Shipping to Germany: What to Prepare and 7 Things to Know Before You Send

Shipping to Germany, whether documents, parcels, personal effects, samples, spare parts or commercial goods, involves more than the freight cost. You also need to consider the type of goods, transport mode, documents, customs clearance, import taxes and any EU requirements that apply to the product.
KTC Global Logistics ships goods from Thailand to Germany by air and sea, and can assess door-to-door, door-to-port and port-to-port services according to the type of goods and the conditions of each shipment.
Preparing complete product details before asking for a quote helps choose the right transport mode, estimate costs more accurately and reduce the chance of problems when the goods arrive in Germany.

1. What are the ways to ship to Germany?

Choose how to ship to Germany based on the type of goods, quantity, weight, size, urgency and destination city.

Air freight to Germany

Air freight suits documents, parcels, samples, spare parts or goods that need to arrive quickly. Charges are based on actual weight and volumetric weight, or chargeable weight.
If the goods are batteries, liquids, chemicals or dangerous goods, give the details before asking for a quote, as airlines and airports may have extra requirements.

Sea freight to Germany

Suits large volumes, heavy goods or non-urgent goods. It can be divided into:

• LCL for less than a container load
• FCL for a full container, such as 20’GP or 40’HC

Choose LCL or FCL based on volume, weight, type of goods, destination city and the total shipment cost, not just the number of cartons.

2. Door to door, door to port and port to port: what is the difference?

Door to door

The provider handles everything from pickup at origin in Thailand to delivery at the consignee’s premises in Germany, within the agreed scope.
Note: door to door does not automatically mean the price includes import duty, import VAT, customs clearance fees and all destination charges. Check clearly which items the quotation includes.

Door to port

The provider collects the goods in Thailand and ships them to the destination port or airport. The consignee or their agent then handles clearance and onward delivery.

Port to port

Suits companies that already have a customs broker or team handling formalities at origin and destination. The provider is responsible for the leg between ports or airports as agreed.

3. Who is Germany shipping for?

Shipping to Germany can be used by both individuals and companies, for example:

• People sending documents or parcels to relatives or contacts in Germany
• Businesses selling goods to customers in Germany
• Manufacturers sending product samples for business negotiations
• People going to Germany to work, study or live
• Companies sending spare parts, machinery or equipment to customers in Germany

However, imports for personal use and commercial imports have different requirements, especially for goods under controlled laws or EU product standards.

4. Information to prepare before asking for a Germany shipping quote

For a realistic freight estimate, prepare at least the following:

• Product name and description
• Number of pieces, cartons or pallets
• Dimensions (width × length × height) of each package
• Weight per package and total weight
• Value of the goods
• HS code, if available
• Pickup address in Thailand
• Delivery address in Germany
• Destination city or postcode
• Cargo ready date
• Incoterms for commercial goods
• Product photos, if the goods need to be checked

Saying only “I have goods to send to Germany, how much is it?” is not enough for an accurate calculation, because costs depend on weight, volume, transport mode, type of goods and the actual pickup and delivery locations.

5. Documents used for shipping to Germany

The documents needed depend on the type of goods, transport mode and type of import.
For commercial goods, the common basic documents are:

Commercial invoice

Shows the seller, buyer, product name, quantity, value, currency and terms of sale.

Packing list

Shows the number of packages, weight, dimensions and packing details.

Transport documents

• Bill of lading for sea freight
• Air waybill for air freight
• CMR for road transport where relevant

Under the EU customs system, extra documents may include proof of origin, import licences, health certificates, phytosanitary certificates or other documents depending on the type of goods and the measures that apply to that HS code.
More requirements can be checked on
EU Access2Markets

6. EU customs, VAT and EORI: what do you need to know?

Shipping to Germany from Thailand is an import from outside the European Union into the EU, so the goods must go through customs clearance and may be subject to duties or import taxes depending on the type of goods.

Import VAT

Importing goods into the EU is subject to VAT. The basis for calculating import VAT may include the customs value, duties, taxes, charges and some transport or insurance costs under the relevant rules.
So do not assume “the freight includes tax” without checking the HS code, customs value, Incoterms and who is responsible for taxes at destination.

EORI number

For commercial imports, businesses carrying out customs formalities in the European Union generally need an EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number to identify themselves in customs procedures.
Before quoting door to door or DDP, check the importer’s status and readiness for destination clearance.

Duty rates are not the same for all goods

Import duty rates depend on the HS code, country of origin and any trade measures that apply to the goods, so duty should not be estimated from the product name alone.

7. Which goods need special checks?

Before you ship to Germany, check whether the goods are subject to specific German or EU requirements.
Examples of goods to check before shipping:

• Food and beverages
• Animal products
• Plants and plant products
• Medicines and health products
• Cosmetics
• Chemicals
• Batteries
• Dangerous goods
• Electrical appliances and electronics
• Toys
• Machinery and goods that may fall under CE requirements

Some goods may need an import licence, certificate, inspection or specific documents before entering the EU, and requirements may differ by HS code and product use.
If the goods will be sold on the German market, also check product safety, CE marking, labelling and the specific laws for that product, not just customs clearance.

8. The shipping process to Germany

Step 1: Send the product details

Send complete details of the goods, quantity, size, weight, value, photos, origin address and delivery address.

Step 2: Check the HS code and requirements

Check duty rates, controlled goods, licences and any product requirements that may apply.

Step 3: Check the importer

For commercial shipments, check whether the consignee can act as importer of record and has an EORI and the information needed for import clearance.

Step 4: Choose the transport mode

Compare air freight, LCL or FCL by weight, volume, urgency and total shipment cost.

Step 5: Check the quotation

Check which costs the quotation includes, such as:

• Pickup charge
• Export customs clearance
• Freight
• Origin charges
• Destination charges
• Import clearance
• Delivery to the consignee
• Import duty
• Import VAT

Step 6: Booking and shipping

Once the service is confirmed, the booking is made, the goods are picked up, documents prepared and the goods shipped on a suitable sailing or flight.

Step 7: Import clearance and delivery

When the goods reach Germany, the importer or customs representative completes customs clearance, pays the related taxes or duties and provides extra documents for the type of goods before the goods are released and delivered to the consignee.

Frequently asked questions about shipping to Germany

Can I send a parcel to Germany?

Yes, in many cases, but check the type of goods, weight, size, value and import requirements first, especially for food, medicines, cosmetics, batteries and controlled goods.

Can I send documents to Germany?

Documents can be sent by air or courier. Tell us the type of documents and how urgent they are so the right service can be chosen.

Can I ship to Germany door to door?

It can be arranged in many cases, but the type of goods, the importer’s status and the costs included in the quotation must be checked, especially duty, import VAT and destination clearance fees.

Does the consignee need an EORI?

For commercial imports where the consignee or company carries out customs formalities in the EU, the EORI should generally be checked before shipping. Personal imports or special cases may follow different steps.

Can I get a quote without an HS code?

You can send the product details and photos for an initial freight estimate, but the HS code matters for checking duty rates, taxes, trade measures and import requirements.

How many days does shipping to Germany take?

It depends on the transport mode, origin and destination cities, sailing or flight, customs clearance and the type of goods, so check the transit time of the actual shipment before confirming the booking.

Want a quote for shipping to Germany?

For KTC Global Logistics to assess the price and transport mode properly, prepare:

1. Product name and description
2. Quantity
3. Dimensions
4. Weight
5. Value of the goods
6. Pickup address in Thailand
7. Delivery address in Germany
8. Cargo ready date
9. Product photos
10. HS code, if available