Rules for overlanding in Germany

An Italian licence is what the ministry lists for Germany. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An Italian policy is enough. If you drive a vehicle that is not yours, it is advisable to carry a letter of authority from the owner with a notarised signature.

The limit is 0.05%. It is 0% for drivers under 21 and for anyone who has held a licence for less than 2 years, and that applies to foreigners too.

The law, which applies to visitors as well, requires equipment suited to the weather. On snow or ice you need winter tyres marked M+S or with the snowflake symbol; antifreeze in the washer fluid is recommended. Driving on snowy or icy roads without winter tyres brings a fine and counts against you in assigning blame for a crash.

Helmets are compulsory for rider and pillion. Seatbelts are compulsory for the driver and every passenger. A child under 12 or shorter than 1.50 m may only travel in an approved restraint suited to their size.

Dipped headlights are compulsory 24 hours a day on two-wheelers. Driving on sidelights alone is prohibited. Fog lights are allowed in fog or snow when visibility is under 50 m.

Cities have restricted urban traffic in specific areas since 1 January 2008 to cut emissions. You can only enter with a "Feinstaubplakette" particulate sticker, bought locally at authorised workshops or at the centres that handle registrations and emissions testing. In Berlin the restricted zone is the area bounded by the S-Bahn Ring.

There is no toll for cars and motorcycles on the motorway network.

A fine that reaches you in Italy and goes unpaid turns into criminal liability after a few months, with consequences on a future trip to Germany — arrest or having your licence taken, for instance.

German police run a particularly thorough surveillance and control operation on vehicles coming from the Dutch border to fight drug trafficking. Penalties for drug offences match Italian ones and apply to tourists as well as residents.

Travelling on public transport without a valid ticket is a criminal offence in Germany.

Dogs and cats coming from EU countries need the European pet passport. They must carry a microchip or a tattoo so they can be identified, and be vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before departure.

German customs (Zoll) states that if your residence is outside the EU, you can import and use a motor vehicle not registered in the EU in Germany free of import duties, as set out in customs rules, and that the period of use is limited to six months (the page lists exceptions for certain groups, such as students and people on official assignment from non-EU states). It also reminds travellers to fit a nationality sign to a vehicle registered in a third country, and to any trailer, before entering Germany, in addition to the national registration plate. (Zoll — Vorübergehende Verwendung eines nicht in der EU zugelassenen Kraftfahrzeugs)

Germany's law on liability insurance for foreign motor vehicles (AuslPflVG, section 3(1)) provides that a vehicle within the meaning of Directive 2009/103/EC may be used in Germany only if the damage it may cause is covered by border insurance (Grenzversicherung), by a liability insurance prescribed by another EEA state as set out in that Directive, or by other foreign liability insurance where claims settlement by the national insurance bureaus in all EEA states is guaranteed. (Gesetze im Internet (BMJ) — AuslPflVG § 3 Verbot des Gebrauchs nicht versicherter Fahrzeuge)

Germany's Federal Aviation Office (LBA) states, on its page on cross-border drone operations, that operators from non-EU member states have to register in Germany and apply for an operating authorisation under Article 12 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. The page deals with operations needing an operational authorisation (the 'specific' category) and does not mention recreational flights. (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt — Cross-Border Operations (Drones))

Germany's Bundesnetzagentur states that where terminals are controlled by a satellite network, the frequency assignment is issued to the network operator and also covers all terminals. For mobile satellite systems such as Globalstar, Iridium, Inmarsat and Thuraya, the terminals can therefore be operated in Germany on the basis of the assigned satellite network, without a further individual assignment. The page does not mention travellers or customs. (Bundesnetzagentur — Satellitenfunknetze)

Germany's Bundesnetzagentur assigned frequencies to the Starlink satellite network (operator: Starlink Internet Services Limited; usage conditions: ordinance 69/2026, Amtsblatt no. 17/2026), under which uses that comply with those conditions need no further individual frequency assignment; non-stationary earth stations on land, on water and in the air are also permitted under special usage conditions. The ordinance states that use is permitted only where the satellite system has authorised it, and that assigned frequencies may be used only with radio equipment intended or marked for operation in Germany. It does not mention travellers or customs. (Bundesnetzagentur — Liste der zugeteilten öffentlichen Satellitenfunknetze, Amtsblatt Nr. 17/2026, Vfg Nr. 69/2026 (Frequenznutzungsbestimmungen für Erdfunkstellen des Starlink Satellitenfunknetzes))