Cash, Exchange & Tax Refund

Goods in Checked Baggage

Check-in

1. Procedure at the check-in counter:
   Have the checked baggage containing the purchased goods tagged with a baggage label at your airline's check-in counter. Explicitly state that you still need to present the baggage to customs for the tax refund procedure. Contrary to the normal procedure, the baggage will then be returned to you with the baggage tag attached.
2. Procedure at a self bag drop:
   If you check in your baggage at a self bag drop kiosk, you must remove the baggage from the drop-off machine again after receiving the baggage tag. The baggage tag issued by the machine must be attached to the baggage.
3. Customs (Terminal 1, Level 1, Departures, between check-in rows 3 and 4):
   Present your checked baggage to customs. To do so, take your baggage to the central Tax Refund counter operated by customs in Terminal 1 on the departures level between check-in rows 3 and 4. Your Tax Refund documents will be stamped and returned to you, and your baggage will then be accepted by customs for onward transport.

Goods in Hand Baggage

Note for passengers transferring within the EU:
Customs will only confirm the export of goods carried in hand baggage if your flight departs directly from Hamburg to a non-EU country. If you are transferring within the EU, you must obtain the export confirmation for the goods in your hand baggage at your transfer airport.

1. Customs Stamps Are Issued Only After Security Screening
2. Customs: Proceed through the Federal Police passport control checkpoints. The customs Tax Refund counters are located in the waiting area of your departure gate after passport control. For flights to Schengen countries (Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland) or to the Canary Islands, the relevant customs counters are located near Gate A33. Note: The customs Tax Refund counters for hand baggage are only staffed at certain times. Staffing generally begins approximately 15 minutes before boarding starts. If necessary, you will find a telephone number at the Tax Refund counters that you can use to contact a customs officer.
3. Always present all purchased goods together with the Tax Refund documents to customs. Customs will stamp the documents and return them to you.
4. Tax Refund: Clearly enter your credit card number and the card's validation/expiration date in the designated fields on the Tax Refund documents that have been stamped by customs. Then mail the stamped and fully completed Tax Refund documents to the refund processing office from your place of residence. A prepaid envelope for this purpose should have been provided to you by the retailer at the time of purchase.