Can I make raki at home for myself and my family?
Yes, for yourself and your family — within limits. Home production of raki for the personal use of your family and friends needs no authorisation, on two conditions that are often forgotten: not a single drop is sold and you do not exceed the family limit of 100 litres of raki a year (and 200 litres of wine). This is exactly the “still law” that has circulated since 2012 and that many remember wrongly as “they banned homemade raki” — no, they allowed it within a ceiling. There is also a detail few people know: the distillation still must be declared and the user obtains a use authorisation from customs. Law no. 61/2012 “On excise duties” treats raki as an excise product; the moment you start selling it — to a neighbour, a bar, at the market — you leave “family use” and enter the obligation for a licence, excise and a fiscal stamp. The myth “my raki, my business” holds only as long as you do not sell it and do not exceed the ceiling.
📋 The rules
- Producing raki solely for the personal use of family and friends needs no authorisation, under Law no. 61/2012 “On excise duties”.
- The family-use ceiling is 100 litres of raki a year (and 200 litres of wine a year); above that you are no longer “for the family”.
- No quantity may be sold: a sale instantly turns the production into a commercial activity with excise, a licence and a fiscal stamp.
- Users of distillation stills must declare the equipment and obtain a use authorisation from the customs authorities.
- Raki for sale requires business registration, an approved fiscal warehouse and payment of excise under the customs rules.
🔓 Exceptions
- A symbolic gift to friends and relatives within the ceiling stays “personal use”; regular distribution for money or barter is a sale.
- A producer who exceeds the ceiling or starts trading is treated as an excise subject, subject to control and duties, not the family regime.
- Wine and other drinks have their own ceilings (200 litres of wine) and separate rules; do not mix the wine limit with the raki limit.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
For the home producer who stays within 100 litres and does not sell, there is practically no fine — the law grants that space. The problems start at two points. First, an undeclared still: using a distillation unit without a customs authorisation is a breach, because the state wants to know who distils and how much. Second, and more serious, selling without excise: the moment your raki reaches the market unregistered, without a fiscal warehouse and without a stamp, you enter excise evasion, with back-dated liabilities, late-payment interest and tax-customs fines, and even seizure of the goods and equipment. The cost nobody sees is that of the “grey business”: you sell raki for years as “for friends”, and when you are checked, the whole quantity is treated as untaxed commercial production. Beware of food safety too — raki sold without methanol control brings civil and criminal liability if it harms someone.
📎 Official sources
- QBZ · Law no. 61/2012 “On excise duties”, as amended →
- General Directorate of Customs · excise and authorisations →
- Tax Administration · registration and obligations →
❓ Frequently asked
How many litres of raki can I make at home without a licence?
Up to 100 litres of raki a year for the personal use of your family and friends, without selling a single drop. For wine the ceiling is 200 litres a year; once you exceed the amount or start selling, you leave the family regime and enter the excise obligations.
Do I have to declare my raki still?
Yes, users of distillation stills must declare the equipment and obtain a use authorisation from customs. This detail is often forgotten, because many people assume that home distilling does not concern the state at all.
Can I sell my raki to a bar or a neighbour?
Not without becoming an excise subject. A sale, even to a neighbour or a small bar, turns the raki into a commercial product that requires business registration, a fiscal warehouse, a fiscal stamp and payment of excise.
Is it true that “they banned homemade raki”?
No, that is a misunderstanding. The 2012 law did not ban family raki — it allowed it within a ceiling of 100 litres without sale, while setting rules for stills and for anyone who produces it for the market.
What do I risk if I sell raki without a stamp and without excise?
You risk back-dated excise liabilities, late-payment interest, tax-customs fines and seizure of the goods and the equipment. If uncontrolled raki harms someone’s health, civil or criminal liability is added on top.
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