Distillers Alcohol regulations in Jersey
How to import or export liquor and spirits to Jersey, how to register products and labels, the import duty and taxes, and how to get a licence to make alcohol there. Researched October 2026.
Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in October 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 Spotted something out of date?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 on licensed premises
- Legal purchase age
- 18 (17 for personal duty-free import allowance at ports/airport)
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Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)
- Licences needed
- Customs & Excise Manufacturer / Approved Premises approval under Article 15 of the Customs and Excise (Jersey) Law 1999, plus an appropriate category licence under the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974 if selling alcohol.
- Authority
- Agent of the Impôts (Jersey Customs and Immigration Service) for excise production/approved premises; Licensing Assembly (Royal Court) and Parish Assembly for liquor sales licences.
- Documents
- Application to Jersey Customs and Immigration Service for approved premises and excise accounting; parish and court application forms for liquor licensing.
- Fees
- Customs approved premises fee not confirmed; retail/off-licence fees under 1974 Law vary by category (e.g., £434+ for restaurants/on-licences; October 2026 consultation for the 2026 Law proposes £550 for on-licence, £200 for small off-licence, and £550 for large off-licence plus £50 application fee).
- Time to obtain
- not confirmed
Import licence and registration
- Who can import
- Commercial importers and customs approved traders registered with the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service; individuals aged 17+ may import within personal duty-free limits (1 litre of spirits).
- Licences or registrations
- Customs declaration and registration as a Customs Approved Trader (for duty deferment/bonded warehousing); an Off-Licence (6th Category) or On-Licence is required to sell imported alcohol in Jersey.
- Authority
- Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (Agent of the Impôts).
- Documents
- Customs import declaration, commercial invoice, and transport documents submitted via the Jersey customs portal.
- Fees
- No separate import permit fee confirmed; importers pay applicable excise duty (impôts) and 5% GST upon import or removal from bonded warehouse.
- Time to obtain
- not confirmed
Product and label registration
Required: no Process: No pre-market brand or label registration (such as US COLA) is confirmed in Jersey statute; products must comply with general food safety and food information/labelling regulations at point of sale.…
Import rules
Jersey is part of the UK-Crown Dependencies Customs Union; UK/British Islands customs requirements apply under the Customs and Excise (Jersey) Law 1999. Commercial shipments must be declared to Jersey Customs and Immigration…
Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)
Jersey applies UK-Crown Dependencies Common External Tariff rates to imports from outside the customs union, while goods in free circulation within the UK/Crown Dependencies customs union enter free of customs tariff; all spirits imported or produced in Jersey are subject to domestic excise duty (impôts) per litre of pure alcohol.
Excise and taxes
Excise duty (impôts) is charged per litre of pure alcohol on all spirits imported into or produced in Jersey, with a reduced 50% rate for qualifying 'small independent distillers' (producing up to 2,000 litres of alcohol per year…
Retail and distribution
Alcohol is sold by private businesses holding licences under the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974 across 7 categories (including 1st Category Taverners/pubs, 2nd Category Residential/hotels, 3rd Category Restaurants, and 6th Category…
Online sale and delivery
Allowed for holders of an appropriate off-licence, subject to age verification (no sale or delivery to persons under 18) and food distance-selling rules requiring mandatory food/allergen information to be provided both at the…
Labelling
Under Jersey food safety and Food Information legislation (aligned with UK/EU standards via the late-2025/2026 Food Safety and Labelling Regulations), labels must be in English and state the name of the food, alcohol strength by…
Advertising
Under Attorney General guidance and Licensing Assembly precedent under the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974, any advertising or drinks promotion (including online or via text message) that encourages or is likely to encourage drinking…
Legal definitions of spirits
Under the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974 and Customs and Excise (Jersey) Law 1999, intoxicating liquor includes any liquor with an alcoholic content of 1.2% ABV or more. 'Distilled spirits' are defined in Article 1 of the Customs…
Dry or restricted areas
No dry parishes exist; however, every licence application must be considered by the local Parish Assembly, which recommends to the licensing authority whether the licence should be granted.
Recent changes
May 2025: The Attorney General's on-licence drinks pricing guidance was withdrawn with effect from 30 May 2025 after a review concluded it restricted competition. December 2025: New food labelling regulations were brought forward…
Opportunities for exporters
Jersey is an affluent island market with a strong hospitality and tourism sector, a low 5% GST rate, and tariff-free movement for goods in free circulation within the UK-Crown Dependencies Customs Union. The 2025 removal of…
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