The German MOT Headache

So, one of the most annoying tasks we have to face when flying to Germany is paperwork, compared to other European (even some Asian countries) there is just so much we have to do. 


And the most annoying bit of paperwork I have to encounter is the MOT (Mineral Oil Tax) Exemption Certificate. This is used to show that the airline is operating from a foreign country, and is exempt from any taxes the German government puts on aviation fuels. Most countries accept a copy of your Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and your Operation Specification certificate to show that the aircraft you are wanting to fuel is a fully commercial aircraft. In Germany however, this isn't enough, so you are required to complete a separate form bespoke to every single flight we perform in Germany.

Example of German MOT Exemption Certificate

Not only is it not an automated system, but it also required pre-approval from a German Customs Officer before fuelling can commence. So you have waited half an hour for your fuel releases to come back from your designated supplier, and then you have to wait from anywhere between 30 minutes and 3 hours for an approved and signed copy of the MOT exemption certificate to come back! 


This usually isn't too much of a headache when you are operating to a major airport such as Cologne, Berlin or Hamburg. However, when operating to somewhere small like Lübeck or Augsburg, there isn't a 24hour customs service (sometimes no customs at all!). This is where the headache begins... In these circumstances, we need to send the AOC, Operations Specification, MOT forms, proof of flight and proof of departure from Germany to a customs office at the nearest international airport. This is usually followed with a phone call to explain the purpose of flight, and why you are sending the paperwork to a Customs officer in Hamburg when the flight is operating from Lübeck blah blah blah blah blah... There is no end to what they ask you! The longest we have had to wait for this is around 6 hours, by the time the paperwork had been returned, we had accepted to pay tax and already flown back to the UK.


So, when people say "What is one of the most annoying things about flying in Europe?", I will often reply with this, or dealing with commercial pilots ;)