The Frankfurt Airport customs office is one of the largest customs offices, employing around 1,000 customs officers. Many travellers have perhaps already had contact with the customs office themselves or at least know it from reports in the media.
What makes this main customs office particularly interesting is that it is primarily private individuals who come into contact with the customs authorities. The customs office in Frankfurt is also interesting from its location, because Frankfurt Airport is one of the large airports from which, in particular, long-haul journeys are made. We would like to show you the most important things that you should bear in mind when travelling under customs law.
When customs problems arise at Frankfurt Airport
Time and again, travellers at Frankfurt Airport have problems with customs. This may be due, for example, to goods not being declared or cash being carried in large quantities. If no customs declaration has been filed at Frankfurt Airport, customs can initiate criminal proceedings against travellers there. This often leads to unpleasant consequences, confiscation of imported items and hefty fines. So if you are detained by customs in Frankfurt, you are welcome to contact us. You should also not sign a hearing form or make statements without having spoken to us.
When you as a traveller have to observe customs formalities
If you have spent your holiday within the European Union and are therefore entering Germany from a European member state, you do not need to complete any customs formalities upon arrival in Frankfurt. The European Union is a so-called customs union within which customs duties have been abolished.
However, even if you are arriving from a Member State of the European Union, you should note that although you do not have to pay customs duties, you must of course observe national prohibitions and restrictions. So they are not allowed to bring everything from other countries to Germany at random. The goods subject to restrictions and prohibitions include, for example, narcotics. Even if certain drugs can be legally acquired in other Member States of the Union, you may not, in principle, bring them into Germany. It is also prohibited to import goods which infringe the provisions of foreign trade law. You should also be aware that the German customs administration also monitors cross-border transactions involving cash and equivalent means of payment. The German customs administration also monitors cross-border transactions involving cash and equivalent means of payment.
There are, moreover, considerably more points to bear in mind if you enter from a country that is not a Member State of the European Union. Customs clearance obligations may arise in a large number of cases.
The corresponding customs stations for baggage are located at Frankfurt Airport in the baggage reclaim halls. There you will find two exits – a green exit and a red exit.
You can use the green exit if you are arriving from a Member State of the Union and are carrying only goods without a declaration or at least do not exceed the permitted reference quantities. If, on the other hand, you carry more than the permitted allowances with you or if you import goods for trade or commercial use, you must choose the red exit. This also applies if you have goods in your baggage that are subject to restrictions or prohibitions. This area includes narcotics, weapons, ammunition and species-protected animals and plants.
The problem is that many travellers are often unaware of the existing bans and restrictions. Therefore, at this point it should once again be expressly made clear that not everything that is offered for sale in other countries on the open road may also be imported into the European Union or the Federal Republic of Germany. Numerous restrictions also exist here in the context of medicines, drugs or also in the area of juvenile-endangering writings and unconstitutional media.
Dieser Artikel wurde am 6. December 2018 erstellt. Er wurde am 02. January 2019 aktualisiert. Die fachliche Zweitprüfung hat Rechtsanwalt Dr. Tristan Wegner durchgeführt.
