What do I need to know about importing goods?

Goods from non‑EU countries must undergo customs processing when imported into Germany.
The customs declaration allows customs to collect import duties and verify compliance with import regulations.

Whether import duties apply depends on the type and value of the goods.

Import VAT:
Equivalent to VAT and is 7% or 19%.
Since July 1, 2021, there is no exemption threshold anymore.

Exception: non‑commercial gift shipments up to EUR 45.
If the duty due is less than 1 EUR, customs waives the charge.

Customs duty:
The customs rate of a specific item is defined in the customs tariff.
Applies from a goods value exceeding EUR 150.

Excise duties:
Charged on highly taxable goods such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, perfume.
Apply regardless of the value.

Important: If the goods were purchased on an online marketplace registered in the EU that collects VAT, no import VAT is charged (IOSS system).
VAT is already included in the purchase price.

Under customs law, prohibitions and restrictions are all national and EU regulations that restrict the free movement of goods to protect vulnerable areas. These rules apply to the import, export, and transit of goods within the European Union.

If there is suspicion that goods violate a prohibition or restriction, the shipment will be taken over by customs for further inspection.

If customs determines that the goods are not permitted for import, they will be confiscated. Usually, the goods are then either returned to the sender or destroyed.

Import may still be permitted if suitable documentation proves compliance, such as:

• Import permits, certificates, declarations
• Ingredient lists, warnings, CE markings, etc.

A private gift shipment is a non‑commercial shipment sent occasionally from a private person in a third country to a private person in Germany, intended solely for personal use or consumption of the recipient.

For excise‑taxable goods, quantity limits apply. If limits are exceeded, duties apply depending on type and quantity.

You can register as a self‑declaring importer (Selbstverzoller) with Deutsche Post AG. This means all duty‑payable shipments will be forwarded directly to your customs office.

You then complete customs clearance yourself. No disbursement fee applies.

In accordance with its mandate and its legal authority, Deutsche Post submits the customs declaration on behalf of the recipient for postal items containing goods (letters or parcels) arriving from non‑EU countries. For this purpose, all required information must be available - in particular the value of the goods, which is usually stated on the customs declaration (CN 22/23 form) or on an invoice attached to the shipment. Without this information, the customs declaration cannot be completed.

The "value determination" service is offered to recipients so that, in cases where customs require proof of value, the necessary documents (usually an invoice) can be provided. This enables Deutsche Post to carry out the customs declaration and - after successful customs clearance - the subsequent delivery of the shipment. Any import duties that may be incurred will also be advanced by Deutsche Post and collected from the recipient upon delivery together with the disbursement fee. A separate invoice is issued for the "value determination" service.

Important note: You will be contacted individually for each shipment, and value determination must be requested separately for each individual shipment. A recurring or standing order is unfortunately not possible.

All merchandise shipments from non‑EU countries are subject to customs declaration and import charges. For goods valued up to EUR 150, only import VAT is levied. If the value of the goods exceeds this amount, additional customs duties and, if applicable, excise taxes apply.
As a rule, Deutsche Post handles the customs declaration. However, you have the option to register with Deutsche Post as a self-declarant. This means that all shipments subject to charges will in future be forwarded directly to the customs office responsible for you.
When a merchandise shipment from a non‑EU country arrives for you, it will be forwarded to the inland customs office, and we will inform you in writing where the shipment is being held for customs clearance. You will then carry out the customs clearance for the shipment yourself at the customs office.
The delivery mandate of Deutsche Post and DHL ends once the shipment has been forwarded to the responsible customs office. In this case, the handling fee of EUR 7.50 does not apply.

Important, especially for self‑declarants: Shipments with a goods value exceeding EUR 150 must, for customs reasons, be declared for import by the recipient online via the customs authority before the shipment can be collected at the inland customs office ("Internet Customs Declaration - Import", also known as the IZA procedure). You can find the customs authority’s link to the registration system here:

German Customs – Access to Internet Customs Declarations 

This procedure is outside the responsibility of Deutsche Post and cannot be influenced by Deutsche Post.

To become a self-declarant, you must create a customer account in the Deutsche Post and DHL shop and register there as a self-declarant. You can independently update your recipient information at any time or delete your self-declarant registration.

Creating a customer account in the Deutsche Post shop does not create any further obligations for you. You may use this account solely for your self-declarant registration.
However, you can also use the account for other services available in the Deutsche Post shop; no additional registration is required.

Please note that we can only process your shipments through the self-declarant procedure if the recipient information specified on the shipment (name and address) clearly matches the address information stored with us.

How do I register as a self-declarant in the Deutsche Post shop?

1. If you already have a customer account in the Deutsche Post shop, please go to this page and log in using your existing login details. Then navigate to the menu item "Self-Declarant".
2. If you do not yet have a customer account, you will create one when entering the information required on this page. Registration is possible for both private and business customers.
3. In the next step, please confirm the address that should be stored as the delivery address for the self-declaration process. Please note:
   a) The stored delivery address must exactly match the address on your letters and parcels.
   b) A Packstation, P.O. box, or retail outlet cannot be stored as a delivery address.
   c) The delivery address stored for self-declaration does not have to match the billing address in the shop.
   d) Only one delivery address per account can be stored for self-declaration.
4. After confirming that you wish to "Register as a self-declarant," you will receive a letter containing a verification code. You should receive the letter within a few days.
5. After receiving the verification code, please log in via the following link:
   https://shop.deutschepost.de/shop/login_page.jsp
6. Navigate to “My Account” and then to the “Self-Declarant” section.
7. Enter the verification code.

Once you have entered the verification code, your registration as a self-declarant is complete. All future shipments subject to customs duty will now be forwarded to the customs office responsible for you.
Please note that until your data is fully processed, shipments from non‑EU countries may still be declared by Deutsche Post on your behalf.

No, only one address can be registered per account. If, for example, an authority or a company with several departments and/or employees wishes to register, each person or department must create their own account and complete their own self‑declarant registration, such as:

Max Mustermann, City Library of Musterstadt, Department A, Musterstraße 1, 12345 Musterstadt

Erika Mustermann, City Library of Musterstadt, Department B, Musterstraße 1, 12345 Musterstadt

Yes. Log into your existing account and navigate to "Self‑declaring importer".

Log in to the Deutsche Post shop. Navigate to "My Account" and then to the "Self‑Declarant" section. There you will see the page for entering the verification code.
At the bottom of the page, you will find the text:

"You have not received a letter after several business days? > Request a new letter."

Please click on "Request a new letter", and a new letter will be sent to the delivery address stored for the self‑declaration process.

The delivery address must be transmitted electronically by the sender for merchandise shipments so that Deutsche Post can forward it to customs. If the delivery address is not provided correctly, or if it is transmitted incorrectly or incompletely by the sender and therefore does not match the address provided by the self‑declarant, the shipment cannot be forwarded to the inland customs office for self‑clearance. In this case, Deutsche Post will declare the item to customs and deliver it after customs clearance.

You can switch back to using Deutsche Post’s service at any time and once again have us handle the delivery of your merchandise shipments. To do so, you must actively delete your registration as a self‑declarant. This deletion will then apply to all future orders you place. Please note that this may result in fees being charged again (e.g. the advance payment fee).

You can delete your self‑declarant registration as follows:

1. Log in at: https://shop.deutschepost.de/shop/login_page.jsp
2. Navigate to your customer account under “My Account” and go to the “Self‑Declarant” section.
3. Click the button "Delete this order".
4. Confirm the deletion by clicking “Delete self‑declarant order” in the dialog window that appears.

Please note that shipments already in processing unfortunately cannot be taken into account.