Customs and duty-free allowances

Customs regulations:

An indivisible good whose value exceeds the respective exemption limit is not exempt from duty (e.g. jewelry/clothing, technical/optical equipment, etc.). Import duties are levied on the full value of the goods. Please contact the customs office on Helgoland for the amount of duty for goods exceeding the above-mentioned allowances.

A declaration of excess quantities (purchases in excess of the allowances) can ONLY be made on Helgoland. Customs clearance on the mainland is no longer possible. Controls will be carried out on the mainland. Goods that have not been cleared through customs must then be subsequently cleared through FULL customs!

The customs office Helgoland is located on the customs pier at the inland port (Am Südstrand 1) and is open as follows:
Monday to Saturday: 07:00 – 12:00 h and 13:00 – 17:00 h
Sunday: 08:00 – 12:00 h and 13:00 – 17:00 h

Contact details:
Tel: +49 4725 304
Mail: poststelle.za-helgoland@zoll.bund.de

Note: Customs clearance at the jetty, at the North-East Port, in the South Port at the customs container and at the airfield on the dune is NOT provided. Consequently, this means that goods purchased over the allowances and not previously declared on Helgoland are considered to have been shipped in violation of the regulations. In case of an inspection on the mainland (port of arrival/airport of arrival), surcharges will be levied for undeclared excess quantities in addition to the payment of duties or/and, if applicable, penalty or fine proceedings will be initiated.

*Residents staying temporarily on the island, e.g. for professional reasons.

A.
Baggage that is to be transported as ship freight (e.g., by rail freight or Hermes) will be customs cleared and checked in the baggage hall at EMT daily between the hours of 11:00 – 11:30.

Baggage that is to be transported as a postal item can be handed over to Deutsche Post AG after customs clearance at the customs office from Mondays – Saturdays between 08:30 – 11:00.

Please note: Since 1 July 2021, new regulations apply to shipments from non-EU countries, in our case Helgoland. For shipments up to 22 euros, which until then were still duty-free, taxes are now due. This means that there is per se no longer a “free quantity” in the mail and import duties exceeding 1€ must be charged. Goods (new) acquired on the island (travel souvenirs, gifts and the like) must be carried (and not packed in the suitcase) when traveling. Luggage should contain only personal belongings/personal paraphernalia.

B.
Mail items of all kinds (parcels/packages/maxi letters/bulky goods, etc.) are cleared at the customs office from Monday – Saturday between 08:30 – 11:00, after which they are handed over to Deutsche Post AG.

In addition, consignors of goods (this also includes e.g. luggage) have to fill in a customs declaration form “CN23”. To be found >here<

Please note: Since July 1, 2021, new regulations apply to shipments from non-EU countries, in our case Helgoland. For shipments up to 22 Euro, which were duty free until now, taxes are now due. This means that there is per se no longer a “free quantity” in the mail and import duties exceeding 1€ must be charged. Goods (new) acquired on the island (travel souvenirs, gifts and the like) must be carried (and not packed in the suitcase) when traveling. Luggage should contain only personal belongings/personal paraphernalia.

*Residents staying temporarily on the island, e.g. for professional reasons.

Principle:
The goods in question are non-commercial goods intended for personal use or consumption and exported to Helgoland in personal luggage in tourist traffic by ship or air.

A customs confirmation for VAT refund will be issued in the following cases:
(a) proven primary residence Helgoland (bring identity card),
b) goods are presented in mint and original packed condition completely and promptly,
c) the relevant form or tax-free document is completed in full,
d) sales slip/cash register receipt (not older than 3 months).

more detailed information can be found on www.zoll.de
Note: The seller is not obliged to refund the VAT, this is a so-called CAN provision.

If goods are exported to Helgoland by mail or by cargo ship, the customs office Helgoland will NOT issue any confirmations:

A.
Transport cases:
In cases where the entrepreneur or the recipient transports the object of the delivery to the third country territory (Helgoland) (e.g. by carrier/forwarding agent), the entrepreneur has to provide the proof of export himself, i.e. customs confirmations are not issued. In the so-called transport cases, proof of export must be provided otherwise, e.g. by freight invoices, manifest documents or freight contracts.

B.
Shipment cases:
In cases where the supplying entrepreneur or the recipient sends the object of the delivery to the third country territory (Helgoland) (e.g. Deutsche Post AG, DHL, Hermes, UPS, DPD, etc.), the entrepreneur must regularly provide the proof of export himself, i.e. no customs confirmation is required in these cases either. The entrepreneur can provide the proof of export e.g. by posting receipts.

*Residents staying temporarily on the island, e.g. for professional reasons.