Your first hour in Germany is passport control, baggage and customs, then the trip into town. Keep your documents in your hand luggage, not in a checked suitcase.
Passport control
Keep these in your hand luggage
- Your passport with the visa inside, or your residence permit card.
- The reason for your stay: university admission letter, employment contract, or Chancenkarte confirmation.
- Proof of health insurance.
- Proof of funds, such as your blocked account confirmation.
- The address where you'll stay first.
Border officers don't always ask for more than your passport and visa, but they can. Having the documents ready makes the conversation short.
Customs
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Goods you bring for personal use, arriving by air from outside the EU | Duty-free up to a total value of €430 |
| Cash and equivalents (bank notes, cheques, gold) arriving from outside the EU | Declare in writing from €10,000 |
| Meat, milk and products made from them, from most non-EU countries | Not allowed |
| Prescription medicines | Bring the prescription or a doctor's letter; a supply for your own use is allowed |
If you have nothing to declare, walk through the green channel. Your personal belongings for moving, such as clothes and used electronics, are generally duty-free when you're moving your residence to Germany.
Check the customs rules
German Customs lists the current allowances and the online cash declaration form.
Go to German CustomsGetting into town
Every large German airport has a train or S-Bahn into the city centre. It's cheaper than a taxi and often faster. A Deutschlandticket covers these trains. Our city guides list the line and travel time for each airport.
Track Getting from the airport in HomeSettled
HomeSettled compares the train, a ride app and a pre-booked HomeSettled taxi for your arrival time.
Common questions
I arrive late at night. Do trains still run?
Most airport trains run until around midnight and resume early in the morning. Check your airport's timetable. Taxis wait outside every terminal at all hours.
Sources
Rules and amounts change. Check the official source before you rely on a figure.