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Protection of cultural property; application for an export license

If you wish to export cultural property from Germany, you need an export license under certain conditions.

Online services & Forms

Online services

  • Kulturgutschutz Deutschland - Ausfuhrgenehmigung

    You can apply for an export license for cultural goods online. After authentication with the federal user account (NKB) or the company account (ELSTER), you can submit your application completely online. Without such authentication you can create the application online, but at the end you have to print it out, sign it and send it by mail to the competent authority.

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For contact details of the responsible authoritiy and local valid information select under "Select location" a location.
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Direktion der Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen
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Procedure details

You require a permit to export cultural property from Germany if the cultural property exceeds certain age or value limits. Cultural goods are, for example, works of art, archaeological objects, archive material, manuscripts or antiques such as furniture, musical instruments or jewelry. You can find out about the age and value limits, for example, on the Internet portal of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media on the protection of cultural property.

If the authorization requirement is dependent on the financial value of the cultural property, this value is

  • the price paid for a purchase or sale within the last 3 years or
  • in other cases, a justified domestic estimated value at the time of application.

You can apply for approval from the competent authority. A distinction is made between permanent and temporary export. The export is temporary if it takes place for a limited period of no more than 5 years from the outset.

You apply for a license to export cultural goods in writing to the competent authority of the federal state in which the cultural goods are located at the time of application. If you are a legal entity, your head office in Germany is decisive for local jurisdiction.

Note: You can also use a new online procedure in pilot operation to apply for export licenses for cultural goods. The online procedure includes an optional preliminary check to determine whether an export license is required in a specific case based on a few questions. In general, you no longer have to select the correct application yourself; it is determined automatically based on the information provided. The pilot operation serves to further test and optimize the procedure. At the same time, the procedure is to be expanded by the end of 2022 so that it will also be possible to issue the permit digitally.

You will be granted a license under Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 or under Section 24 (1) No. 2 of the Cultural Property Protection Act if

  • you are entitled to apply,
    • as the owner or as an authorized third party or authorized third party
  • you have submitted the required documents and
  • at the time of the decision there is no export ban in accordance with Section 21 numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Cultural Property Protection Act.

You may be granted a license in accordance with Section 26 of the Cultural Property Protection Act if

  • you are entitled to apply,
    • as the owner or legal direct possessor of the cultural property
  • you have submitted the required documents
  • at the time of the decision there is no export ban in accordance with § 21 numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Cultural Property Protection Act and
  • you as the applicant can guarantee that the cultural property intended for export will be re-imported into Germany in an undamaged condition and on time.

You can be granted a permit in accordance with Section 25 of the Cultural Property Protection Act if

  • you are eligible to apply,
    • institutions that preserve cultural property and regularly export parts of their holdings temporarily for public exhibitions, restoration or research purposes are eligible to apply
  • you have submitted the required documents
  • at the time of the decision, there is no export ban in accordance with § 21 numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Cultural Property Protection Act and
  • you, as the applicant, can guarantee that the cultural property intended for export will be re-imported into Germany in an undamaged condition and in good time.

  • documents containing all relevant information on the cultural object and its whereabouts at the time the application was submitted
  • Photography of the cultural heritage
    (in the case of several cultural objects, if necessary, only a detailed list; in this case, please contact the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen beforehand)

To apply for an export license for a cultural object online, you can use an online procedure that is currently in pilot operation. The online procedure includes an optional preliminary check to determine whether an export license is required based on just a few questions. In general, you no longer have to select the correct application - it is determined automatically based on the information you provide. The pilot operation serves to further test and optimize the procedure. At the same time, the procedure is to be expanded by the end of 2022 so that it will also be possible to issue the permit digitally.

The following steps are required to apply in writing for a permit to export a cultural asset:

  • Search for the competent authority and the PDF form for your federal state via the authority finder: https://www.kulturgutschutz-deutschland.de/DE/Service/Formulare/Behoerdenfinder/behoerdenfinder_node.html
  • Download the correct PDF form.
    • Export license in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009, Section 25 or Section 26 of the Cultural Property Protection Act for export to third countries and
    • according to § 24 paragraph 1 number 2, § 25 or § 26 of the Cultural Property Protection Act for export to member states of the European Union
  • Fill out the PDF form on your PC.
  • Print out the documents.
    • Export license in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 for export to third countries in triplicate (the form already contains all copies),
    • Export license according to § 24 paragraph 1 number 2 Cultural Property Protection Act for export to member states of the European Union in duplicate,
    • Export licenses in accordance with § 25 and § 26 of the Cultural Property Protection Act, each in duplicate (please note: the forms for export to third countries already contain all copies)
  • Sign in the spaces provided, stamp the documents if necessary and attach the necessary supporting documents to each copy.
  • Send the documents to the competent authority.
  • The authority will check your application and send you
    • 2 copies (export to a third country in accordance with Regulation No. 116/2009) or
    • one copy (export to a third country in accordance with Section 24 (1) no. 2, Section 25 or Section 26 of the Cultural Property Protection Act or export to member states of the European Union),
    • the completed, signed and sealed documents are returned, together with a fee notice if applicable.
    • Copy 1 is the application and remains with the authority. All other copies will be returned to you. When exporting to a third country in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009, you must submit copies 2 and 3 to the competent German customs office of export together with the export declaration. The customs office of export completes box 26 and hands over copy 2 to you. After the actual exit, the German customs office of export confirms this in box 27 and returns copy 3 to the authority that issued the license.

If your application for an export license is rejected, you will receive a written notification with reasons and information on the legal remedies.

EUR 25 to 250 (No. 3.III.1 of the Schedule of Costs under the Costs Act)

For licenses pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 and Section 24(1)(1) of the Cultural Property Protection Act and Section 24(1)(2) of the Cultural Property Protection Act, the period of validity is 12 months. The (temporary or permanent) export is possible until the last day of the period of validity. The re-import period (up to 5 years) for the one-off temporary export of cultural property (Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 and Section 24 (1) No. 1 of the Cultural Property Protection Act) is determined by the authority according to the purpose of the export.

For licenses pursuant to § 25 and § 26 of the Cultural Property Protection Act, the period of validity is up to 5 years. (Temporary) export is possible until the last day of the period of validity; re-import must take place within 5 years.

For an application under Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 or under Section 24 (1) No. 2 of the Cultural Property Protection Act, the processing time is up to 10 working days after submission of the complete application documents. Apart from the above-mentioned decision period for certain licenses, the processing time depends on the completeness of the application documents submitted and the complexity of the application. The permit must be applied for in good time before the planned export of the cultural property.

A license obtained by threat, bribery or collusion or obtained by false or incomplete information in accordance with Section 22 (1) of the Cultural Property Protection Act is null and void in accordance with Section 22 (5) of the Cultural Property Protection Act. This applies mutatis mutandis to licenses (Section 24(1)(1) and (2) of the Cultural Property Protection Act pursuant to Section 24(9) of the Cultural Property Protection Act).

Status: 20.10.2024
Editorial responsibility Bundesministerium der Finanzen + Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst
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