Entering Germany from a non-EU country
Obligation to declare in writing or orally
Any person entering Germany from a non-EU country and carrying cash with a total value of 10,000 or more euros is obliged to declare that amount of money, immediately and unsolicited, in writing to the competent German customs authorities.
If subject to an inspection by the customs at any time, you must inform the inquiring official orally of any means of payment deemed equivalent to cash if you are carrying an amount of 10,000 or more euros.
Cash subject to declaration
"Cash" comprises:
and
gold in the form of
- coins with a gold content of at least 90%
- gold bullion in the form of bars, nuggets or nuggets with a gold content of at least 99.5%
Foreign currencies shall be valued in euros at the exchange rate applicable on the day of entry.
The value of collectors’ or bullion coins (such as Maple Leaf, Eagle, Wiener Philharmoniker) shall be calculated based on its actual value and not the coin’s nominal or face value.
Example: Calculating the value of a Wiener Philharmoniker silver coin
The nominal value of the coin is 1.50 euros. Its actual value is the price that would have to be paid when buying this coin (at a bank or coin dealers’, for example) on the day of entry.
Precious metals and precious stones are also goods that have to be declared.
Declaration of cash
You have to use the "Cash declaration" form to make a declaration:
- Form 040000 (German Version) with additional sheet 040050 or
- Form 040001 (English Version) with additional sheet 040051
You can fill in the form electronically or by hand. Please make sure that the copy is signed when you submit it to the customs office. You may request an official copy.
Formular 040000
Formular 040001
The declaration of cash is free of charge.
Please pay attention to the respective signs and notices when crossing the border and/or ask for the customs office counter where you can submit your declaration.
If you are travelling by air, the cash declaration form must be submitted in the red exit when entering the country.
You are under an obligation to make a declaration without being explicitly requested to do so, even though a customs official has not stopped you and asked whether you are carrying cash.
Specific rules concerning flights in transit from one non-EU country to another non-EU country via an EU Member State
The obligation to declare any cash worth 10,000 or more euros also exists for air travellers in transit from one non-EU country to another non-EU country whenever they stop over in the international transit zone of an airport in a European Union Member State.
Customs control units carry out checks for compliance with the obligation to declare at the borders and in inland areas of Germany.
Equivalent means of payment which must be declared
Equivalent means of payment comprise:
- passbooks
- precious stones (rough or cut), e.g. diamonds, rubies, sapphires or emeralds
gold in the form of
- coins with a gold content of less than 90%
- gold bullion in the form of bars, nuggets or nuggets with a gold content of less than 99.5%
- other precious metals, e.g. platinum or silver
Jewellery and other goods made from precious metals or stones are not deemed equivalent to cash and consequently need not be declared. However, they must be declared on a customs declaration.
Oral declaration of equivalent means of payment
Any person bringing means of payment deemed equivalent to cash in a total amount of 10,000 euros or more to Germany from a third country, must orally declare that amount when enquired by a customs official.
If you are subject to a customs inspection, you are obliged to inform the customs officer about the provenance, the economic beneficiary and the intended use of any cash or equivalent means of payment you are carrying, even if the total amount does not exceed the 10,000 euros threshold.
Consequences of non-compliance with the obligation to declare in writing or orally
The failure to declare, in writing or orally, the cash or equivalent means of payment you are carrying, or making an incorrect or incomplete declaration, is an administrative offence which is punishable with a fine of up to one million euros.
The German customs administration offers information on the legal provisions you need to observe when bringing cash or equivalent means of payment across a border into or out of Germany.
If you travel to or from another country you should enquire about the relevant regulations at that country‘s representation in Germany or consult the travel information by country published on the German Foreign Office‘s website.
