Shipping to Germany is fairly simple. Road freight is a popular form of freight imports and exports. Due to Germany being the fifth largest economy, a strong trading relationship and its easily accessible routes, many materials and loads can be transported including metals, machinery, pharmaceuticals, RoRo freight (including vehicles), food and beverages, and textiles.

Location

Germany’s location offers multimodal forms of transport, whether it be air, road or sea. It’s border of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea means that north of Germany is a maritime transport hub for freight. Situated in the middle of Europe as well as its strong relationship with traders, Germany’s advantage to surrounding countries makes freight and courier a buzzing industry for importers and exporters. Rail, road and air freight are all utilised in Germany.

Goods and Customs

Goods being posted from the UK to Germany do not require customs documentation. Please visit your courier’s website to find out which items are prohibited.

Courier Services

When sending your parcel via courier to Germany, make sure you’re aware of the new shipping perspectives that have been set in place. Due to the privatisation of some postal services in 2005, it is important to know which service suits your package best.

Postal services – mainly suitable for mails, letters, envelopes, parcels of a smaller kind and lower weight.

If postal service is best for the package you are sending, you are generally asked to drop off your packaged to the post office – much like internally sending a package in the UK, door-to-door service is rarely offered.

Courier services – Courier companies are usually private and specialise in bigger or heavier parcels. Usually, courier services are able to deliver your parcel in a much shorter, “express” time (around 5-7 days). A door-to-door service may be offered when you choose to send your parcel with a courier company, however, this may be dependent on the company, so please check in good time before sending your parcel.

Stuck on who to pick? Try researching your options.

Last tips for senders:

• If you are sending books and pamphlets the weight limit goes up to 5kg.