🇩🇪 Germany— Cash & Currency
Zollkriminalamt / Zoll (German Customs — Federal Customs Administration)
2026-04-25
Declaration Threshold
US$11,000
EUR
You must declare to customs if you are carrying cash, traveler's cheques, money orders, or negotiable bearer instruments totaling above this amount when entering or leaving Germany.
What Must Be Declared
| Instrument | Declaration Required |
|---|---|
| Physical currency (any currency) | Yes, if above threshold |
| Traveler's cheques | Yes, if above threshold |
| Bank drafts / money orders | Yes, if above threshold |
| Bearer bonds / negotiable instruments | Yes, if above threshold |
| Credit cards / debit cards | Generally no |
| Electronic payment apps | Generally no |
Failure to declare
Carrying undeclared cash above the threshold can result in seizure of funds, fines, and in some jurisdictions criminal prosecution. When in doubt, declare.
Additional Country 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.