Parcel · Germany, domestic parcel and express
DHL Paket (Deutschland) claim deadlines, liability and evidence
DHL settles proven direct damage in full up to EUR 500 per parcel, because below that figure it waives the statutory weight cap. Above EUR 500 the German statutory limit of 8.33 SDR per kilogram applies instead. Visible damage must be reported at delivery and concealed damage within 7 days.
Tightest deadline
At delivery
Standard cap
EUR 500 paid in full; above that, 8.33 SDR/kg
Liability regime
HGB
Almost every summary of DHL German parcel liability says "up to EUR 500". The AGB say something materially different, and the difference decides how a mid-value claim is settled. Section 6(3) does not cap DHL at EUR 500: it says DHL will not rely on the statutory liability limits where the damage does not exceed EUR 500. Below that line you are paid your actual direct loss. Above it, the weight cap in § 431(1) HGB takes over, and a 1.5 kg parcel is then worth roughly EUR 15 regardless of what was inside. The EUR 500 is a floor DHL guarantees, not a ceiling it pays up to.
Claim windows
The national conditions set no ceiling of their own. They defer to the statutory limits in the HGB and then decline to invoke them below EUR 500, which is the reverse of how the widely repeated "DHL is liable up to EUR 500" describes it.
Visible damage or partial loss
At delivery
Counted from delivery.
Under § 438(1) HGB. Notice is due at hand-over, not within a number of days of it.
Concealed damage (not externally visible)
7 days
Counted from delivery.
Under § 438(2) HGB, and in text form under § 438(4). Missing this does not kill the claim outright: it creates a presumption that the parcel was delivered complete and undamaged, which you then have to rebut.
Delay, where a delivery time was owed
21 days
Counted from delivery.
Under § 438(3) HGB. Unlike the two above, this one is absolute: the delay claim expires ("erlöschen") if not notified in time.
Insured versus uninsured
No additional cover
Direct, contract-typical loss up to the statutory limits (AGB 6(2)), which for domestic road carriage means 8.33 SDR per kilogram under § 431(1) HGB. DHL does not invoke those limits where the damage is no more than EUR 500 (AGB 6(3)), so below that line the actual direct loss is paid.
With cover bought
Transportversicherung at EUR 2,500 or EUR 25,000, plus a "Transportversicherung für DHL Domestic" variant, each on a first-risk basis per shipment against an extra charge (AGB 7(1)).
Delay and late delivery
Only where a specific delivery time or delivery date was actually owed, and then capped at three times the freight charge (AGB 6(3)). Standard DHL Paket does not owe a delivery time, so ordinary lateness attracts no compensation.
Evidence required
DHL Paket (Deutschland) does not publish a document list. Request one in writing before you need it.
Exclusions
- Shipments needing special handling, such as a temperature range or an official permit or notification
- Contents objectively liable to injure or infect people or cause damage in normal transport, even when adequately packed
- Live animals, animal carcasses, body parts and human remains including ashes; invertebrates such as queen bees and feeder insects are allowed if transported safely without special handling
- Dangerous goods not admitted under DHL’s own dangerous-goods rules
- Shipments with an actual value above EUR 25,000 gross
- Cash, precious metals, jewellery, watches, gemstones, art, antiques, unique items and other valuables, valid stamps, other means of payment or securities that cannot be blocked or replaced (Valoren II), above EUR 500 gross in total
- All shipments from the same sender to the same recipient on the same day whose combined Valoren II content exceeds EUR 500 gross
- Express shipments containing weapons under the Waffengesetz, including firearms and parts, air rifles, replicas and ammunition
Filing the claim
- Who files
- The sender is DHL’s contract partner. Under AGB 8(1) the sender may not assign or pledge claims against DHL, with the express exception of monetary claims, so a settled money claim can be assigned on but the underlying claim cannot.
- How to file
- Notice of damage after delivery must be given in text form (§ 438(4) HGB). DHL operates an online Nachforschungsauftrag for missing parcels; the AGB do not publish a filing deadline of their own and rely on the statutory ones.
- Processing time
- A shipment counts as lost once it has not been delivered within 20 calendar days of posting and its whereabouts cannot be established (AGB 6(4)). If it turns up afterwards, DHL may reclaim compensation it has already paid.
What quietly kills DHL Paket DE claims
The EUR 500 is a floor, not a ceiling. Reading it as a cap makes a EUR 900 claim on a light parcel look like a EUR 500 settlement, when the actual offer will be the weight cap of roughly EUR 10 per kilogram.
Insured parcels must be handed in at a DHL branch or Paketshop against a receipt. Dropping a parcel carrying Transportversicherung 2,500 or 25,000 into a Packstation or a parcel box voids the cover entirely (AGB 7(2) and 7(3) no. 3).
Valuables are capped by content, not by declared value: more than EUR 500 gross of Valoren II items makes the whole shipment a prohibited good, and prohibited goods fall outside the EUR 500 waiver in 6(3).
The 20-day loss rule runs from posting, not from the last tracking scan, so a parcel stuck in the network for three weeks is already formally lost even while tracking still says "in transit".
FAQ
Is DHL liable up to EUR 500 per parcel in Germany?
Not as a ceiling. AGB 6(3) says DHL will not rely on the statutory liability limits where the damage is no more than EUR 500, so claims below that are paid in full. Above EUR 500 the statutory cap of 8.33 SDR per kilogram under § 431(1) HGB applies, which on a typical parcel is far less than EUR 500.
How long do I have to report damage to DHL in Germany?
Visible damage must be reported at delivery and concealed damage within 7 days of delivery, under § 438 HGB. Missing those raises a presumption that the parcel arrived intact rather than ending the claim. A delay claim is different: it expires outright if not notified within 21 days.
When is a DHL parcel officially lost?
After 20 calendar days from posting without delivery and with no traceable whereabouts (AGB 6(4)). DHL may reclaim any compensation paid if the parcel later reappears.
Sources
- DHL, AGB Paket/Express National, Stand 07/2025 (sections 2, 6, 7 and 8)
- § 431 HGB, Haftungshöchstbetrag
- § 438 HGB, Schadensanzeige
Verified 31 August 2026. This page summarises publicly published conditions for reference. A negotiated carrier contract, a rate-card annex or a service-specific annex can override any of it. Always check the deadline in your own agreement before relying on a figure here. Spotted a figure that has changed? Tell us and we will correct it.
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