World Duty Free at Bristol Airport is open from the first flight to the last in Departures, and 12:00 to 00:00 in Arrivals. It advertises savings of up to 50% off selected liquor compared with the average UK high street price, plus an extra 10%* when you order ahead through Reserve & Collect. UK personal allowances let you bring back up to 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of still wine, and up to 200 cigarettes without paying duty. Re-verified October 2026.
Where is duty free at Bristol Airport?
World Duty Free operates two stores at BRS:
- Departure Lounge store – airside, past security, open from the first flight to the last flight of the day.
- Arrivals store – open 12:00 to 00:00, so you can also buy on your way back into the UK rather than squeezing everything into your liquids bag before you fly out.
Before security, on the ground floor, you'll also find WHSmith and M&S Food if you want snacks or last-minute items without going through the departure lounge shops. There is no duty-free shop before security: World Duty Free itself only trades airside in Departures and in the separate Arrivals store, both past the security or immigration line.
What can you buy at Bristol Airport duty free?
World Duty Free at Bristol Airport stocks perfume and cosmetics (including brands not widely available on the UK high street, such as Creed, Penhaligon's, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Parfums de Marly, Diptyque and Byredo when ordered in advance), spirits and wine, confectionery, and general travel exclusives. The retailer advertises savings of up to 50% off selected liquor compared with the average UK high street price, plus a range of travel-exclusive drinks and premium whiskies, though it's worth comparing specific prices yourself since not everything in an airport shop beats the high street. Duty free is available to all passengers leaving the UK through Bristol, not only those travelling outside Europe.
How duty free allowances work in 2026
"Duty free" doesn't mean unlimited: it means you can shop without UK tax and duty being added at the till when you're departing, and separately, there's a personal allowance for what you can bring back into the UK without declaring it or paying import duty. As of 2026, the personal allowance when arriving in Great Britain from outside the UK is:
| Category | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Beer | 42 litres |
| Still wine | 18 litres |
| Spirits (over 22% alcohol) | 4 litres, or |
| Alcohol up to 22% (sparkling wine, fortified wine, cider) | 9 litres |
| Cigarettes | 200, or |
| Cigarillos | 100, or |
| Cigars | 50, or |
| Tobacco | 250g |
| Other goods | Up to £390 (£270 if arriving by private plane or boat) |
You can split the spirits/other-alcohol allowance and the tobacco allowance (for example, half your spirits allowance and half your other-alcohol allowance), but you can't combine your personal allowance with a travelling companion's. Go over any category and you have to declare and pay duty on the whole amount in that category, not just the excess. There's no personal allowance for tobacco or alcohol if you're under 17.
Reserve & Collect: how to save 10%
World Duty Free's Reserve & Collect service lets you browse and order online up to 30 days before you travel, then pay and collect in-store at the airport. Bristol Airport's own World Duty Free page confirms the 10% online saving is genuine, though it's marked with an asterisk for terms and conditions, so check the current small print on the order page before you buy. Ordering at least 7 days ahead also opens up a wider range of exclusive brands, including Creed, Penhaligon's, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Parfums de Marly and Diptyque, not usually stocked in the physical store. You can also reserve items for collection in Arrivals when you land back at Bristol, rather than carrying them through security on your outbound flight.
Bristol Airport also runs Click & Collect for Boots (suncare, toiletries and baby supplies, ordered at least 5 days ahead) and pre-order currency up to 7 days before you fly, both collected in the terminal alongside your duty free order, if you want to sort more than one errand online before you travel.
Can you bring duty free through security in your hand luggage?
Yes. Bristol Airport confirms that all passengers, including those flying with easyJet and Ryanair whose fares only include a small personal bag, are entitled to take one bag of airport shopping onto the aircraft in addition to their normal hand luggage allowance.
Liquids bought after the security screening point, including duty-free spirits, aren't subject to the same 100ml container rule as liquids you bring from home, but the rules differ if you're connecting through another airport. See our guide to the 100ml liquids rule at Bristol Airport for the current position.
Is Bristol duty free actually cheaper than the high street?
It can be, but not automatically. World Duty Free's own advertised saving is up to 50% off selected liquor compared with the average UK high street price, and the Reserve & Collect discount adds a further 10% on top for online orders. The word "selected" matters: not every bottle, fragrance or box of chocolates in the shop beats a supermarket or high street price, so if you have a specific product in mind, it's worth a quick price check on your phone before you commit, particularly for anything outside the headline spirits and whisky offers.
Planning your airport visit
If you're coming through security with time to spare before heading to duty free, our Fast Track security guide and Escape Lounge guide cover the other ways to use a longer wait airside. If you're driving in to shop or travel, see our parking and drop-off pages for current charges.
Duty free ranges, promotions and exact opening times can change, so use World Duty Free's own site or ask in-store to confirm current stock and pricing before you rely on any specific product being available. Facts on this page checked against Bristol Airport's own site, re-verified October 2026.