If an animal sale (or transfer of ownership) takes place in Germany and the animal is bound for a third country, then an electronic export declaration must be completed for customs purposes. GRADLYN will take care of this for you at the airport and there will be no additional costs.
We will need the following information to complete the customs declaration on your behalf:
If the sender is a breeder (including hobby breeding or private breeding), German customs regulations will assume that the animal has been sold – even if no money has actually changed hands. Therefore you must produce an invoice which shows the value or purchase price of the animal. We will also require your EORI number.
However, if you do not yet have an EORI number we can apply to get one from German Customs on your behalf. There is no charge for this service. Your EORI number will automatically be linked to your tax number, so your animal transport will be listed alongside any other import/export activities.
Please note that the true value or purchase price of the animal must be shown. This will not place you at any disadvantage.
We cannot be held responsible for incorrect information relating to the value or purchase price of your animal.
We therefore ask you to send us the purchase agreement no later than five working days before the start date of your planned transport.
It is quite acceptable for the purchase agreement to be relatively informal. The most important point is that it should give details of both the seller and buyer, and include full address details in each case.
The name and chip number of your pet will also be required, but only the seller is required to sign the purchase agreement.
In this case the value of the animal is more than 3.000.00 Euro, so the customs declaration thus becomes a two-stage procedure.
This means we must electronically register the transport with the Inland Customs Office responsible for your district. And during registration, we must also specify an "inspection" time window for customs purposes.
This means that customs officials must be given a two-hour window during the day, which falls within their opening hours. During this two-hour period both you, as the sender, and your dog must be present at the address you provide. If no one is present at the given address, then the animal will not be released for export.
However, since this is a random inspection, it is possible that the customs officials may not even make a visit. This option is at the sole discretion of the customs officers.
This viewing window can be specified up to five working days before your planned departure.
A customs inspection is only possible from Monday to Friday, and only during the normal opening hours of your local Inland Customs Office. (No appointments on weekends and public holidays)
When inspecting your animals, customs officials will charge you an inspection fee.
Please note that transport bookings with a value of 3,000.01 Euro, and upwards, will require a processing time of at least five working days.
If you wish us to apply for an EORI number on your behalf, please complete and return the attached authorisation.
>> All information can be printed out as a PDF here.
