Alcohol regulations in French Guiana

Licences needed

Statut d'entrepositaire agréé (tax warehousekeeper), still declaration (déclaration d'alambic/distillerie auprès de la douane), and environmental exploitation authorization/declaration (ICPE - Installations Classées pour la Protection de l'Environnement).

Authority

Direction régionale des douanes de Guyane and DEAL Guyane (Direction de l'Environnement, de l'Aménagement et du Logement).

Documents

Company registration (Kbis), identity and criminal background of corporate officers, site plan and production schematics, proof of financial solvency, and ICPE filing.

Fees

No administrative licensing fee charged by customs; mandatory excise surety bond (cautionnement accises) required.

Time to obtain

2 to 6 months

Who can import

Any registered business entity holding an EU Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number; to receive uncleared spirits under duty suspension, the business must be authorized as a registered consignee (destinataire enregistré) or tax warehousekeeper (entrepositaire agréé).

Licences or registrations

EORI number, customs customs-clearance access (DELTA system), and registration in the European Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS / GAMMA).

Authority

Direction régionale des douanes de Guyane (DGDDI).

Documents

Commercial invoice, bill of lading / airway bill, Single Administrative Document (DAU), EORI certificate, and electronic administrative document (e-AD) if transported under duty suspension.

Fees

No charge for EORI registration; customs broker and clearance fees vary.

Time to obtain

A few days for EORI; 1 to 3 months for registered excise consignee/warehouse status.

Required

no

Process

No pre-market brand or label registration system (no COLA-equivalent). Importers and producers are self-responsible for full compliance with EU and French food safety and labelling standards prior to distribution.

Authority

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

Importer of record must possess an EORI number. There is no state import monopoly. Imports from outside the EU undergo customs clearance; movements of excise goods from mainland France or EU member states require clearance and EMCS accompanying documents (e-AD). Certificates of origin (EUR.1 or invoice declarations) apply for tariff preferences. Certificates of analysis/age apply for regulated spirits categories. Physical excise strip stamps / fiscal capsules (capsule représentative de droit - CRD) are optional.

EU Common Customs Tariff applies to third-country imports: 0% for most spirits categories (HS 2208 like rum, vodka, gin, whisky); consignments originating from mainland France or the EU enter free of customs duty.

French Guiana is exempt from standard French/EU VAT under Article 294 of the CGI. Instead, Octroi de mer (OM) and regional octroi de mer (OMR) apply on imported spirits, with combined rates set by the Assemblée de Guyane typically ranging from 20% to over 50%. Excise duty on ethyl alcohol (CIBS Article L. 313-20) is assessed per hectolitre of pure alcohol (hlap) (standard rate ~€1,866.52/hlap; reduced quota rates apply for local DOM rums), plus the social security contribution on spirits over 18% ABV (~€600/hlap under CSS Art. L. 245-7).

Private sector; sales permitted through supermarkets, grocery stores, specialized cavistes, and licensed bars/restaurants. Off-premise retail requires a 'licence à emporter' ('grande licence à emporter' for spirits); on-premise requires a 'Licence IV' (grande licence). Licensees must undergo mandatory training ('permis d'exploitation') and file a municipal declaration at least 15 days prior to opening. Selling takeaway alcohol between 22:00 and 08:00 requires a dedicated nocturnal takeaway permit. Operating hours are defined by prefectural and municipal decrees.

allowed; e-commerce sellers must hold a valid takeaway alcohol licence (licence à emporter). Deliveries occurring between 22:00 and 08:00 require the night sale training permit (permis de vente d'alcool à emporter de nuit). Strict age verification is mandatory to ensure alcohol is not delivered to minors.

Must comply with EU Regulation 1169/2011 and Regulation (EU) 2019/787. Mandatory indications in French (Loi Toubon): sales denomination, alcoholic strength by volume (% vol), net quantity, lot code, name/address of the EU producer or importer, and allergens (e.g. sulfites). Mandatory health warning against drinking while pregnant (standard pictogram of a pregnant woman in a red circle with a slash or the statutory text warning). Fiscal stamps/capsules (CRD) are optional.

Regulated under France's Loi Évin (Code de la santé publique, Arts. L. 3323-2 et seq.). Alcohol advertising is banned on television and in cinemas. Permitted solely in adult print media, specific radio slots, on billboards, and online non-youth-focused channels. Ads are strictly limited to factual and technical attributes (origin, production methods, organoleptic profile) and must display the statutory warning: 'L'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération'. Sports and cultural sponsorship by alcohol brands is prohibited.

Governed by EU Regulation (EU) 2019/787: minimum ABV is 40% for whisky/whiskey; 37.5% for rum (rhum), vodka, and gin; 36% for brandy. French Guiana also recognizes specific designations for traditional rum, including the protected geographical indication 'Rhum de la Guyane' / 'Rhum des départements français d'outre-mer'.

Statutory protected zones (zones protégées) prohibit establishing licensed drinking premises around schools, medical facilities, and sports stadiums (Code de la santé publique Art. L. 3335-1). In addition, specific interior riverway areas (such as parts of the Haut-Maroni and Haut-Oyapock along indigenous villages and the Parc amazonien de Guyane) are subject to special prefectural and municipal decrees regulating or prohibiting the transport, stocking, and unauthorized distribution of alcoholic beverages to counter illegal gold-mining supply lines and protect public health.

• Assemblée de Guyane adopted updated revisions to the Tarif Général des taxes d'Octroi de Mer (TGOM) in 2024–2026 (including Délibérations AP-2026-48 and AP-2026-55), setting simplified and updated rates for imported and domestic commodities.
• Customs issued Circular of July 10, 2025 detailing the modernized administrative and legal framework for Octroi de mer, incorporating Council Decision (EU) 2021/991 extended to 2027 and recent Court of Cassation jurisprudence regarding rum manufacturing.
• Annual statutory updates to French excise duty tariffs under the Code des impositions sur les biens et services (CIBS Article L. 313-19) capped annual alcohol duty indexation at 1.75% for 2025–2026.

Opportunities exist for premium international spirit brands, wines, and champagne serving urban retail and hospitality segments in Cayenne and Kourou. However, high local Octroi de mer duties and substantial maritime logistics costs create significant price hurdles compared to locally distilled rums and standard European imports.

• Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI) - Douane de Guyane
• Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF)
• Services de l'État en Guyane (Préfecture)
• Direction de l'Environnement, de l'Aménagement et du Logement (DEAL Guyane)

1. Douane Française - Droits sur les alcools et boissons alcooliques
2. Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane - Le tarif et les exonérations d'octroi de mer
3. Direction Générale des Douanes - Circulaire du 10 juillet 2025 relative à l'octroi de mer
4. Service-Public.fr - Réglementation des débits de boissons et licences
5. Légifrance - Code de la santé publique (Articles L3322-1 et suivants)