CarryRules

How much Cigars can I bring into Germany?

Restricted

You can bring Cigars into Germany only within the stated limits.

Extra conditions apply

Carried Limited
Declaration Above allowance
Limit 10 piece
Arrival duty-free allowed
Post or courier prohibited

What you need to know

  • 10 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

Last verified 2026-09-17

Questions about Cigars in Germany

How many cigars can I bring into Germany?
Germany allows 10 cigars 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.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17

Do I have to declare cigars at Germany customs?
Only above the allowance. Up to 10 cigars there is nothing to declare; beyond it you take the goods through the red channel and pay the duty.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17

What happens if I do not declare cigars 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.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Überschreiten der Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-20

Do duty-free purchases count toward the Germany allowance for cigars?
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.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17

Can I post or ship cigars 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.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17

Is there a minimum age for the cigars allowance in Germany?
Yes — 17 years. A traveller under that age gets no allowance for cigars at all, not a smaller one.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — germany unaccompanied · verified 2026-09-20

Can I take cigars out of Germany?
Germany publishes no separate rule for taking cigars out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
Does the Germany limit for cigars apply per person or per family?
Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17

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”

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17

Is the cigars rule in Germany different for residents, visitors or crew?
This allowance applies to Resident, Vehicle driver or crew.

Source: Generalzolldirektion (German Customs Administration) — Zoll online - Eingeschraenkte Reisefreimengen · verified 2026-09-17

How does Germany compare with other countries on cigars?
Of the 21 countries covered here, 0 prohibit cigars, 15 limit it and 6 let it through. Germany is among the ones that set a limit.