Alcohol regulations in Guadeloupe

Licences needed

Statut d'entrepositaire agréé (authorized warehousekeeper authorization), Titre d'exploitation / declaration of distillation apparatus (alambics), and ICPE authorization or declaration (installations classées pour la protection de l'environnement).

Authority

Direction Régionale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI) de Guadeloupe and Préfecture de la Guadeloupe / DEAL.

Documents

KBIS extract (company registration), architectural and site plans of production and storage facilities, technical specifications of stills and measuring devices, financial solvency documentation and excise security bond (caution bancaire), and ICPE environmental impact statement.

Fees

No administrative fee for customs authorization; security deposit/bond (cautionnement) is required to cover excise liabilities; ICPE processing costs depend on facility size.

Time to obtain

2 to 6 months depending on environmental clearance and customs facility audit.

Who can import

Any registered commercial entity possessing a valid EU EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number. To hold or move spirits in duty suspense, the importer must be registered as an Entrepositaire Agréé (authorized warehousekeeper) or Destinataire Enregistré (registered consignee).

Licences or registrations

EORI number; customs registration in DELTA-IE; access to the EMCS (Excise Movement and Control System / GAMMA) for intra-EU excise consignments.

Authority

Direction Régionale des Douanes et Droits Indirects de Guadeloupe.

Documents

Commercial invoice, packing list, transport documentation (Bill of Lading / Air Waybill), customs declaration (DAU / DELTA), electronic administrative document (e-AD) via EMCS for excise products, and certificate of origin (e.g., EUR.1 or invoice declaration where tariff preferences apply).

Fees

Customs registration is free; customs broker fees apply.

Time to obtain

A few days for EORI registration; 1 to 2 months for registered consignee or warehousekeeper status.

Required

no

Process

There is no pre-market brand or label registration requirement, nor a prior approval mechanism (such as US COLA). Commercialization operates on self-certification and compliance with French and EU food and spirits safety regulations, verified through post-market surveillance by DGCCRF.

Authority

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

Documents and samples

None required prior to import; technical product specification sheets and laboratory analysis must be kept on file for inspection.

Fees

None

Renewal

None

Time to obtain

Immediate

Guadeloupe is part of the European Union customs territory; goods imported from mainland France and EU member states do not face customs duties, but are subject to local fiscal entry taxes because Guadeloupe is treated as a third territory for indirect taxation (territoire fiscalement tiers). Non-EU imports require standard EU customs clearance. Spirits in duty suspense must move under EMCS (e-AD). Physical fiscal tax stamps (Capsule Représentative de Droit - CRD) on bottles are optional since 2019, provided tax payment is evidenced by commercial and transport documentation.

0% for imports from mainland France and EU member states. For non-EU imports, the EU Common Customs Tariff (CCT) under HS code 2208 generally applies a 0% customs duty rate under WTO MFN schedules for primary spirits categories (whisky, vodka, gin, rum), though specific rates may apply to certain compound preparations or undenatured ethyl alcohol.

Value Added Tax (TVA): standard rate of 8.5% in Guadeloupe (Article 296 of the Code Général des Impôts). Local Outermost Region tax: Octroi de Mer (rates set by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, generally between 15% and 30%+ on HS 2208 spirits) plus Octroi de Mer Régional (up to 2.5%). National alcohol excise (accise sur les alcools, CIBS Art. L. 313-20): standard rate of €1,866.52 per hectolitre of pure alcohol (hlap), alongside social security contributions (cotisation sécurité sociale, Art. L. 245-7 CSS). Traditional overseas rums produced under quota benefit from a reduced rate (€933.78/hlap).

Private retail model (no state monopoly). On-premises service (bars, restaurants, clubs) requires a Licence IV (Grande Licence) for distilled spirits (>18% ABV) or Licence Restaurant, obtained after completing the mandatory operating permit course (Permis d'exploitation) and lodging a declaration at the local Mairie at least 15 days in advance. Off-premises retailers (supermarkets, bottle shops) must hold a 'Grande licence à emporter'. Operating hours are strictly regulated by prefectural decrees; takeaway alcohol sales are prohibited overnight (typically from 20:00 or 22:00 to 08:00), and fuel stations are barred from selling alcohol between 18:00 and 08:00.

allowed

Compliant with EU Regulation (EU) 2019/787 and EU Regulation 1169/2011. Mandatory information in French: sales denomination, nominal volume, alcoholic strength by volume (% vol), lot number, name and address of producer/bottler/EU importer, country of origin, and allergen declarations (e.g., sulfites). Mandatory health warning against drinking during pregnancy: the official French crossed-out pregnant woman pictogram or the statutory warning message ('La consommation de boissons alcoolisées pendant la grossesse...').

Governed by France's Loi Évin (Articles L. 3323-2 to L. 3323-6 of the Code de la santé publique). Alcohol advertising is strictly banned on television and in cinemas. Permitted channels (adult press, billboards under statutory guidelines, radio during restricted hours, and adult-oriented websites) must restrict content strictly to objective product characteristics (origin, composition, ABV, production process). Commercial sponsorship of sporting or cultural events is prohibited. All authorized advertisements must feature the mandatory health warning: 'L'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération'.

Regulated by EU Regulation (EU) 2019/787: Whisky/Whiskey min 40% ABV; Rum min 37.5% ABV (traditional agricultural rum from Guadeloupe GI specifications require min 40% to 50% ABV); Vodka min 37.5% ABV; Gin min 37.5% ABV; Brandy min 36% ABV; Neutral agricultural ethyl alcohol min 96.0% ABV.

No dry municipalities exist in Guadeloupe. However, statutory protected zones (zones protégées under Art. L. 3335-1 Code de la santé publique) ban the establishment of new on-premise drinking licences within established perimeters around schools, hospitals, sports grounds, and youth centers. Prefectural orders enforce localized bans on night takeaway sales and prohibition of public consumption during events such as Carnival.

• Prefectural enforcement measures implemented strengthening restrictions on takeaway alcohol sales after 20:00 and banning unauthorized 'glacière' events and cooler-parties to reduce road accidents and public disturbances.
• Annual indexation adjustments applied to alcohol excise tariffs under the Code des impositions sur les biens et services (CIBS), alongside the elimination of the reduced rate for small bouilleurs de cru replaced with targeted exemptions.
• Revisions and reviews of the Octroi de Mer import tax rates and exemptions by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, within the framework of European Council Decision (EU) 2021/991.

While the local domestic market is strongly loyal to locally distilled Guadeloupe agricultural rum, consumer demand exists for premium imported spirits categories such as Scotch and Irish whiskies, Cognac, premium gin, and aged spirits. Exporters must carefully structure pricing to account for the substantial cumulative burden of local Octroi de Mer import duties, local VAT, and excise taxes.

• Direction Régionale des Douanes et Droits Indirects de Guadeloupe
• Préfecture de la Guadeloupe
• Conseil Régional de la Guadeloupe
• Direction de l'Économie, de l'Emploi, du Travail et des Solidarités (DEETS) Guadeloupe

1. Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects - Voyage aux Antilles et fiscalité
2. Services de l'État en Guadeloupe - Démarches débits de boissons et licences
3. Légifrance - Code de la santé publique (Débits de boissons, Protection des mineurs, Loi Évin)
4. Légifrance - Code des impositions sur les biens et services (CIBS)
5. Région Guadeloupe - Délibérations relatives aux tarifs de l'Octroi de mer