Self-declaration
The Selbstverzollung is a process in which mail coming from outside the European Union are duty paid by the recipient will be delivered to the EU.
The shipment is given a stamp or sticker during customs control at the border (for example at the port or airport). The delivery service may not deliver this shipment to the recipient, but must hand it over to the responsible customs office and notify the recipient thereof. After paying the import duty , the customer can then pick up his shipment at the customs office.
Information about the value and type of the content must be given and the import duties ( customs plus import sales tax ) must be paid in cash against a receipt from the paying agent . Depending on the type of goods, however, there are different exemption limits up to which no duty is levied. It may be necessary to open the shipment in the presence of the customs officer in spite of the confidentiality of the post so that the content can be checked ( customs inspection ).
In Germany, according to the Customs Costs Ordinance, storage fees of € 0.50 per calendar day are incurred for storage. However, if the amount is less than € 5 (corresponds to 10 storage days), the survey will not be collected. If the shipment is not picked up within 14 days or if the recipient refuses to clear customs or if the recipient cannot be identified, customs will send the shipment back to the sender. If no sender is specified, it will be recycled ( customs auction ).