Being a Federal public authority, the customs administration is subject to the provisions of both the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, BDSG).
The Central Customs Authority takes the protection of your personal data very seriously.
This Privacy Statement has been drawn up to provide you with ample information about which of your data is collected whenever you access the www.zoll.de website and what we are doing to protect the data pertaining to our site’s visitors. As we continue enhancing our web presence and implementing new technologies, we might be obligated to revise and update this Privacy Statement. We therefore recommend that you take the opportunity to read this statement over from time to time.
For any further questions concerning data protection issues and for additional information in the context of this Data Privacy Statement please contact the General Customs Directorship’s Data Protection Supervisor:
Behördlicher Datenschutzbeauftragter der Generalzolldirektion
If you want us to reply directly to your concern please use the above contact details of the Agency’s Data Protection Officer or any of the contacts listed at the foot of this page.
Even if you give your contact details when approaching our data protection officer we shall treat your data confidentially and use them exclusively for the purpose of answering your query. We shall not use your data in any other form or forward them to any third party unless you expressly consent to such procedure upon consultation with us.
Access to our website is secure for users
Our website can be accessed securely through the encrypted Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure Connection (HTTPS).
Through all necessary technical and organisational security measures in accordance with the current state of the art, we ensure that personal data is protected against unauthorised interference, such as access to unauthorised third parties.
Scope of processing your personal data
As a principle, we process personal data of our site’s users only to the extent that is necessary to operate a web portal which provides adequate functionalities to access our contents and services.
"Personal data" means any information that directly relates to you as an identified or identifiable natural person, such as your name, address or phone number. We shall only collect and store your data if you communicate them to us voluntarily, such as when making use of the various ways to contact the customs administration (see the "Options for contacting Customs" section).
Provision of this website and creation of log files
Measures have been taken to make it possible for the website to be distributed to the user's computer, to optimise our website and maintain technical security, in particular to avert hacking attempts. Accordingly, when you visit www.zoll.de, data that may potentially permit identification of a given user is automatically stored for a period of two weeks on a log file on the web servers of our web provider "Informationstechnikzentrum Bund" (ITZBund). This data comprises the following information:
the IP address,
the date and time of access,
the pages viewed,
the currently accessed document, and
the HTTP status code.
In cases of serious infringement of our terms and conditions of use or of unauthorised access, or attempted access to our servers, we reserve the right to involve the law enforcement authorities and initiate the tracing of personal data using individual data logs.
The legal basis for the temporary storage of data and log files is Article 6(1)(e) GDPR in conjunction with section 5 (BSI Act - BSIG).
Collecting certain data related to providing the website and storing such data in log files are indispensable prerequisites for operating the website.
Use of cookies on this website
Our website uses cookies for the technical operation of the website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and stored by your browser. In particular, cookies make it possible to recognise the internet browser used.
Two types of "cookies" are used to call up our pages. One is the "AL_BALANCE cookie", which is set by the local balancer. This cookie used to make sure that the user always remains on the same server during the session and is not routed back and forth between different servers.
The other cookie is the "JSESSIONID Cookie". This cookie allows you to use forms on our website (e.g. to search for a service or to use the contact form). However, this session cookie is only used when you use one of our forms.
The cookies mentioned above do not collect any personal data about you or your use of the website. Most browsers are set to accept cookies automatically. However, you can deactivate the storage of cookies or set your browser to notify you as soon as cookies are sent.
The legal basis for the use of these cookies is Article 6 (1)(e) GDPR in conjunction with section 3 BDSG for the demand-oriented provision of information on the tasks assigned to the customs administration as part of our public relations work.
Web analysis and statistical cookie
We use the web analysis software Matomo (formerly "PIWIK") to compile access statistics and to analyse general usage behaviour on the website. Matomo is configured in such a way that no personal data is collected. In addition, the IP address of visitors is anonymised so that they cannot be tracked.
The software runs exclusively on the servers of our web provider Informationstechnikzentrum Bund (ITZBund) on behalf of the Central Customs Administration (Generalzolldirektion). No data is transmitted to Matomo or other third parties.
If you agree to participate in web analysis, we will activate the statistics cookie "matomo-Tracking", which will be valid for 28 days. Web analysis (tracking) will then be performed via the use of JavaScript. The following data will be transmitted to Matomo:
Device information
screen resolution used
operating system used
browser used (browser type and version)
browser language used (e.g. German)
time zone used
Usage behaviour
anonymised IP address
request (file name of the requested file), date and time of the request
title and URL of the page visited
referrer URL (the previously visited website from which the page accessed was reached)
clicked or downloaded files
clicked outbound links to other websites
URL of the page visited before of the present page
time spent on the website
The raw data will be deleted by the ITZBund after 30 days.
Access to our website is possible at any time and without restrictions, even without your consent. During your visit to our website, you can actively object to the use of the statistics cookie by disabling the web analysis software Matomo used by us.
By using Matomo we can analyse usage behaviour on our website and thereby consistently improve our content. A personalised evaluation, profile creation or transfer related to data with respect to third parties does not take place. The processing of your data serves to ensure targeted information is provided to the public about the activities of the customs administration and is based on section 3(1) E-Government Act (E-Government-Gesetz, EGovG) in conjunction with section 3 Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). In this case, by anonymising the IP address, the interest of the users in protecting their personal data is sufficiently taken into account.
The legal basis for the use of statistical cookies and access to the required information of your device is your consent pursuant to section 25(1) Act on telecommunication-telemedia-data protection (Telekommunikation-Telemedien-Datenschutz-Gesetz, TTDSG).
Options for contacting Customs (email and contact form)
Through our website you are offered various ways (email and contact form, as detailed further below) to contact the customs administration. We assure that the data collected in this process, e.g. your postal or email address, will be used exclusively for accepting your request to contact us, for engaging in correspondence with you and/or sending you the information or materials enquired about. None of your personal details will be forwarded to a third party.
If you get in touch with us via an electronic contact form, additional data will be processed when the form is being sent. Their purpose is to prevent abuse by third parties and to safeguard our IT system.
The legal basis for the temporary storage of this data in all cases is Article 6(1)(e) GDPR in conjunction with section 3 BDSG.
Enquiries by citizens, which are submitted in digital form - the same as on paper - will be archived in compliance with the retention periods stipulated in the relevant document issued by the German financial authorities ("Aufbewahrungsbestimmungen der Finanzverwaltung"). All other data registered when a contact form is being sent will be erased not later than two weeks after the form has been submitted.
Enquiries via email
Our website publishes a number of email addresses which you may use for enquiries to the customs administration. You are free to decide whether, and to which end you communicate any personal data in this context. Email communications to customs are transmitted unencrypted.
Communications using our contact form
Alternatively, if you wish to communicate your concern encrypted by means of TLS 1.2-tunnelling you may use the specific form provided under the "Contact" menu.
If you decide to use this option of establishing contact all information entered in the input template or dialog box will be transmitted to us and stored. While sending off your communication the following data is also being stored:
the IP address,
the date and time of access,
the pages viewed,
the currently accessed document, and
the HTTP status code.
Processing and publication of personal data in the context of documents served through public notification
This article covers the processing and publication of personal data by the Federal Customs Authorities of Germany (Main Customs Offices (Hauptzollämter), Customs Investigation Offices (Zollfahndungsämter) and the Central Customs Authority (Generalzolldirektion)) in public notifications on www.zoll.de.
Public notification is a special type of notification (section 2(2) second sentence Act on the Administrative Service of Documents (Verwaltungszustellungsgesetz - VwZG)) and is effected pursuant to section 10(2) Act on the Administrative Service of Documents through the service of a notice at the place generally designated by the authority for this purpose. Service by public notification can also be effected through the publication of a given document on a website. The German Customs Administration has opted to publish documents on its own website: www.zoll.de.
Pursuant to section 10 Act on the Administrative Service of Documents, service of a written or electronic official document may be effected by public notification if
the recipient's whereabouts are unknown and service via a representative or agent is not possible or
in the case of legal persons who are obliged to register a business address in Germany with the commercial register (Handelsregister), service is not possible either at the registered address or at an address entered in the commercial register of a person authorised to be served documents or at another address in Germany known without prior investigation, or
service abroad (pursuant to section 9 Act on the Administrative Service of Documents) is not possible or does not offer any prospect of success.
For the purpose of serving a document through public notification, the surname and first name as well as the last known address of the person to whom an official document is to be served are published. In addition, the German Customs Administration publishes the date and the corresponding reference number of the document to be disclosed as well as the office and the contact person where it can be accessed and obtained.
The person concerned can use this information to obtain or access the document in question at the above-mentioned office upon presentation of a valid identity card or by means of an authorised representative.
Data is processed in compliance with Article 6(1)(e) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in conjunction with section 3 Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz - BDSG). The German Customs Administration is required to process the personal data of persons concerned for the purpose of performing one of its statutory tasks.
Personal data is published on the website for three weeks.
Protection of minors
Persons under the age of 18 should not transmit personal data to us without the prior consent of their parents or legal guardian. We do not invite personal data of children or minors. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from users under the age of 18 and do not forward such data to third parties.
Social media
We also offer you the opportunity to share our information via Facebook and Twitter.
No data is transmitted to the above-mentioned social media networks by visiting this website. No social media plugins are integrated on this website.
The social media icons used are deactivated social media buttons. Only when you click on one of these buttons will a new window open in which you can communicate with the respective service and share the content (if required after your registration).
We expressly draw your attention to the fact that the aforementioned media store the data of their users (e.g. personal information, IP addresses) in accordance with their own data usage guidelines and use them for business purposes. You can find out which rights and setting options you have to protect your privacy in the respective data protection notices of these providers.
Links to third parties’ websites
Our online services include links to the websites of other providers. We have no control over these providers' compliance with data protection regulations.
Rights of the persons concerned
The General Data Protection Regulation vests data subjects with several rights, which are detailed particularly in Articles 15 to 18 and 21 GDPR.
Right of access by the data subject
As the subject of the data stored you are entitled to demand information from us about which personal data we processed. In your respective request you should state your concern precisely enough to help us collate the exact information sought. In conformance with Art. 15 (5) GDPR such information shall generally be provided free of charge.
Right to rectification
Should the data concerning you be not (or no longer) accurate you have the right to demand their rectification. Should your data be incomplete you can demand to have them completed.
Right to erasure
You have the right to obtain the erasure of personal data concerning you. Whether you are entitled to have such data erased depends, inter alia, on whether we still need these specific data in order to fulfil our tasks.
Right to restriction of processing
You are entitled to demand restriction of processing of the data concerning you where
you contest the accuracy of data,
the processing of your data is unlawful, but you oppose their erasure,
hey are required by you for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims and we no longer need the personal data for the purposes of the processing, or where
you have objected to processing pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR.
Right to object
You shall have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning you which is based on item (f) of Art. 6 (1). We shall no longer process the personal data unless we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
Right to lodge a complaint
If you consider that we have not, or not fully, complied with your concern, you are entitled to lodge a complaint with the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.
Contact information - to be used exclusively in the case of a complaint:
Die Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit
Husarenstr. 30
53117 Bonn
Phone: +49 (0)228 997799-0
Fax: +49 (0)228 997799-550
Email: poststelle@bfdi.bund.de
Privacy statement concerning administrative procedures conducted by Customs
Both undertakings and citizens interact in various ways with the customs administration and, in particular, the Main Customs Offices and their various customs stations. Almost all activities in this context require that the customs offices process personal data in order to be able to duly complete their tasks. Please read on for more details:
Fiscal procedures
For information on data processing by the customs in the context of the collection of customs duties and federal taxes, the recovery of claims of federal agencies, and fiscal audits please consult the information memo "General information regarding implementation by the German customs administration of European Data Protection Regulation Articles 12 to 14".
For information on data processing by the customs in the scope of customs inspections and administrative penalty procedures please consult the information memo "General information pursuant to Section 55 of the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz - BDSG) regarding data processing by customs authorities in the context of criminal offences and infringements of rules of law".
Inspections and administrative penalty procedures conducted by the Financial Monitoring Unit to Control Unreported or Illicit Employment
For information on data processing by the customs in the context of Inspections and administrative penalty procedures conducted by the Financial Monitoring Unit to Control Unreported or Illicit Employment ("Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit") please consult the information memo "General information about data privacy in the context of the prosecution of administrative and criminal offences, controls and inspections conducted by the Custom’s Financial Monitoring Unit to Combat Illicit Work and Undeclared Employment".
Should you have any questions, suggestions or comments concerning the handling of your personal data in administrative procedures you may also directly contact the data protection supervisor of the specific customs authority which is conducting the procedure in your respect. The relevant email addresses can be consulted in the lists that follow.
Email addresses – Data Protection Supervisors of the Main Customs Offices (in German)
Note on web analysis and the use of statistical cookies
In order to improve our website, we would like to analyse usage behaviour and compile access statistics. For this purpose, the web analysis software Matomo completely anonymously collects and evaluates statistical information. We will only store a statistical cookie on your device with your consent, and access device information required for this purpose. At no time will this data be linked to personal data or shared with third parties.
More information can be found in our data protection declaration. You can revoke your consent there at any time.
