Germany - Clearance
Notice: 07 June – 19 July 2024: Temporary reintroduction of border control for all internal borders (land, air and sea) ahead of the UEFA 2024 European football championship to counter football-related threats (hooliganism).
Notice April 2022: Russian flagged or registered yachts are not permitted to enter any ports in Germany. See news item for details.
ARRIVAL FORMALITIES
Ports of Entry:
It is only necessary to complete immigration procedures when arriving in or departing from Germany from/to outside the EU. This has to be done at a community port where there is a Bundespolizri Office. In small ports, there may not be an office (call the Head Office in Hamburg on +49 40 66995050 to check if in doubt). Customs must also be visited at a port of entry [see main ports].
Laboe, at the entrance of the Kiel Fjord, is the Customs clearance point for yachts entering or leaving Germany via Kiel.
With the introduction of the Europe-wide entry and exit system (EES) (now delayed until 2024), biometric data will need to be recorded on entry and exit for third country travelers. While this negates the need to have passports stamped, it will require a visit to an official office at a port of entry, therefore flexible clearance at marinas may no longer be possible once it is implemented. It is not yet known how rigidly EES will be enforced for pleasure boat users.
General Process:
No formalities are required for yachts departing for or arriving from Poland.
On arrival, the Q flag must be flown, unless arriving from an EU or Scandinavian country.
For arrivals from outside the EU, passports and two crew lists must be produced. One crew list will be stamped and has to be shown when signing out of Germany at your last port.
Duty-free stores must be declared to Customs. Immigration must be cleared on arrival and departure.
Kiel Canal: If passing through the Kiel Canal, but not visiting Germany, the 3rd substitute pennant must be flown.
Last updated: June 2024
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The measure of closing all harbours in Schleswig-Holstein is prolonged until 24-4 (notice to mariners 85/20 27-3-2020). This includes Helgoland and the west-coast between Brunsbuttel and the Danish border. The measures making it impossible to use the Kiel canal for transit.
Gas Cylinders can be refilled in Northern Germany http://www.faerbergas.de/ I was able to have a US fibreglass 5kg cylinder and a UK calor gas 6kg refilled in Flensburg, there are also other locations listed on their website
Hello, I am looking for a wintering out of the water for my sailboat (Feeling 1090) in the Kiel area. Any good feedback will be appreciated.
Regards,
Gérard
Hi Gerard, we had a similar enquiry last year and the cruiser in question sent the following feedback:
We left the boat in Greifswald, a small, quaint and old Hanse town south of the island Rügen.
Situated there is the Hanse Yachts Wharf that offers full-service winter storage at a competitive price (some 20% less than most of the marinas we contacted in the area). The place is very protected weather-wise, as the town itself and the wharf are situated some 3-4 km inland, along a narrow river.
Access point is Greifswald Wieck, where the old bridge opens every hour at the hour (from 9 am to 8 pm, if memory serves) to allow boats and ships to pass.
Hanse Yacht Werf itself offers a full spectrum of services, from winter storage (as in our case, we will not be present when our boat will be lifted up), rigging services, sail makers, motor service and repairs, hull repair, painting etc and a well equipped marine store. A big yacht rental company operates in the compound, and all normal marina services are provided (toilets, showers, laundry, electricity, water etc).
There is quite a lot of talk about the water depth on entrances between the islands called seegats. The sandbanks are moving and the channels may be silted with reduced depths.
We found the German Wattenschipper service (http://www.wattenschipper.de/Aktuelles.htm) extremely useful. They provide LW water depth soundings on all seegats together with tips on entrance channel usage.
Andrus.
S/Y Suwena – http://www.suwena.net/en