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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCES

🇩🇪 Germany

REGIONEUROPE
CUSTOMS AUTHORITYZollkriminalamt / Zoll (German Customs — Federal Customs Administration)
VAT RATE19%

Duty-Free Allowances

CategoryAllowance
Alcohol4L
Cigarettes200
Personal goods valueUS$540
As an EU member, Germany follows EU customs union rules. Duty-free allowances for goods from outside the EU: 4L still wine + 16L beer + 1L spirits (>22% ABV) or 2L fortified wine; 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (for adults 17+). General goods: €430 (~$470 USD) for air/sea travelers, €300 for others. USD equivalent is approximate.

As an EU member, Germany follows EU customs union rules. Duty-free allowances for goods from outside the EU: 4L still wine + 16L beer + 1L spirits (>22% ABV) or 2L fortified wine; 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (for adults 17+). General goods: €430 (~$470 USD) for air/sea travelers, €300 for others. USD equivalent is approximate.

Cash Declaration Threshold

US$11,000DECLARATION REQUIRED ABOVE THIS AMOUNT

Local currency equivalent: EUR

Travelers carrying cash, traveler's cheques, or negotiable instruments above this threshold must declare them at customs on arrival.

Special Notes

  • 01Germany follows EU customs rules — goods from within EU travel freely. Rules here apply to imports from outside the EU.
  • 02VAT (Mehrwertsteuer — MwSt) is 19% standard, 7% reduced rate for food, books, and certain services.
  • 03EU Customs Union means Germany's external tariff is the EU Common External Tariff (CET).
  • 04Germany has extensive bilateral FTAs via the EU (EU-Canada CETA, EU-Japan EPA, EU-South Korea FTA, etc.).
  • 05ATLAS (Automated Tariff and Local Customs Processing System) is used for customs declarations.
  • 06CE marking required for many products sold in Germany/EU.
  • 07Dual-use goods (military/civilian applications) require export licences even within the EU in some cases.
RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES37UNIQUE SOURCES614LATEST VERIFICATION2026-05-13MethodologyChangelog