Instrument passport: what it is and what it does not replace

An instrument passport describes an instrument and its materials on one sheet. The BfN recommends such a declaration for border crossings but does not require it. It never replaces a CITES permit.

Last checked: 2 November 2026

What an instrument passport is

“Instrument passport” is not an official term and not a CITES document. In the trade it names a certificate that identifies an instrument or bow and lists its components. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) calls it an “instrument certificate” or “declaration of materials”: a certificate that explains the instrument's structural components.¹

The BfN recommends carrying one for a smooth border crossing. There is no legal obligation to issue or carry it.¹

When an instrument passport helps

When travelling with an instrument or bow, even if no CITES document is required by law: it tells customs what the instrument is made of.^1,2
With instruments without protected materials: no CITES documents are needed for orchestra tours, recordings or competitions. The declaration only makes checks easier.¹
When selling pernambuco bows: the buyer must receive proof of legal acquisition. The passport does not replace that proof but should match it. For bow makers the BfN recommends certificates with all relevant data and a mark on finished bows, for example a brand stamp.²

What belongs in it

The BfN describes what a declaration of materials should show: which materials are built into the instrument, especially from CITES-listed species, with scientific names (the genus where applicable) and, where relevant, the CITES Appendices with the corresponding annotation.²

Common practice

Instrument: type, maker or attribution, place, year, dimensions, stock number, photographs
Materials per component. String instrument: top, back and ribs, neck, fingerboard, fittings, varnish. Bow: stick, frog, mounts, tip plate, grip, hair
Scientific names, not only trade names, for example Paubrasilia echinata for pernambuco
Origin and age, as far as they can be documented (invoices, expert opinions, certificates)
Place, date and signature of the issuer

Which materials CITES touches

The BfN overview lists the following materials, among others, for bow making and string instruments. It states that this is only a selection.¹

Material	Use (selection)	EU Annex
Ivory (Asian and African elephant)	Bow making	A
Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)	Bow making, string instruments, guitars, woodwinds	A
Tortoiseshell (sea turtles)	Bow making	A
Whales: baleen (“whalebone”), bone, tooth material	Bow making (baleen), string instruments	A
Walrus (tusk material)	Bow making, string instruments	B
Protected reptiles (leather)	Bow making, drum heads	B

Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata) for bow sticks is a case of its own, see the guide on the pernambuco bow. Finished instruments and instrument parts of other Dalbergia species and of the three bubinga species Guibourtia tessmannii, G. pellegriniana and G. demeusei need no CITES documents under Annotation #15 letter c. Dalbergia nigra and Dalbergia cochinchinensis are excluded from this relief.^1,3

How to build a useful passport

Identify and photograph the instrument.
Check every component on its own. On bows, look beyond the stick: the BfN lists ivory, tortoiseshell, baleen and reptile leather as materials for bow making.¹
Enter scientific names and the CITES classification. When in doubt, look it up in Species+ or ask the BfN.⁴
State origin and age only where you hold proof. Keep the proof separately.
Date and sign it. Issue a new one after repairs or replaced parts.
Carry it with the instrument. When travelling, also carry proof of the non-commercial purpose, for example the invitation to perform.²

Typical mistakes

Treating the passport as a permit. Where a musical instrument certificate is needed, the passport does not stand in for it.
Recording only the stick of a bow and forgetting frog, mounts or grip.
Giving trade names only (“Fernambuk”, “ivory”), without scientific name and Appendix.
Declaring an origin that cannot be proven. The text stands under the issuer's name.
Leaving outdated legal statements in the standard text. The pernambuco rules changed in 2023 and 2026; templates from before may be wrong.²
Not updating the passport after a repair.

Checklist

Instrument described with type, maker, place, year and dimensions
Photographs attached
Every component recorded with material and scientific name
CITES Appendix and annotation noted where relevant
Origin and age stated only with proof, proof at hand
Declaration text checked and brought up to date with the rules
Dated and signed
When travelling: proof of non-commercial purpose with you (for example the invitation)
If a certificate is required: applied for separately, not replaced by the passport

With VIOLINBASE

What VIOLINBASE does here

In VIOLINBASE you enter the materials per component on the instrument. The app turns them into the instrument passport as a PDF: identification of the instrument, up to two photographs, the declaration of materials in two languages (German and English) with botanical and zoological names, a declaration text and room for place, date and signature. Letterhead and logo come from your company profile.

The declaration text is a template that you must check and adjust: in it you confirm, among other things, that the materials were legally acquired to the best of your knowledge. For the materials you enter, the app shows notes. These are guidance, not a legal assessment; the authority decides.

The passport is a declaration by your company. It is not a CITES document, is not issued by the BfN and replaces no permit.

Check your trip with Viatico

Frequently asked questions

Is an instrument passport mandatory?

No. The BfN recommends a declaration of materials for a smooth border crossing and states expressly that there is no legal obligation to issue or carry one.¹

Does the instrument passport replace the musical instrument certificate?

No. For trips to concerts, recordings or competitions with an instrument that contains parts of protected species, the BfN names the musical instrument certificate as the document. More in the guide on the travel certificate.¹

Is there an official template?

Not in the BfN texts we reviewed. The BfN speaks of an instrument certificate “or another certificate that explains the instrument's structural components”. What makes sense is whatever contains the details listed above.^1,2

Who may issue an instrument passport?

The BfN texts we reviewed set no rule on this. For bows the BfN recommends that bow makers issue certificates with all relevant data. The details should be correct and provable.²

Do I need a passport if my instrument contains no protected materials?

No. Then no CITES documents are needed, not even for orchestra tours, recordings or competitions. The declaration only eases the border crossing.¹

Must a pernambuco bow carry a passport when travelling?

No. For the non-commercial carrying of finished bows to performances, competitions, teaching, appraisal or repair, no documents are needed as long as ownership does not change. The BfN still recommends proof of the non-commercial purpose and a declaration of materials.^2,5

Sources

Every statement above rests on these official sources. The raised numbers in the text point to them. Checked on 2 November 2026.

BfN: Import and export of musical instruments (German) (opens in a new tab)Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany
BfN: Information for bow makers and musicians, Paubrasilia echinata (as at 4 August 2026, PDF, German) (opens in a new tab)Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, CITES enforcement authority
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1383 of 22 June 2026 (amending the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 338/97), Official Journal 26.6.2026 (opens in a new tab)European Commission
Species+: database of CITES listings and annotations (opens in a new tab)UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat
BfN: Fernambuk - Paubrasilia echinata (German) (opens in a new tab)Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany