Apply for a permit for the import and export of protected plant and animal species

Do you want to import or export live or dead animals and plants, or parts or products containing components thereof? If these are subject to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES for short, you need a permit.

Subject to the permit requirement are live and dead animals and plants listed in CITES, as well as parts or products containing derivatives thereof.

Furthermore, you can apply for the following special CITES permits:

• Certificate for musical instruments,
• Certificate for traveling exhibitions,
• sample collection certificate and
• Travel certificate for pets of protected species

as well as 

• Exemption according to the Habitats Directive or Birds Directive

You must present the issued permit at the office of entry or exit for customs clearance under species protection law.
You also need a permit if you wish to re-export or re-import the specimen.
Special requirements for approval depend on 

• the protection status of the species you wish to import or export and 
• the type of application.
   

You can apply for an import, export, or re-export permit online, by mail, or by email by scanning and submitting the signed application.

If you apply for the permit online:

• Go to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation website „citesantrag.bfn.de“ and follow the instructions.
• There, in addition to registration, various other services are available to you, for example:
  • the submission of supporting documents together with the online application,
  • selecting the payment method and
  • the saving of the submitted application in your account for later processing and the creation of templates for new applications.
• If all requirements for the approval are met, it will be sent to you by mail.
• If your application is denied, you will receive a notice of denial by mail (subject to a fee).

If you apply for the authorization by mail or email:

• Download the application form at „citesantrag.bfn.de“ or https://www.bfn.de/genehmigungen-und-bescheinigungen.
• Fill it out and send it, along with the supporting documents required for the type of application, by mail or as a scan to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation.
• If all requirements for the approval are met, it will be sent to you by mail.
• If your application is denied, you will receive a notice of denial by mail (subject to a fee).

• Use of import, export, or re-export permits: no later than the last day of the documents' validity
• Filing an objection against a notice of rejection within one month of notification

The fees depend on various factors, such as the number and type of certificates, the time required, and similar factors. You can find a link with detailed information on how fees are calculated in the „further information“ section. 

• Objection
• Lawsuit before the administrative court.