Official designations of the German customs administration

The following service and official titles of the German customs administration exist:

Customs officers in the preparatory service

Customs officers in the preparatory service in a civil service relationship on revocation:

Simple service ^*)	Medium Grade	Higher service	Higher service
Customs sergeant candidate (ZWAnw) Customs sergeant candidate (ZOWAnw)	Customs secretary trainee (ZSAnw) (expiring) Customs secretary trainee (ZOSAnw) (since 01.01.2020)	Candidate Customs Inspector (ZIAnw)	Does not start in the preparatory service, but immediately in the career and status law trial period
^)depending on the entrance office*

(The female form is always formed with "-in", an "'in" is appended to the short form; see below in the article)

In the middle and senior service, the job titles until July 2009 were “customs candidate ” or “ financial candidate ”. See also candidate (civil service law) or the section below: Changes in 2009 .

Customs officers in the career trial period

The customs officers in the civil service relationship on probation have the same official titles as in the civil service relationship for life .

Customs officers on duty

The simple service is being phased out, no more new appointments are made (status 2007). Few simplified promotion opportunities were granted temporarily, but these were subject to specific requirements, such as B. Age, assessment of the individual civil servant and administrative affiliation were linked. A complete transfer of the career to the middle service has not taken place to date, and no further simplified promotion opportunities have been offered to date. In the Zollsportgruppe, z. B. the customs ski team , there are still civil servants. This is to be understood as a kind of sponsorship for talented high-performance athletes. After completion of the sporting career or after suitable qualification they may be in the grades (the middle or higher service grade change to A 13 A 6).

step	Official titles (male form)	Office titles (female form)
A 2	Customs sergeant (ZW)	Customs sergeant (ZWin)
A 3	Customs Officer (ZOW)	Customs Officer (ZOWin)
A 4	Customs sergeant major (ZHW)	Customs sergeant major (ZHWin)
A 5 / A 6e *	First Customs Sergeant (EZHW)	First customs officer (EZHWin)

*) A 6e is the end office in simple service, you have to be promoted from A 5 to A 6e. The additional letter of the final office shows the career affiliation (e = simple service), i. d. Usually positions of the simple service to the end office are bundled and advertised as A 5 / A 6e. The salary for A 6 (without additional letter = middle service) does not differ.

Middle duty customs officer

(Grade A 5 to A 9m)

badge	step	Official titles (male form)	Office titles (female form)
	A5	Customs Assistant (ZAss, abolished)	-
	A 6	Customs Secretary (ZS) (since 01.01.2020 entrance office A 7)	Customs Secretary (ZSin)	Government Secretary (RS)	Government Secretary (RSin)
	A 7	Customs Secretary (ZOS), Customs Ship Secretary (ZSOS), in 2011 the addition "ship" ^*)	Customs Secretary (ZOSin), Head of Customs Ship Secretary (ZSOSin), in 2011 the addition of "ship" was omitted ^*)	Government Secretary (ROS)	Senior Government Secretary (ROSin)
	A 8	Customs main secretary (ZHS), customs ship main secretary (ZSHS), in 2011 the addition "ship" was dropped	Customs main secretary (ZHSin), customs ship main secretary (ZSHSin), in 2011 the addition "ship" was dropped	Chief Government Secretary (RHS)	Chief Government Secretary (RHSin)
	A 9m **	Zollamtsinspektor (ZAI), Zollschiffsamtsinspektor (ZSAI), in 2011 the addition "ship" ^***)	Zollamtsinspektorin (ZAIin), Zollschiffsamtsinspektorin (ZSAIin), in 2011 the addition "ship" ^***)	Government Inspector (RAI)	Government Inspector (RAIin)
	A 9m ** with allowance	Zollamtsinspektor (ZAI), Zollschiffsamtsinspektor (ZSAI), in 2011 the addition "ship" ^***)	Zollamtsinspektorin (ZAIin), Zollschiffsamtsinspektorin (ZSAIin), in 2011 the addition "ship" ^***)	Government Inspector (RAI)	Government Inspector (RAIin)
^)In the middle nautical and mechanical customs service ( water customs ), the career starts with A7; there is no "customs ship secretary".) ^)The letter serves to differentiate (m = middle service, cf. g = upper and h = higher service) within the levels, since internally in advertisements and applications reference is made to the However, salary does not differ. ^**)Until February 13th, 2009 the official title was "Zollbetriebsinspektor". Officials who were previously appointed can apply for a change, otherwise they continue to use the old official title.

Special functions in the middle service (job titles, no official titles ):

Clearance officer (in a customs office )
Employees / clerks
(in terms of authority hierarchy, civil servants in the middle service are usually employees, e.g. in a main customs office ; less often - depending on qualifications and experience - also clerks )
Customs dog handler
Customs dog trainer
Sports trainer
Shooting trainer
Law enforcement officer
Mission trainer

Customs officers in high service

(Grades A 9 to A 13)

badge	step	Official titles (male form)	Office titles (female form)
	A 9 / A 9g **	Customs inspector (ZI)	Customs Inspector (ZIin)
	A 10	Customs Inspector (ZOI)	Customs Inspector (ZOIin)
	A 11	Customs officer (ZAM)	Customs officer (ZAF) ^*)
	A 12	Customs Office Council (ZAR)	Customs Officer (ZARin)
	A 13 / A 13g **	Zolloberamtsrat (ZOAR)	Zolloberamtsratin (ZOARin)
^)It was also possible to choose the “ Customs office ” (ZAM'in) variant by 2011 at the latest . ^*)The letter serves to differentiate (g = senior service, cf. m = middle and h = senior service) within the levels, as this is referred to in advertisements and applications.

Special functions in higher service (function designations = specific functional office, no abstract office designations):

clerk
Head of a control unit in SG C
Head of the customs office (head of a customs office)
Clearance manager (of a customs office)
Area manager (within a subject area )
Control room manager (within subject area C)
Head of department (within a main customs office )
Area manager (within the General Customs Directorate )
Senior officer on a customs ship (nautical or technical)

Customs officers in higher service

(Grades from A 13)

step	Official titles (male form)	Office titles (female form)
A 13 / A 13h	Government Council (RR)	Government Councilor (RRin)
A 14	Upper Government Council (ORR; no longer applicable: Upper Government Council - ROR)	Senior Government Councilor (ORRin; no longer available: Senior Government Councilor - RORin)
A 15	Government Director (RD)	Government Director (RDin)
A 16	Senior Government Director (LRD)	Senior Government Director (LRDin)
B 2/3	Department Director (AD)	Department Director (ADin)
B 6	President of the Management (DP)	President of the Management (DPin)
B 7	Vice President of the General Customs Directorate (VP)	Vice President of the General Customs Directorate (VPin)
B 9	President of the General Customs Directorate (P)	President of the General Customs Directorate (Pin)

Special functions in the higher service (job titles, no official titles):

Head of a main customs office (head of a main customs office)
Head of department (of a main customs office)
Head of a customs investigation office
Head of Unit at the General Customs Directorate
Area manager at the General Customs Directorate
Speaker at the Federal Ministry of Finance
Head of department in the Federal Ministry of Finance

Changes in 2009

With the amendment of the service law by the Service Law Reorganization Act ( law for the reorganization and modernization of the Federal Service Law , DNeuG), which came into force on July 1, 2009, following the change in the salary structure, there have also been some changes to the official titles:

Customs candidates (ZAnw) are now referred to as customs secretary candidates (ZSAnw).
Financial candidates (FAnw) are now referred to as customs inspector candidates (ZIAnw).
Customs operations inspectors (ZBI) are now referred to as customs office inspectors (ZAI).
The addition “z. A. “(for employment) for the job title in the career-law trial period is no longer applicable.

Changes in 2011

In a circular from the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) dated November 4, 2011 - D3 - 221 200/2 - additions to official titles in the federal administration were standardized for systematic reasons.

The following additions in the federal customs administration are omitted:

Technical Customs Secretary
Technical Customs Secretary
Technical Chief Secretary

(will be replaced by Customs Secretary, Customs Secretary, Main Customs Secretary)

Technical official inspector
Customs ship operations inspector
Technical Customs Operations Inspector
Customs operations inspector
Customs ship operations inspector

(will be replaced by the customs inspector)

Oberregierungsratin / Oberregierungsrat

(has replaced: Senior Government Councilor)

The term "Amtmännin" is no longer used.

Pauldrons, collar tabs

In contrast to the police (exception: Hessian police until 2002), the fire brigade and the federal police, there are no external demarcation features for the uniforms of the customs. The last of these features were collar badges (collar flaps / collar tabs ). They were abolished in 1972. Likewise, there is no longer any color differentiation between the cords on the service caps (previously: green for the simple service, green with silver interweaving for the intermediate service, silver for the higher customs service and gold for the higher service); today they are uniformly silver.

With the introduction of the new blue uniform in 2018, rank badges similar to those of the police will also be introduced at the ZV.

Rank badge of the Federal Customs Administration from 2018

From 2018 a new blue uniform will be introduced at the Federal Customs Administration. According to an employee survey among the uniformed workers, a majority voted for the reintroduction of rank badges. First of all, the heads of the main customs offices, customs investigation offices and the management of the General Customs Directorate with their specialist departments, as well as the press officers and the officials of the water customs, were equipped. Subsequently, the officers of subject areas C (control units), border customs offices and subject areas E (financial control of undeclared work) are equipped. The co-payment of 1/3 of the list price that was previously to be paid will also no longer apply in the future. The officers will thus receive their uniforms free of charge in the future. The previous Offenbach customs clothing office will be given a new legal form.

After all uniform-wearing subject areas have received their new uniforms, the inland customs offices should also receive uniforms. An employee survey showed that the officials there would like to wear uniforms. Due to the increased online mail order business, more and more citizens have to pick up their parcels at customs offices, which often leads to conflicts. One hears statements that people involved think they are at a post office. The official attitudes should be made clearer to the citizen through the uniform. A decision is still pending.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Determination of additions to the basic office titles, compilation of the official titles and ranks applicable in the federal area. December 5, 2012, accessed January 15, 2010 .
↑ DNeuG Service Law Reform Act Law on the reorganization and modernization of federal service law