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Importing to Germany

Customs duty, VAT, and import regulations, updated 2026

Import tax
19%
MwSt (Mehrwertsteuer), standard rate, with a reduced rate on food and books
Low-value rule
None, flat charge per item instead
Tariff system
8-digit CN codes, the EU standard
Last verified 2 September 2026. Figures below are checked against Zollverwaltung (German Customs).

Key facts at a glance

Customs authority
Zollverwaltung (German Customs)
Low-value rule
None, flat charge per item instead
Import tax
19%. MwSt (Mehrwertsteuer), standard rate, with a reduced rate on food and books
Duty this site serves
0% to 17% across 106 codes
Code system
8-digit CN codes, the EU standard
Currency
EUR

The low value rule

None, flat charge per item instead. Nothing: the relief was abolished.

Source: Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, Article 1 and Article 2. Compare every market →

Low value consignments: €3.00 per item

Since 1 July 2026 a consignment reaching Germany through a distance sale with an intrinsic value at or under €150 carries a flat €3.00 of customs duty for each distinct tariff classification in it, instead of the percentage rate for the commodity code. It is set by Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, Article 2 and it expires 1 July 2028. Verified 2 September 2026. What it costs per parcel → Not the proposed handling fee →

What this site prices into Germany

This site holds 106 duty rows for Germany, read from its own tariff schedule, and they run from 0% to 17%. 39 of them carry no duty at all. A further 13 codes are charged per unit rather than on value, so no percentage prices them and this guide does not try.

For comparison, the simple average MFN rate across all products is 4.3% on the 2026 profile. That is the figure the calculator falls back to where this site holds no row for the code you asked about. Source: WTO Tariff and Trade Data, European Union member profile: simple average MFN applied 2026, all products. Germany applies the EU Common Customs Tariff.

A worked shipment into Germany

330741, incense and other odoriferous preparations, invoiced at EUR 2,000.00 and shipped to Germany. Duty at 6.5%.

GoodsEUR 2,000.00
FreightEUR 120.00
InsuranceEUR 30.00
Customs dutyEUR 139.75
Import tax at 19%EUR 435.05
Landed costEUR 2,724.80

Priced with the same function the duty calculator answers with, so this total is reproducible. See the full table for 330741 →

What this site does not price into Germany

20 of the codes this site carries have no Germany figure, and each says so on its own page rather than showing an estimate. The reasons, from the verification registry:

  • 12 because the schedule splits the subheading into lines that do not share one rate.
  • 8 because neither official reading completed.

420212, 420219, 420222, 420232, 420292, 611241, 640399, 640520 and 12 more.

Selling into Germany rather than buying?

The same tariff, the same shipment, and the five questions a seller has instead of a buyer's. The exporter's guide to Germany →

2026 tariff update

EU countervailing duties of 7.8% to 35.3% apply to Chinese built electric vehicles, unless the producer holds an accepted price undertaking. The US IEEPA reciprocal tariffs that affected EU exporters ended on 24 February 2026.

Source: Zollverwaltung (German Customs). Last verified 2 September 2026 (2026-09-02).

Overview

Germany uses the EU Common Customs Tariff for all non-EU imports. As Europe's largest economy and trading hub, Germany has extensive customs infrastructure at ports like Hamburg, Bremen, and Frankfurt Airport. MwSt applies at 19% on most goods (7% reduced on food, books, certain essentials). Import VAT can be reclaimed by VAT-registered businesses on their monthly/quarterly return.

Import process

1. Goods arrive at German or EU port 2. Electronic customs declaration via ATLAS system 3. EU duty is calculated on the CIF value and 19% MwSt on the customs value including freight and insurance plus the duty 4. Payment via customs deferment account 5. Goods released; VAT reclaimed via next VAT return

Practical tips

Germany is an ideal EU entry point, with excellent logistics infrastructure
Apply for AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) status for faster clearance
Use bonded warehouse (Zolllager) to defer duty payment until goods are sold
Import VAT can be deferred to the 26th day of the SECOND month after import, not the first. Duty on the same entry is due by the 16th of the month after import, so the two fall on different dates
The deferral is not automatic. You need a deferment account from the competent Hauptzollamt, and it normally requires a security

Restricted and prohibited goods

Nazi symbols, endangered species, asbestos, certain pesticides, goods from sanctioned countries

What to re-check first

Each claim on this page was checked against a published source on 2 September 2026. These are the items most likely to have moved since.

Import VAT timing

The 26th of the second following month came in on 1 December 2020 and applies only with a deferment account. Sources written before that date give the 16th of the following month.

Low value duty

The €3 per item charge is temporary and legislated to run to 1 July 2028. Re-check before pricing anything that far out.

Chinese EVs

The countervailing duty does not apply to a producer holding an accepted price undertaking, and that list moves. Confirm the position for the specific producer on the day of declaration.

Calculate duty for Germany

Get an instant estimate for any product shipped to Germany.