Okuzeka
Travel & Airport English vocabulary · At the Airport

Duty-free

Meaning in travel & airport english, with examples

/ˌduːti ˈfriː/adjectiveCommon term

In travel & airport english, duty-free means: Sold to international travellers without some of the usual taxes, usually in airport shops after passport control; also used for the shops themselves.

In Turkish: gümrüksüz, vergisiz, duty free

How it is used

People talk about duty-free shops, duty-free shopping or simply "buying it in duty-free". Shops may ask for a boarding pass. Customs rules still limit how much alcohol, tobacco and perfume can be brought into a country, and liquids bought in duty-free are usually packed in a sealed security bag for connecting flights.

Example sentences

  1. I bought perfume for my mum in the duty-free shop.

  2. What is the duty-free allowance for cigarettes when you enter the UK?

Common collocations

  • duty-free shop
  • duty-free shopping
  • duty-free allowance
  • buy duty-free
  • customsThe government service that checks goods people bring into a country and collects taxes on them; also the airport area where this happens.
  • declareTo tell customs officers officially that you are bringing goods, cash or food into a country that may be taxed or controlled.
  • departure loungeThe large waiting area after security where passengers wait, shop and eat before going to their gate.
  • liquidsDrinks, creams, gels, sprays and pastes, which many airports allow in cabin bags only in small containers inside a clear plastic bag.

More terms: At the Airport

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: