What's the drinking age in the duty free area?

12/16/2015 12:20:47 PM

Is the drinking age in the tax free/duty free area the same as in the
country you are in or is there no real drinking age?

The same laws of the country apply; but there are some exceptions as @Calchas pointed out – there is a loophole in the UK law that allows giving away alcohol but restricts the sale of alcohol.

Can I buy spirits in the tax free even though the country’s law doesn’t permit me?

No, you cannot as you are still subject to the laws of the country.

Are there ID checks in the duty free area?

The merchants there are licensed by the same authority that licenses their counterparts that are on the other side of the immigration line. So, if you appear underage you will likely be “carded” (requested to show an ID or other proof of age) when buying/consuming restricted items like cigarettes, energy drinks or alcohol.

In short – the same laws of the country apply in the tax/duty free zone of the airport; since the airport is the legal jurisdiction of that country.

2/22/2020 12:52:35 AM

Tom (above) is right. Depending on what country governs which airline, the drinking age adheres to that country’s policies.

However, there are some nuances to watch out for, for example, the airport you are flying out of. Depending on the airline, the entire flight (not just when you are in the country’s general boundaries) can be bound to the laws of the airport you are flying out of.

From Map Happy:

But there are exceptions, depending on where the plane is leaving from. Some flyers from a bodybuilding forum (hey, everyone loves to travel) report that airlines will follow the origin country’s rule. So even if you’re on Aeromexico going to Puerto Vallarta from Los Angeles, you might not be able to drink booze on the outbound but would be able to on the return trip. At least you get to somewhere, right?

tl;dr It really depends on what airline you’re flying.

12/18/2014 1:16:10 PM

In general the laws pertaining to age for consuming alcohol and purchasing alcohol apply to people within the international departure area of an airport. You are within the territory of the country the airport is in, so you are subject to that country’s laws.

Some countries do waive specific rules within an international airport, such as allowing consumption of alcohol within a country that otherwise prohibits that. But rules regarding being of adult age to purchase or consume alcohol still apply.

Do IDs get checked? Yes I have seen it done, but I have also seen lots of places that didn’t check as well. I think this is something that depends on the clerk you deal with, and their desire to make a sale vs make sure you are legal.

Expanding on the logic that likely generated the question … when you are traveling between countries, all of the laws of those countries still apply to your acts. You are not in an empty legal zone. When passing through an airport your acts are governed by the laws of the country the airport is located in for everything from drinking to theft to assault, etc. While you are flying on a commercial plane, your acts are governed by both the laws of the country the airplane is registered in, as well as international agreements. If you are driving from country A to country B, you are governed by traffic laws in A until you physically cross the designated borderline of B, even though you may have passed the A border station 30 kilometers before.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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