceuta — limits verified on the Spanish Tax Agency's official site (Sep 2026). Customs rules change: check official sources before crossing with large quantities. Updated: 1 September 2026 (verified against the Spanish Tax Agency).