How much Cigarettes can I bring into Germany?
Restricted
You can bring Cigarettes into Germany only within the stated limits.
Extra conditions apply
What you need to know
- 40 piece
- Channels: Arrival duty-free, Carried with the traveler, Post or courier
- Extra conditions apply
- These allowances split a shared cap proportionally between products.
Important
The quantity limit is applied at the officer's discretion.
This allowance applies per person, not per family or group.
Official sources
- Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen Generalzolldirektion
Questions about Cigarettes in Germany
- How many cigarettes can I bring into Germany?
- Germany allows 40 cigarettes per traveller. Above that the goods are treated as an import and duty becomes payable. The allowance is per traveller and cannot be pooled between people.
- Do I have to declare cigarettes at Germany customs?
- Only above the allowance. Up to 40 cigarettes there is nothing to declare; beyond it you take the goods through the red channel and pay the duty.
- What happens if I do not declare cigarettes in Germany?
- If you declare the excess yourself, a flat-rate charge is applied to the excess. The normal duty becomes payable on the excess. Under Abgabenordnung, § 375 Absatz 2 Satz 1, if the goods are found without being declared: the goods are confiscated.
- Do duty-free purchases count toward the Germany allowance for cigarettes?
- Yes. What you buy in an arrival duty-free shop comes out of the same allowance, so the shop does not add to what you may already be carrying.
- Can I post or ship cigarettes to Germany instead of carrying it?
- Not under this allowance. It covers goods a traveller carries; a parcel is an import and is assessed under the postal rules instead. Baggage sent before or after you is outside this allowance.
- Is there a minimum age for the cigarettes allowance in Germany?
- Yes — 17 years. A traveller under that age gets no allowance for cigarettes at all, not a smaller one.
- Can I take cigarettes out of Germany?
- Germany publishes no separate rule for taking cigarettes out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the Germany limit for cigarettes apply per person or per family?
- Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.
- Where does this rule come from?
- Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) states it in Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-17. The sentence it rests on reads: “eine anteilige Zusammenstellung dieser Waren”
- Is the cigarettes rule in Germany different for residents, visitors or crew?
- This allowance applies to Resident, Vehicle driver or crew.
- How does Germany compare with other countries on cigarettes?
- Of the 21 countries covered here, 0 prohibit cigarettes, 17 limit it and 4 let it through. Germany is among the ones that set a limit.
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Überschreiten der Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — germany unaccompanied · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17
Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17