Travel and luggage

Bringing food and medicine from India to Germany: customs rules

Written by the India to Germany Guide team · Last reviewed

Short answer: dried spices, dal, tea, namkeen and vegetarian pickles are fine. Ghee, paneer, milk sweets and anything with meat are not allowed from India. Fresh fruit and curry leaves need a plant certificate. Medicines are fine for about three months with a prescription. When in doubt, take the red channel and declare.

Food and medicines allowed in Germany: item-by-item rules

Rules for travellers arriving in Germany from India for personal use. Rules for posted parcels differ.

  • Dried spices and masala mixes

    Allowed

    Dried, ground or whole spices for personal use are generally fine. Sealed, labelled packets make checks quicker.

  • Tea, rice, dal, atta, dry snacks (namkeen)

    Allowed

    Processed plant food without meat or milk is allowed in normal personal quantities.

  • Ghee, butter, paneer, khoa, milk powder

    Not allowed

    Dairy from outside the EU is banned in passenger luggage. Ghee counts as a milk product. Exception: infant formula and medically required special food in small amounts.

  • Milk sweets (barfi, peda, rasgulla, kaju katli with khoa)

    Not allowed

    Treated as dairy products and usually confiscated. Dairy-free sweets such as soan papdi or chikki are normally fine.

  • Meat, chicken, egg-based food, meat pickles

    Not allowed

    Meat products from non-EU countries are banned in luggage, including cooked and canned food.

  • Fish and prawns (dried or packed)

    Limits apply

    Allowed up to 20 kg per person, or one fish of any weight.

  • Fresh fruit, vegetables, curry leaves, plants, seeds

    Not allowed

    Since December 2019 fresh plants and plant parts from outside the EU need a phytosanitary certificate. Only pineapple, coconut, banana, dates and durian are exempt. Mangoes and fresh curry leaves without a certificate will be taken.

  • Vegetarian pickles (achaar), chutneys, papad

    Allowed

    Fine for personal use when they contain no meat or dairy. Pack jars leak-proof; liquids over 100 ml go in checked luggage.

  • Prescription medicines

    Limits apply

    Up to about three months' supply for personal use. Carry the prescription or a doctor's letter in English, and keep medicines in original packaging.

  • Strong painkillers, sleeping pills, ADHD medicines

    Limits apply

    Narcotic substances (for example tramadol, codeine, some sleeping pills) need a doctor's certificate following the international INCB template, ideally certified by Indian health authorities.

  • Ayurvedic and homeopathic remedies, home remedies

    Limits apply

    Personal quantities (up to three months) are usually accepted. Some Ayurvedic products contain heavy metals or animal parts and can be seized. Labelled, sealed packs help.

German customs duty-free allowances and cash limits

Amounts above these limits must be declared and taxed.

  • Goods (gifts, clothes, electronics): up to 430 euro per adult arriving by air, 175 euro for children under 15.
  • Tobacco (17+): 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g tobacco.
  • Alcohol (17+): 1 litre spirits over 22% or 2 litres up to 22%, plus 4 litres wine and 16 litres beer.
  • Cash: 10,000 euro or more (including other currencies and gold coins) must be declared in writing.
  • Personal belongings for your move (used clothes, household items) can come duty free when you relocate your residence.

Packing food and medicine for your flight to Germany

Label homemade packets

Write the contents in English on each packet (for example "garam masala, dried"). Officers decide faster.

Keep medicines in hand luggage

Original boxes, prescription copy, and generic names written down, so a German pharmacy can match them later.

Skip what you can buy here

Ghee, paneer, atta and frozen sweets are sold in Indian shops in every large German city. Indian community and shops by city

Bringing food and medicine to Germany: common questions

Can I bring ghee from India to Germany?

No. Ghee is a milk product, and dairy from non-EU countries is not allowed in passenger luggage. Customs at Frankfurt and Munich regularly confiscate it. Indian shops across Germany sell ghee, often Amul or local brands.

Find Indian grocery shops

Are Indian spices allowed through German customs?

Yes. Dried whole or ground spices and homemade masala mixes for personal use are generally allowed. Fresh curry leaves, green chillies and other fresh plant parts need a phytosanitary certificate.

Can I bring sweets from India to Germany?

Milk-based sweets like barfi, peda, rasgulla or gulab jamun count as dairy and are usually seized. Dry, dairy-free sweets such as chikki, soan papdi or ladoo made without milk products are normally fine.

How much medicine can I bring from India to Germany?

Up to about three months' supply for your own use, with a prescription or doctor's letter. Medicines containing narcotics need an INCB-format medical certificate. Germany does not accept mailed medicine parcels the same way, so bring enough in luggage.

What happens if I carry something not allowed?

Use the red channel and declare it. Declared food is simply taken and destroyed. Undeclared goods in the green channel can lead to a fine and criminal tax proceedings for goods over the allowance.

Is there a weight limit for spices or food?

There is no fixed kilogram limit for allowed plant food, but it must look like personal use. Several kilograms of one item can be treated as commercial and taxed. Fish is capped at 20 kg.

Official German customs, food and medicine guidance

Rules can change. Check the current version on these official pages before you fly.

Related: Move to Germany from India: full guide