The holder of a German transit visa can stay in the international transit zone of the airport for up to 24 hours. Leaving the international transit zone of the airport with this visa is strictly prohibited and illegal.

Do I need a transit visa to the German airport?

Whether you need a German airport transit visa depends on your nationality. The list of those who need a German airport visa is actually quite narrow.

Citizens of the following countries need a transit visa to the German airport:

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• India
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Small
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Syria
• Turkey

*Visa holders from Australia, Israel or New Zealand are exempt from the German transit visa requirement. Furthermore, if your transit time does not exceed 12 hours, you will not need a German transit visa.

Note that if you only need to stop at one airport in the Schengen area, you will need to apply for a regular Schengen visa. Whereas, if your destination country is one of the Schengen countries to which you have a short-stay visa, you will not need a transit visa through a German airport.

Documents required to apply for a transit visa to the German airport

As with any other visa, you will need to submit some documents when you apply for a German transit visa.

In addition to the standard required documents, below is a list of documents required to apply for a transit visa to the German airport:

• Application form for a transit visa to Germany . The form of the transit visa is the same as for the German Schengen visa;
• A signed declaration of information reliability.
• Confirmation of further travel:
• Confirmed airline ticket to the final destination.
• A copy of a valid visa for the country of destination.
• Full travel itinerary .
• Confirmation of the purchased travel insurance.

Exemption from a transit visa to the German airport

However, if you are a citizen of any of the countries listed above, you will be exempt from the transit visa requirement if you:

1. Holder of a valid US visa.
2. Holder of a valid visa to a Schengen country, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Japan, Romania or the United Kingdom.
3. Holder of a Turkish service or official Turkish passport.
4. A Jordanian citizen who has a visa to Australia, Israel or New Zealand and your transit time in Germany does not exceed 12 hours.
5. The partner (married, civil or same-sex) or child of an EU/EEA/EFTA citizen and you hold a UK "EEA Family Member Residence Card".
6. Holder of diplomatic passports.

Pets of the species Dogs, Cats and Ferrets have the following health requirements:

1. Each animal must be identified with a clear tattoo or microchip.
2. Proof of valid rabies immunization must be provided on the veterinary certificate. The validity of the immunization is determined on the basis of information provided by the manufacturer. The primary vaccination must be given at least 21 days before crossing the border. The pet must be microchipped before being vaccinated against rabies.
3. Entry is possible if the animal is accompanied. The accompanying person must provide a written statement that the animal is not being transported for the purpose of sale or change of ownership.
4. The above conditions governing entry must be documented in a veterinary certificate issued by an officially authorized veterinarian. In addition, the traveler must carry supporting documents such as a vaccination certificate.

Current regulations and additional information can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and on the EU website.

Police: 110

Ambulance and fire services: 112

Call medical service: 116117

It is permitted to import into Germany from outside the European Union:

• tobacco products in the amount of up to 200 cigarettes or 100 cigars (cigars weighing up to 3 grams), or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of loose tobacco;
• alcoholic beverages in the amount of up to 1 liter in case of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 22%, or up to 2 liters if the alcohol content is less than 22%, or a proportional combination of these goods;
• 4 liters of non-sparkling wine and 16 liters of beer (alcohol, like tobacco, is allowed to be imported only by persons over the age of 17);
• medicines in the amount necessary for personal use - if the amount is significant, the need must be confirmed by medical documents;
• fuel in the volume of a full car tank, regardless of its capacity, plus 10 liters in a canister can be carried with you.

There are also limits on the import of coffee, perfume (50 ml) and eau de toilette (250 ml).

Goods prohibited and restricted for import

German law strictly regulates restrictions on the importation of certain goods through special sectoral laws. Based on their provisions, the law prohibits the importation of certain goods into Germany:

• Weapons and ammunition may be imported into Germany only if you have a permit to carry them issued by the competent German authorities and a document confirming your ownership. Otherwise, it is fraught with punishment for the passenger of up to 5, and in some cases up to 10 years.
• Medicines and drugs may be transported across the border only if they have a certificate signed by a doctor. In addition, it is prohibited to transport counterfeit medicines or drugs used as doping agents.
• Pyrotechnics: Pyrotechnics in Germany are divided into 4 classes - from F1 to F4. A permit is required to import pyrotechnics of class F3 and F4.
• Dangerous dogs: the law on the prohibition of the transportation and import of dogs prohibits the importation of dogs that are classified as dangerous. We are talking about such breeds as pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, bull terrier, and so on. Exceptions are disabled dogs, guide dogs, service dogs, and so on.
• Rough diamonds: transportation and sale of rough diamonds is allowed only with a Kimberley certificate. But even if it is available, transportation is allowed only for transit purposes.
• Certain food products: wild mushrooms, potatoes, sturgeon caviar, dietary supplements, food and feed of animal origin (meat and meat products, milk and dairy products).
• Animals, plants and products made from them.
• Textile products worth more than 1.5 thousand euros, or more than 1 thousand euros if they are not intended for personal use.
• Pirated counterfeit products, but only in the case of commercial activities - the restriction does not apply to personal use.

Restrictions on export from Germany

Certain restrictions may be imposed on specific categories of goods, for example, on:

• Medicines: German law does not prohibit the export of medicines from Germany, but if they contain narcotic substances or are otherwise restricted in circulation, the passenger must have a certificate with information on the unit and daily doses of the drug signed by a doctor.
• Weapons and ammunition: export from Germany requires a permit and an export license issued in accordance with EU Regulation No. 258/2012. Such a license is not required for hunters and sport shooters.
• Rough diamonds: as mentioned above, you will need a Kimberly certificate to export them.
• Certain species of animals and plants: their export is allowed only with a permit.
• Goods made from certain dead animals and plants: up to 125 grams of sturgeon caviar, up to 4 crocodile skin products, up to 3 giant mollusks, up to 4 dead sea skates, up to 1 kg of cod are allowed to be exported.

Amounts of currency to be declared

When entering Germany from a third country or leaving Germany for such a country, a person who owns an amount of EUR 10 thousand or more must declare these funds.

If the money is in the form of cash, it is subject to a written declaration. If it is a means of payment equivalent to this amount, it is subject to an oral declaration.

In the latter case, we mean traveler's checks, shares, bonds and other securities. Violation of this rule entails administrative liability, including a fine of up to EUR 1 million.

The rest of the rules of customs clearance in Germany can be found on the site.

Driving with a local driver's license is valid in Germany for six months if it has not expired. If it is issued by a country outside the European Union or the EEA/European Economic Area (EEA) and you want to stay in Germany for more than six months, you must obtain a German driving license. You must also carry your international driving license with you to drive in Germany along with your local driving license and other driving requirements in Germany to avoid getting into trouble with the authorities.

Documents required for car rental

The important documents you will need for renting a car in Germany are your local driver's license and your government document, such as your passport. You also need to have an international driving license when driving in Germany today, as many car rental companies require it when you rent a car from them. An international driving license can come in handy as a supplement to your local driving license and passport.

It is very important to rent a car with insurance in Germany. Your rental agreement includes an insurance fee in the rental fee. This means that the rental agency will pay any claims to other parties in the event of an accident. Other car insurance costs are negotiated with the car rental company.

For more information on driving in Germany, please follow the link.

Embassies of Germany in different countries can be found here: https://www.embassy-worldwide.com/country/germany/.