Alcohol regulations in France

Licences needed

Statut d'entrepositaire agréé (tax warehousekeeper status), autorisation préfectorale pour l'acquisition et l'exploitation d'alambic (still permit), and ICPE environmental declaration/authorization.

Authority

Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI), Préfecture, and DREAL.

Documents

Company registration (Kbis), facility blueprints and security plans, production equipment declarations, detailed stock-accounting procedures (comptabilité matières), and financial surety guarantee (cautionnement fiscal).

Fees

No statutory licensing fee charged by customs; mandatory financial guarantee/bond is calculated based on expected excise tax liability.

Time to obtain

Typically 2 to 4 months.

Who can import

Any business registered in the EU with a valid EORI number. If importing under excise duty suspension, the business must also hold registered consignee (destinataire enregistré) or authorized warehousekeeper (entrepositaire agréé) status.

Licences or registrations

EORI number; excise registration in SEED for the EU Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS); customs import declaration access (DELTA IE).

Authority

Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI).

Documents

Commercial invoice, Single Administrative Document (SAD / DELTA), packing list, transport documentation (bill of lading/air waybill), certificate of origin, and electronic Administrative Document (e-AD) if moved under excise suspension.

Fees

EORI and customs registration are free of charge; customs broker and handling fees apply.

Time to obtain

EORI is issued within 24 to 72 hours; excise status approvals require 1 to 3 months.

Required

no

Process

France and the European Union operate on a self-compliance model for alcoholic beverages; there is no pre-market brand registration or label approval system (no COLA equivalent). The importer or producer is legally responsible for conformity with EU and French regulations. Market surveillance is carried out ex-post by DGCCRF.

Authority

Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF).

Documents and samples

None required prior to marketing; technical dossiers, specifications, and lab test reports must be kept on file for DGCCRF inspections upon request.

Fees

None

Renewal

None

Time to obtain

Immediate (no waiting period required prior to market entry).

Spirits imported from non-EU countries require an EU-established Importer of Record holding an EORI number. There is no state import monopoly. Shipments are declared via the Single Administrative Document (SAD). When cleared for excise duty-suspension, shipments move under EMCS with an e-AD. Physical excise strip stamps are not used in France (the Capsule Représentative de Droit / CRD system was made optional in 2019). Certificates of origin are required to claim preferential tariff treatments.

0% for most commercial distilled spirits under HS 2208 (whisky, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, liqueurs) entering from WTO members under the GATT 1994 zero-for-zero spirits agreement. Undenatured ethyl alcohol under 80% ABV (HS 2208.90.91 / 2208.90.99) is subject to specific EU duties of €0.80 per % vol/hl (+ €5.30/hl depending on container volume).

Spirits are subject to two specific national duties administered under the CIBS: 1) Specific excise duty (droit de consommation) at €1,932.42 per hectolitre of pure alcohol (hlap) in 2026 (was €1,899.18/hlap in 2025); 2) Social Security Contribution (cotisation de sécurité sociale, Art. L245-9 CSS) on spirits >18% ABV at €620.47/hlap in 2026 (was €609.80/hlap in 2025). Total specific levy on standard spirits >18% ABV is €2,552.89/hlap (~€25.53 per pure litre of alcohol). Reduced excise rates apply to DOM rums (€966.75/hlap in 2026). Standard VAT rate is 20%.

Private retail system without state monopolies. On-premise sales of distilled spirits require a 'Licence IV' (full on-licence) or a 'Licence Restaurant' (when served strictly with meals). Off-premise retail sale of spirits (wine/liquor shops, supermarkets) requires a 'Grande licence à emporter'. Takeaway sales between 22:00 and 08:00 require a specific training qualification ('permis de vente de boissons alcooliques la nuit'). Municipalities and prefectures have statutory powers to restrict nighttime retail takeaway hours.

Allowed. E-commerce merchants based in France must hold a 'licence à emporter' and obtain a nighttime sales permit (PVBAN) if deliveries or sales occur between 22:00 and 08:00. Age verification (18+) is legally mandatory during ordering and upon delivery; delivering alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Code de la santé publique.

Labels must comply with EU Regulation 2019/787 and EU Regulation 1169/2011, with mandatory information in French (Loi Toubon). Required items: legal sales denomination, alcoholic strength (% vol), net quantity, lot number (preceded by 'L'), name and EU address of producer/bottler/importer, and allergen declarations. France mandates a specific pregnancy health warning on all beverages >1.2% ABV (crossed-out pregnant woman pictogram or statutory warning text). Packaging must display the French EPR Triman logo and 'Info-tri' sorting instructions. Physical excise stamps are not required.

Strictly restricted under the Loi Évin (Articles L3323-1 to L3323-6 of the Code de la santé publique). Alcohol advertising is prohibited on television, in cinemas, on sports jerseys, and in venues/media intended for minors. Permitted channels include adult print publications, specific radio windows, billboards (within local restrictions), and online services (excluding sites aimed at minors). Content is strictly confined to factual product characteristics (origin, ABV, ingredients, organoleptic profile, elaboration method) and must not depict lifestyle, seduction, or social success. Every advertisement must include the warning: 'L'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération'. Alcohol sponsorship of sports and cultural events is prohibited.

Defined under EU Regulation (EU) 2019/787: Whisky/whiskey minimum 40% ABV, grain-distilled, cask-matured ≥3 years, unflavored, no added alcohol or sweetening; Rum minimum 37.5% ABV, sugar cane-derived, sweetening max 20 g/L invert sugar; Vodka minimum 37.5% ABV, agricultural ethyl alcohol, max methanol 10 g/hl 100% vol; Gin minimum 37.5% ABV, juniper-predominant; Brandy/Weinbrand minimum 36% ABV, wine spirit matured in oak; Agricultural ethyl alcohol / neutral spirit minimum 96% ABV.

No completely dry towns or territories. However, French law establishes mandatory 'zones protégées' (buffer perimeters of 50m to 100m, determined by prefectural orders) around schools, hospitals, sports complexes, and nursing homes where new on-premise drinking establishments (Licence III and IV) cannot be opened. Mayors and prefects can issue temporary decrees prohibiting takeaway alcohol sales or public street consumption in designated zones during nights or specific public events.

• Excise duty and Social Security Contribution rates were adjusted upwards on January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026 according to the national consumer price indexation rules under the Code des impositions sur les biens et services (CIBS).
• Excise duty collection and verification mechanisms were updated following the transfer of indirect tax collection operations between customs (DGDDI) and the tax authority (DGFiP) under CIBS reform.
• Intensified enforcement by DGCCRF regarding the Loi Évin on social media platforms, including restrictions on influencer marketing and commercial partnerships promoting alcoholic beverages.
• Strict implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) recycling obligations requiring the Triman logo and harmonized Info-tri signage on all consumer beverage packaging.

France offers a high-value, mature market with robust consumer demand for premium craft spirits, non-cognac brandies, agave spirits (tequila and mezcal), and single malt whiskies. Non-EU exporters benefit from zero percent MFN customs duties on primary spirits categories, though they must factor in significant specific excise and social security taxes and adhere to strict Loi Évin advertising rules.

• Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI)
• Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF)
• Ministère du Travail, de la Santé et des Solidarités

1. DGDDI - Alcools et boissons alcooliques : tarifs 2026
2. Circulaire DGDDI relative aux tarifs de l'accise sur les alcools et boissons alcooliques
3. Légifrance - Code de la santé publique : Débits de boissons et Loi Évin (Articles L3323-1 et L3331-1 et seq.)
4. Service-Public.fr - Licences d'un débit de boissons et restaurant
5. Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks
6. European Commission - TARIC Consultation (Heading 2208)