Declaration is mandatory Man smuggles Nissan out of Switzerland - 15,000 euro fine
A 39-year-old Swiss man wanted to bring his Nissan Skyline GTR to Germany for a service - without a customs declaration. Now he has to pay a fine of over 15,000 euros.
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- The man was stopped by a customs patrol on the A96 highway near Sigmarszell (Germany).
- Because no customs documents were available, he faces a fine of around 15,000 euros.
- The case is reminiscent of a similar incident in August - at that time involving a Tesla.
A routine check turned into an expensive disaster for a Swiss driver: last Friday, a customs patrol near Sigmarszell in Bavaria stopped a 39-year-old man who wanted to take his Nissan Skyline GTR to Germany on a trailer. The destination: a garage service - but the necessary customs declaration was completely missing.
As the main customs office in Ulm announced on Monday, the sports car had an estimated value of just under 50,000 euros. For the driver, this now means a hefty additional payment: 15,000 euros in import duties plus a security deposit of 2,500 euros. The case is still under criminal investigation due to a possible breach of customs law.
Similar case already in the summer
According to customs, it is not unusual for Swiss nationals to bring their vehicles to Germany for repairs or services - but a customs declaration is mandatory. Anyone who fails to do so risks the car being considered fully imported and thus 29 percent of the vehicle value being due as duty and tax. There is also the threat of a fine.
A spokesperson for the customs office explained: "If you weigh up the work and costs of the customs declaration against those of subsequent customs clearance, the declaration is clearly the cheaper and less stressful option."
Customs had already reported a similar case in July: At that time, a Lamborghini was stopped at the border without license plates. According to the customs authorities, all documents relating to the customs status of the car, which was worth around 100,000 euros, were missing. The suspicion: smuggling through false declaration. The car was confiscated.