diff --git a/src/pretix/base/services/orderimport.py b/src/pretix/base/services/orderimport.py
index 8d74b09d08..14b122bc0e 100644
--- a/src/pretix/base/services/orderimport.py
+++ b/src/pretix/base/services/orderimport.py
@@ -54,14 +54,15 @@ class DataImportError(LazyLocaleException):
         super().__init__(msg)
 
 
-def parse_csv(file, length=None, mode="strict"):
+def parse_csv(file, length=None, mode="strict", charset=None):
     file.seek(0)
     data = file.read(length)
-    try:
-        import chardet
-        charset = chardet.detect(data)['encoding']
-    except ImportError:
-        charset = file.charset
+    if not charset:
+        try:
+            import chardet
+            charset = chardet.detect(data)['encoding']
+        except ImportError:
+            charset = file.charset
     data = data.decode(charset or "utf-8", mode)
     # If the file was modified on a Mac, it only contains \r as line breaks
     if '\r' in data and '\n' not in data:
@@ -85,12 +86,12 @@ def setif(record, obj, attr, setting):
 
 
 @app.task(base=ProfiledEventTask, throws=(DataImportError,))
-def import_orders(event: Event, fileid: str, settings: dict, locale: str, user) -> None:
+def import_orders(event: Event, fileid: str, settings: dict, locale: str, user, charset=None) -> None:
     cf = CachedFile.objects.get(id=fileid)
     user = User.objects.get(pk=user)
     with language(locale, event.settings.region):
         cols = get_all_columns(event)
-        parsed = parse_csv(cf.file)
+        parsed = parse_csv(cf.file, charset=charset)
         orders = []
         order = None
         data = []
diff --git a/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/orders/import_start.html b/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/orders/import_start.html
index b4ff6f9fd9..00429c9168 100644
--- a/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/orders/import_start.html
+++ b/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/orders/import_start.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
             <h3 class="panel-title">{% trans "Upload a new file" %}</h3>
         </div>
         <div class="panel-body">
-            <form action="" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" class="form-inline">
+            <form action="" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
                 {% csrf_token %}
                 <p>
                     {% blocktrans trimmed %}
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@
                 <div class="form-group">
                     <label for="file">{% trans "Import file" %}: </label> <input id="file" type="file" name="file"/>
                 </div>
+                <div class="form-group">
+                    <label for="file">{% trans "Character set" %}: </label>
+                    <select name="charset" class="form-control">
+                        <option>{% trans "Detect automatically" %}</option>
+                        {% for e in encodings %}
+                            <option value="{{ e }}">{{ e }}</option>
+                        {% endfor %}
+                    </select>
+                </div>
                 <div class="clearfix"></div>
                 <button class="btn btn-primary pull-right flip" type="submit">
                     <span class="icon icon-upload"></span> {% trans "Start import" %}
diff --git a/src/pretix/control/views/orderimport.py b/src/pretix/control/views/orderimport.py
index 991987740f..0e5cfbd845 100644
--- a/src/pretix/control/views/orderimport.py
+++ b/src/pretix/control/views/orderimport.py
@@ -51,6 +51,15 @@ from pretix.control.forms.orderimport import ProcessForm
 from pretix.control.permissions import EventPermissionRequiredMixin
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+ENCODINGS = (
+    "utf8", "utf16", "utf32",
+    "iso-8859-1", "iso-8859-2", "iso-8859-3", "iso-8859-4", "iso-8859-5", "iso-8859-6", "iso-8859-7",
+    "iso-8859-8", "iso-8859-9", "iso-8859-10", "iso-8859-11", "iso-8859-12", "iso-8859-13", "iso-8859-14",
+    "iso-8859-15", "iso-8859-16",
+    "maccyrillic", "macgreek", "maciceland", "maclatin2", "macroman", "macturkish",
+    "windows-1250", "windows-1251", "windows-1252", "windows-1253", "windows-1254", "windows-1255",
+    "windows-1256", "windows-1257", "windows-1258"
+)
 
 
 class ImportView(EventPermissionRequiredMixin, TemplateView):
@@ -83,11 +92,20 @@ class ImportView(EventPermissionRequiredMixin, TemplateView):
             type='text/csv',
         )
         cf.file.save('import.csv', request.FILES['file'])
+
+        if self.request.POST.get("charset") in ENCODINGS:
+            charset = self.request.POST.get("charset")
+        else:
+            charset = "auto"
+
         return redirect(reverse('control:event.orders.import.process', kwargs={
             'event': request.event.slug,
             'organizer': request.organizer.slug,
             'file': cf.id
-        }))
+        }) + "?charset=" + charset)
+
+    def get_context_data(self, **kwargs):
+        return super().get_context_data(encodings=ENCODINGS)
 
 
 class ProcessView(EventPermissionRequiredMixin, AsyncAction, FormView):
@@ -108,9 +126,13 @@ class ProcessView(EventPermissionRequiredMixin, AsyncAction, FormView):
 
     def form_valid(self, form):
         self.request.event.settings.order_import_settings = form.cleaned_data
+        if self.request.GET.get("charset") in ENCODINGS:
+            charset = self.request.GET.get("charset")
+        else:
+            charset = None
         return self.do(
             self.request.event.pk, self.file.id, form.cleaned_data, self.request.LANGUAGE_CODE,
-            self.request.user.pk
+            self.request.user.pk, charset
         )
 
     @cached_property
@@ -119,8 +141,12 @@ class ProcessView(EventPermissionRequiredMixin, AsyncAction, FormView):
 
     @cached_property
     def parsed(self):
+        if self.request.GET.get("charset") in ENCODINGS:
+            charset = self.request.GET.get("charset")
+        else:
+            charset = None
         try:
-            return parse_csv(self.file.file, 1024 * 1024)
+            return parse_csv(self.file.file, 1024 * 1024, charset=charset)
         except UnicodeDecodeError:
             messages.warning(
                 self.request,
@@ -129,7 +155,7 @@ class ProcessView(EventPermissionRequiredMixin, AsyncAction, FormView):
                     "Some characters were replaced with a placeholder."
                 )
             )
-            return parse_csv(self.file.file, 1024 * 1024, "replace")
+            return parse_csv(self.file.file, 1024 * 1024, "replace", charset=charset)
 
     def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
         if 'async_id' in request.GET and settings.HAS_CELERY: