Distillers Alcohol regulations in Faroe Islands
How to import or export liquor and spirits to Faroe Islands, how to register products and labels, the import duty and taxes, and how to get a licence to make alcohol there. Researched July 2026.
Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in July 2026 from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Duty rates, fees and rules change often: confirm with the regulator, a customs broker or local counsel before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- Status
- Legal
- Legal drinking age
- 18
- Legal purchase age
- 18
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Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)
- Licences needed
- Production and food safety establishment approval; customs excise warehouse authorisation
- Authority
- Heilsufrøðiliga starvsstovan (Food and Veterinary Authority) and TAKS
- Documents
- Facility plans, standard operating procedures, hygiene documentation, business registration (V-tal), excise bond/guarantee documentation
- Fees
- not confirmed
- Time to obtain
- not confirmed
Import licence and registration
- Who can import
- Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins (Rúsan) holds the state monopoly on the commercial importation and wholesale of beverages exceeding 2.8% ABV. Private companies cannot commercially import spirits for retail outside the monopoly framework.
- Licences or registrations
- Registered monopoly procurement supplier; customs registration with TAKS for customs clearance
- Authority
- Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins (monopoly purchasing) and TAKS (customs)
- Documents
- Commercial invoice, bill of lading/consignment notes, certificate of origin, chemical/analytical specification, EUR.1 (if claiming preferential origin)
- Fees
- Varies by consignment; customs handling fees apply
- Time to obtain
- Subject to monopoly tender cycles and evaluation schedules
Product and label registration
Required: yes Process: Spirits must be listed and approved through Rúsan’s product selection/tender system before being imported and placed on sale. Labels must meet Faroese food labeling standards prior to distribution.…
Import rules
Commercial imports must be consigned to or approved by Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins. Spirits exceeding 60% ABV are banned from commercial import and sale. Commercial consignments require standard import declarations through TAKS.…
Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)
Spirits imported under HS heading 2208 are subject to the Faroese Customs Tariff (Tollskráin) administered by TAKS. Standard third-country customs duty applies, though preferential tariffs apply to origins covered by free trade agreements (e.g., with the EU, UK, and EFTA).
Excise and taxes
Alcohol excise duty is levied by TAKS based on pure alcohol content / volume of alcoholic beverage. Value Added Tax (meirvirðisgjald / MVG) of 25% is levied on top of duty and product price.
Retail and distribution
Strict state monopoly. Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins (Rúsan) is the sole legal off-premise retailer of spirits and any alcoholic beverages over 2.8% ABV (domestic breweries may sell their own beer/cider at approved brewery outlets).…
Online sale and delivery
Restricted. Available exclusively through Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins’ official online portal (rusan.fo) for domestic delivery across the Faroe Islands, subject to mandatory 18+ age verification. Direct cross-border delivery to…
Labelling
Labels must clearly declare product description, actual alcoholic strength by volume (% ABV), net volume in metric units, producer/bottler details, lot number, and allergen declarations. Faroese, Danish, or other Scandinavian…
Advertising
Banned. Commercial advertising and promotions that encourage the purchase or consumption of alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited in the Faroe Islands across broadcast, print, digital media, and public outdoor displays.…
Legal definitions of spirits
Spirits must adhere to recognised international standards (generally aligned with Nordic and EU spirits regulations, such as minimum ABV of 40% for whisky, 37.5% for vodka/rum/gin). Upper ceiling: retail spirits may not exceed…
Dry or restricted areas
No dry areas exist, but retail availability is heavily restricted geographically: sales of spirits for off-premise consumption are limited exclusively to 8 designated Rúsan monopoly shop locations across the archipelago.
Recent changes
A legislative proposal to liberalise alcohol retail by permitting grocery stores to sell beverages up to 22% ABV was decisively rejected by the Løgting (23 votes to 1), preserving Rúsan's retail monopoly. Rúsan reported marked…
Opportunities for exporters
Foreign distillers can only access the Faroese consumer market by submitting proposals to Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins during official tender and assortment review cycles. Emerging opportunities exist primarily in ready-to-drink (RTD)…
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