🇨🇳 China vs 🇩🇪 Germany
Side-by-side customs reference: duty-free allowance, de minimis, VAT, restricted and prohibited categories, and customs authority.
| 🇨🇳 China | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Customs authority | General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) | Zollkriminalamt / Zoll (German Customs — Federal Customs Administration) |
| VAT / GST | 13% / 9% / 6% | 19% |
| De minimis (USD) | USD 21 | USD 165 |
| Cash declaration (USD) | USD 5000 | USD 11000 |
| Duty-free alcohol (L) | 1.5 | 4 |
| Duty-free cigarettes | 400 | 200 |
| Duty-free personal goods (USD) | USD 730 | USD 540 |
| Prohibited categories | Narcotics and psychotropic substances; Publications, films, and materials deemed harmful to China's political or social stability; Gambling equipment; Counterfeit currency; Animal and plant species protected under CITES without permits | Narcotics and controlled substances; Nazi memorabilia and symbols (illegal in Germany); Counterfeit goods; Pornographic material involving minors; Endangered species products without CITES permits |
| Restricted categories | Food and agricultural products (GACC registration required for exporters; China Inspection and Quarantine — CIQ); Pharmaceuticals (NMPA (formerly CFDA) approval required); Firearms and weapons (Ministry of Public Security strict permits required); Certain chemicals and hazardous materials; Radioactive materials | Firearms and weapons (Weapons Act — Waffengesetz; licence required); Medicines and pharmaceuticals (BfArM approval; personal use quantities only for travelers); Certain agricultural and food products (EU SPS rules); Plants and plant products (phytosanitary certificate from outside EU); Animals and animal products (health certificate required) |
| Known scams | Fake Chinese visa / invitation-letter services demanding high fees. Use only the embassy / consulate in your home country or authorised Chinese Visa Application Service Centers (CVASC). | Fake ETIAS / Schengen pre-arrival sites demanding fees before the system is even live. Apply only via travel-europe.europa.eu. |
Detailed pages: China • Germany
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