German Passport, Border & Customs Vocabulary
This set covers the words you actually need at a border crossing or immigration office: der Pass, die Grenze, and der Zoll form the core, alongside more specific terms like die Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit). One trap here: Kontrolle doesn't mean "control" in the English sense of power or restraint, it means "check" or "inspection" - so die Passkontrolle is passport check, not some bureaucratic power grab.
Learn these 20 words
Spaced-repetition flashcards, straight in your browser. No sign-up, no install — the same review ladder Anki uses, on the words above.
All 20 words
foreign country
Fahren Sie ins Ausland? — Are you travelling abroad?
plural: die Ausweise
ID card
Hier ist mein Ausweis. — Here is my ID card.
plural: die Pässe
passport
Im Hotel brauchst du deinen Pass. — You need your passport at the hotel.
plural: die Personalausweise
national ID card
Zeigen Sie bitte Ihren Personalausweis vor. — Please show your ID card.
plural: die Zölle
customs
Wir müssen noch durch den Zoll. — We still have to go through customs.
plural: die Ausreisen
departure (from a country)
Bei der Ausreise wurde mein Pass kontrolliert. — My passport was checked at departure.
plural: die Einreisen
entry (into a country)
Die Einreise nach Deutschland war problemlos. — The entry into Germany was problem-free.
plural: die Passkontrollen
passport control
Wir standen lange bei der Passkontrolle. — We stood in line at passport control for a long time.
plural: die Grenzen
border, limit
An der Grenze musst du deinen Ausweis zeigen. — At the border you must show your ID.
plural: die Konsulate
consulate
Ein Visum bekommst du auch im Konsulat. — You can also get a visa at the consulate.
plural: die Staatsangehörigkeiten
nationality
Welche Staatsangehörigkeit haben Sie? — What nationality do you have?
plural: die Visa
visa
Das Visum ist für drei Monate gültig. — The visa is valid for three months.
plural: die Zollbeamten
customs officer
Der Zollbeamte öffnete meinen Koffer. — The customs officer opened my suitcase.
plural: die Zollerklärungen
customs declaration
Ich musste eine Zollerklärung ausfüllen. — I had to fill out a customs declaration.
plural: die Abschiebungen
deportation
Die Abschiebung von abgelehnten Asylbewerbern wird durchgeführt. — The deportation of rejected asylum seekers is being carried out.
plural: die Aufenthaltserlaubnisse
residence permit
Er benötigt eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis, um hier zu arbeiten. — He needs a residence permit in order to work here.
plural: die Deportationen
deportation / forced expulsion
Die Deportation war eine tragische Folge des Krieges. — The deportation was a tragic consequence of the war.
plural: die Grenzkontrollen
border control
Die Grenzkontrolle dauerte mehrere Stunden. — The border control took several hours.
plural: die Grenzschutzbeamten
border control / border protection
Der Grenzschutz überwacht die Landesgrenze. — The border protection monitors the national border.
plural: die Pässe
passport
Wo ist mein Pass? — Where is my passport?
How to learn this set
Notice how compounds stack on a few root nouns: Grenze gives you die Grenzkontrolle and der Grenzschutz, while Zoll gives you der Zollbeamte and die Zollerklärung. Once you know Grenze means border and Kontrolle means check, Grenzkontrolle stops being a new word to memorize and becomes just addition. Also watch gender in pairs that look similar: der Pass but das Visum, der Ausweis but die Aufenthaltserlaubnis - don't assume travel documents share one gender. Drill Ausreise and Einreise together as a pair since they only differ by prefix, and the direction (aus- out, ein- in) is the whole meaning.
More Travel & Transport word packs
Frequently asked questions
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Ausreise und Einreise?
Einreise is entering a country, Ausreise is leaving it. You'll see them on signs at the border: Einreise for arrivals, Ausreise for departures.
Ausweis oder Personalausweis - what's the difference?
Ausweis is the general word for any ID card, while Personalausweis specifically means the national identity card German citizens carry. In everyday speech, Germans often just shorten Personalausweis to Ausweis.
Ist Deportation dasselbe wie Abschiebung?
They both mean deportation, but Abschiebung is the everyday legal and administrative term used in German news and immigration offices. Deportation sounds more formal or historical and is used less often in current contexts.
Other popular word packs
Free to start · no credit card
Words fade fast — spaced reviews make them stick.
Based on Dr. Hermann Ebbinghaus · memory science, proven since 1885