A 60-year-old man from Luxembourg has been forced to pay €124,000 after attempting to drive a high-end sports car from Switzerland into Germany without declaring it at customs.
The vehicle, valued at 195,000 Swiss francs (around €209,000), was registered in Switzerland — and therefore outside the European Union.
Under EU rules, residents of member states are generally not permitted to drive vehicles with non-EU registration unless strict import procedures are followed.
Import duties and penalty imposed
According to customs authorities, the man failed to declare the car upon entry in Constance. As a result, he was ordered to pay €64,000 in import duties plus an additional €60,000 penalty. A tax fraud investigation has been launched.
The driver settled the amount immediately on site and was then allowed to continue his journey in the sports car.
Customs authorities warn of recurring cases
“This is unfortunately not an isolated incident, although the value of the vehicles is rarely this high,” said Sonja Müller, spokesperson for the main customs office in Singen.
Between January and June, customs officers in the Singen district identified 26 vehicles registered outside the EU but driven by residents of EU countries.
The total value of those cars exceeded €230,000, resulting in approximately €71,500 in import duties.
Legal background
Vehicles brought into the EU by residents must generally be declared and cleared through customs upon first entry.
Exceptions apply only in narrowly defined circumstances, such as temporary use by non-EU residents.
Failure to comply can result in significant import duties and penalties, as the Constance case shows.
