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🇩🇪 Germany

Germany is no. 7 in our list of the 50 most visited destinations, with 37.5 million international arrivals in 2024. Below: visa rules for every passport, cash limits at customs and the tourist traps official travel advice warns about.

Rank 7 of 50 by international arrivals (37.5 million, 2024) · Source: UN Tourism

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Visa rules for your passport ↓

Explore Germany: things to do, shopping, food and getting around

Berlin, Munich and beyond. Every item links to its source; official tourism, transport and attraction pages first.

Things to do

Places to visit

  • Berlin Wall Memorial, Bernauer Straße

    Berlin

    Learn about the Wall where it divided the city; visitBerlin lists it among free sights.

    Source: visitBerlin – Low-budget sightseeing

  • Museum Island

    Berlin

    Home to the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Bode-Museum and Pergamon Museum; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

    Source: visitBerlin – Museum Island

  • Neuschwanstein Castle

    Schwangau, Bavaria

    You can only visit on a guided tour at a fixed entry time, with limited capacity. Buy tickets in advance from the official shop; a few extra tickets may be released daily from 8:00.

    Source: Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau – Official tickets

Shopping

  • Mauerpark flea marketBudget

    Berlin

    Every Sunday beside the Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg: mostly private sellers with toys, vinyl, clothes, musical instruments and bicycles.

    Source: visitBerlin – Flea market at Mauerpark

  • KaDeWeUpmarket

    Berlin

    Germany's most famous department store (opened 1907); its sixth-floor delicatessen hall has food counters, restaurants and cafés.

    Source: visitBerlin – KaDeWe

Cheap ways to get around

  • Deutschland-Ticket: €63 a month for local transport nationwide

    Valid on buses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains across Germany (not ICE/IC). It is a cancellable monthly subscription; the price rises to €66.80 on 1 January 2027.

    Source: Deutsche Bahn – Deutschland-Ticket

  • Berlin AB single ticket and 24-hour ticket

    Berlin

    A single ticket for zones AB is valid for 120 minutes in one direction; a 24-hour ticket gives unlimited rides. Check current prices in the BVG app.

    Source: BVG – Single ticket

  • Buses past the sights

    Berlin

    Many of Berlin's highlights can be seen from ordinary buses and trains, so a transport ticket doubles as a sightseeing tour.

    Source: visitBerlin – Low-budget sightseeing

Nightlife

  • Berghain & Panorama Bar

    Berlin

    Berlin's most famous techno club, in a former power station between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. Expect long queues and the toughest door in Berlin.

    Source: visitBerlin – Berghain & Panorama Bar

  • Beer gardens and the one-litre Maß

    Munich

    Beer in Munich beer gardens is traditionally served in a one-litre mug (Maß). Don't sit at a Stammtisch (regulars' table) unless you're invited.

    Source: München Tourismus – Beer garden tips

Food

  • Currywurst

    Berlin

    Smoked sausage, boiled then fried, sliced and served with curry-spiced tomato sauce and chips; Berlin invented it just after World War II.

    Source: visitBerlin – Berlin's Currywurst

  • Bring your own food to the beer garden

    Munich

    Since an 1812 decree, beer gardens may serve drinks without selling food, so anyone can still bring their own picnic.

    Source: München Tourismus – Beer garden tips

General tips

  • Shops close on Sundays

    Berlin

    Most shops in Berlin are closed on Sundays, apart from designated shopping Sundays. Supermarkets at railway stations and airports (e.g. Hauptbahnhof, BER) open.

    Source: visitBerlin – FAQ

  • Book Neuschwanstein online only from the official shop

    Bavaria

    Advance tickets can't be reserved by phone or e-mail; use the official online shop.

    Source: Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau – FAQ

Summarised in our own words from the linked pages, official tourism boards and transport authorities first; items marked "Not official" come from other guides. Prices and opening times change, so check the source before you go. Last checked 23 Oct 2026.

Common tourist traps and how to avoid them

Scams and risky spots named in official travel advice for Germany, plus a few reported in public visitor reviews (labelled), in our own words.

  1. Theft in stations, airports and crowds

    How it works: Muggers, bag-snatchers and pickpockets work airports, railway stations and crowded places.

    How to avoid it: Stay alert there and never leave bags unattended.

  2. Counterfeit money

    How it works: Visitors have been arrested for paying with fake notes they received.

    How to avoid it: Change money only at banks, ATMs or official exchanges and check your change.

  3. Shell game (matchbox game) on busy squares

    How it works: A crowd gathers around someone moving three boxes over a ball; the 'winners' are part of the team and newcomers who bet lose their money. Visitors report it on Berlin's tourist streets and squares.

    How to avoid it: Don't stop, bet or take out your wallet. Watch for pickpockets in the crowd. Call the police on 110 if you're cheated.

    From visitor reviews, not official Berlin city centre. Sources: reddit.com · reddit.com · berlin.de. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Official advice: FCDO: no areas advised against.

Emergency numbers in Germany

  • Ambulance & fire 112
  • Police 110

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: FCDO travel advice – Safety and security · FCDO travel advice – Warnings and insurance · FCDO travel advice – Getting help (emergency numbers) · FCDO page updated 11 Aug 2026 · Last checked 2 Nov 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Customs rules for banknotes and other cash when you enter or leave Germany.

EU external border (Reg. 2018/1672)

Bringing cash in
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when arriving from outside the EU.
Taking cash out
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when leaving to a country outside the EU.
Local currency (EUR) in
No limit (declaration only).
Local currency (EUR) out
No limit (declaration only).
Foreign currency
No limit (declaration only).
Within the EU
When arriving from another EU country you must tell customs orally, if asked, whether you carry EUR 10,000 or more.
  • EU rule (Regulation (EU) 2018/1672): anyone entering or leaving the EU with EUR 10,000 or more in cash (banknotes, coins, bearer-negotiable instruments such as traveller's cheques, and gold coins/bullion of high purity) must declare it to customs at the point of entry/exit, using the EU cash declaration form. The threshold is per person, also for families/groups.
  • Customs can act on lower amounts if there are signs of criminal activity; undeclared cash can be detained and fined.

Official source: taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu · eur-lex.europa.eu · europa.eu · zoll.de · Last checked 4 Oct 2026

Germany visa rules by passport

The general rule for each passport, from official sources. Open a passport to see conditions and options that depend on where you live.

Free movement (EU/EEA/Swiss)30 passports
Visa-free63 passports
Embassy visa105 passports

Verified rules for Germany: 198 of 198 passports; awaiting verification: 0; not yet covered: 0. A rule that is awaiting verification or not yet covered is not a negative visa decision: it only means we haven't confirmed it on an official source yet.

Requirements for all visitors to Germany

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • Proof of fundsProof of means of subsistence: no fixed amount (case by case); about EUR 45/day if circumstances cannot be shown; return/onward journey must be possible

    Applies to: non-EU/EEA/Swiss visitors at the external Schengen border, on request.

    Official source: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

Nearby destinations

Official travel advice

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Plan your trip to Germany

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 2 Nov 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.