A tip in Germany is voluntary. Berlin.de says 5% to 10% of a restaurant or cafe bill is an appropriate tip. The German National Tourist Board's 2026 advisor guide says service is generally included in restaurant prices, and that leaving about 5% to 10% is customary.
Is a tip required in Germany?
No. Berlin.de, the official capital portal, says a tip (Trinkgeld) is a voluntary payment used to express satisfaction with a service. It says a tip is usual in a restaurant, a hotel, a taxi, at a cloakroom, and at a hairdresser, and that the amount depends on the bill and the occasion. The 2026 advisor guide does not call the extra a legal charge. It says service is generally included, and that a tip of around 5% to 10% is customary.
Travel Tipper marks Germany "service usually included" and starts Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg at 0%. That zero is the included-service sentence, not a claim that nobody leaves anything. Type 5 or 10 after you have read the bill. A €48 dinner for two with nothing extra is Berlin, €48, two people, 0%. The same bill at the bottom of the published range is €48 at 5%, which is €2.40. At 10% it is €48 at 10%, which is €4.80.
Is service already in the restaurant price?
The 2026 advisor guide says yes for service: "Service is generally included in restaurant prices." The same money section says prices in shops and restaurants typically include taxes. Its tax-free shopping line is a different figure: VAT in Germany is generally 19% on most goods, and a non-EU resident can reclaim that VAT on eligible purchases above about €50 per store. That 19% is a goods tax. It is not a restaurant tip rate, and the tipping sentence does not use it.
A separate U.S. traveler guide on the same germany.travel site, with a page footer that reads "Released in September 2025," says restaurant bills include VAT and service charges, and that a 10% tip is common. That PDF prints 10%, not "around 5% to 10%." The 2026 advisor guide is the later of the two files. Travel Tipper follows the 2026 range and still starts at 0% so the included service is not stacked with a second default percent.
How much do the official pages say to leave?
Berlin.de prints euro amounts and percents the national advisor guide does not. The table keeps each page's own line.
| Situation | Berlin.de | German National Tourist Board, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant or cafe | 5% to 10% of the bill is an appropriate tip. The payment is voluntary | Service is generally included. A tip of around 5% to 10% is customary |
| Taxi | The German tipping page says about 10% of the fare. The English taxi page says a tip is not a necessity, and that locals usually round up to the nearest euro | The 2026 advisor guide does not print a taxi percent |
| Hotel porter | €2 per piece of luggage | Not stated |
| Housekeeping | €2 to €5 per day | Not stated |
| Concierge or reception | Up to €5 to €10, depending on the extra service | Not stated |
| Cloakroom | 50 cents to €2, depending on the venue and how many coats or bags | Not stated |
| Hairdresser | 10% to 15% of the bill | Not stated |
The two Berlin taxi lines are both on berlin.de, and they are not the same instruction. The German tipping page puts taxis with restaurants and says about 10% of the fare is appropriate. The English taxi page says tipping is not a necessity, that locals usually round a pleasant ride up to the nearest euro, and that a euro or two is a nice gesture for extraordinary service such as help with bulky luggage. Travel Tipper does not fill a taxi percent.
On a card, Berlin.de's restaurant and taxi section says the tip should be given in cash if possible. The 2026 advisor guide says major credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants, and larger stores, and that smaller businesses may prefer cash. The currency is the euro. ATMs are widely available.
Berlin.de also says hairdressers, like waiters, often have a relatively low base wage that tips supplement, which is why it puts the hairdresser range at 10% to 15%. That is the city's tourism sentence. It is not a wage statute.
What does Travel Tipper do for Berlin?
Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg share one country note. The status is service usually included, and the tip field starts at 0%, because the 2026 advisor guide says service is generally included. Type 5 or 10 only after the bill shows no extra service line you have already decided to pay. The links above open those three versions of a €48 check. A home-currency line, if you ask for one, uses the same mid-market table as the currency converter and is not your card's posted charge.
A U.S. 15% to 20% sit-down habit is a different setting. The comparison chart is tipping when traveling. If the check and these pages disagree, pay the check.
Germany tipping FAQ
Is a tip required in Germany?
Berlin.de says a tip is a voluntary payment that expresses satisfaction with a service. The German National Tourist Board's 2026 advisor guide says service is generally included in restaurant prices, and that leaving about 5% to 10% is customary.
How much do the official pages say for a restaurant?
Berlin.de says 5% to 10% of a restaurant or cafe bill is an appropriate tip. The 2026 advisor guide says about 5% to 10% is customary on top of service that is generally included. A separate U.S. traveler PDF on germany.travel says a 10% tip is common.
What does Berlin say about taxi tips?
Berlin.de's German tipping page says about 10% of the taxi fare is appropriate. Its English taxi page says a tip is not a necessity, and that locals usually round the fare up to the nearest euro when the ride was pleasant.
Sources
- Berlin.de, Trinkgeld — a tip is voluntary; 5% to 10% in a restaurant or cafe; about 10% in a taxi; hotel, cloakroom, and hairdresser amounts.
- Berlin.de, taxi fares and rules — a taxi tip is not a necessity; locals usually round up to the nearest euro.
- German National Tourist Board, 2026 advisor guide (PDF) — service generally included; about 5% to 10% customary; restaurant prices typically include taxes.
- German National Tourist Board, U.S. traveler guide (PDF) — bills include VAT and service; a 10% tip is common.
Related: Travel Tipper for Berlin, the service-charge checker, and the guides hub.