Buying cigarettes online - is it legal?

If you want to buy your cigarettes conveniently online, this is legal, but it involves several hurdles. We clarify it.

Can I buy cigarettes online?

• Buying cigarettes online is legal in Germany, but only tax-free to a limited extent. You can buy up to 800 cigarettes tax-free within the EU.
• However, these 800 cigarettes may only be sent from private individuals to private individuals. Online trading is therefore impossible, only gifts from relatives would be possible.
• If you buy cigarettes online from an EU dealer, you have to pay tax on the purchase afterwards. For example, if a box in Germany costs 5 euros, the price includes taxes of almost 3 euros.
• If you order your cigarettes online in other EU countries, you usually have to collect them personally from customs. Even if the cigarettes are extremely cheap, it is not worth buying them online. Taxes, shipping, travel to customs and time are added.

Buying cigarettes online - sensible and safe?

• Again and again, websites advertise that cigarettes are shipped tax-free within the EU. Either they are fraudsters or the operator is punishable.
• Never order cigarettes outside the EU. Here the costs continue to rise.
• If you still want to order the cigarettes, choose a secure payment method such as PayPal and inform yourself beforehand about the seriousness of the website.

In another practical tip, we have more information about customs and taxes for online orders.