How much Smoking tobacco can I bring into Germany?
Restricted
You can bring Smoking tobacco into Germany only within the stated limits.
Extra conditions apply
What you need to know
- 50 gram (1.76 oz)
- 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 Smoking tobacco in Germany
- How much smoking tobacco can I bring into Germany?
- Germany allows 50 grams of smoking tobacco 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 smoking tobacco at Germany customs?
- Only above the allowance. Up to 50 grams of smoking tobacco 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 smoking tobacco 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 smoking tobacco?
- 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 smoking tobacco 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 smoking tobacco allowance in Germany?
- Yes — 17 years. A traveller under that age gets no allowance for smoking tobacco at all, not a smaller one.
- Can I take smoking tobacco out of Germany?
- Germany publishes no separate rule for taking smoking tobacco out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the Germany limit for smoking tobacco 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 smoking tobacco 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 smoking tobacco?
- Of the 21 countries covered here, 0 prohibit smoking tobacco, 15 limit it and 6 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