Informational only, not legal advice. Verify with official sources before relying on this.

Know Abroad

GermanyGermany

Local Laws & Customs

Last verified August 21, 2026

Written for U.S. passport holders

Public Conduct

  • Displaying Nazi symbols (including the swastika), wearing Nazi uniforms, or making Nazi salutes in public is a criminal offense under Germany's Criminal Code (§86a), punishable by up to 3 years in prison, this includes tourists, and includes seemingly casual gestures made as a joke.

Medicines You Can't Bring

  • Bring prescription medications with the original prescription and packaging; hard-drug-adjacent controlled medications may need extra documentation for quantities beyond a short personal supply under the Narcotics Act (BtMG).

Photography & Drones

  • Drones must be registered if they weigh 250g or more, and flying near airports, government buildings, or crowds is restricted under German and broader EU rules.

Drugs & Alcohol

  • Germany uses a tiered drinking age: beer and wine from 16, spirits from 18.
  • Germany legalized recreational cannabis for adult residents in April 2024, but the law's residency requirement effectively excludes tourists; as a visitor, possessing or using cannabis can still mean fines or prosecution even though German residents next to you may be doing so legally.
  • Hard drugs (cocaine, MDMA, heroin, amphetamines, LSD) remain fully illegal with real prison penalties under the Narcotics Act.

Carrying ID

  • Germany doesn't legally require tourists to carry ID at all times the way it does for German residents, but carrying your passport is strongly recommended; police can request ID, and having it avoids an inconvenient trip to a station to produce it later.

The Gotcha

Germany's cannabis legalization is a real trap for tourists specifically: the law was written around residency, so seeing German residents around you legally possessing and using cannabis doesn't mean you, as a visitor, are covered by the same legal protection. It's easy to assume 'it's legal here now' applies to you when it doesn't.

Sources

This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change, so check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.