Plain-English help with German customs, Transfer of Residence relief and Form 0350, plus a free quote from one vetted partner mover.
In short: Since Brexit, a move from the UK to Germany needs customs clearance, because the UK is outside the EU customs area. The good news is that your used household goods can usually enter Germany duty-free and VAT-free under Transfer of Residence rules, using Form 0350. Moves from inside the EU need no customs declaration at all.
You register your German address (Anmeldung) at the local Bürgeramt first, then submit Form 0350 at the Zollamt. Your partner mover confirms the full document list for your route.
When the UK left the EU customs area, UK to Germany moves became imports. That sounds daunting, but for a normal household move it is mostly paperwork, and your partner mover usually handles it. These are sometimes called overseas removals or house removals to Germany, and the removal services described here cover all of them.
Your used belongings can come in free of duty and import VAT under Transfer of Residence relief, known in Germany as Übersiedlungsgut. To qualify, you normally need to have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and owned the goods for at least 6 months. The paperwork sits on Form 0350, the German customs declaration for household goods.
The sequence matters. Getting it wrong can leave your goods held at customs while storage fees build.
Documents usually asked for include your passport, proof you lived in the UK (such as a P60 or 12 months of council tax or utility bills), your German rental contract, a numbered inventory of your goods, your Anmeldebestätigung and a signed removal contract. Your partner mover confirms the exact list.
If you are moving to Germany from Spain, France, the Netherlands, Poland or any other EU country, there is no customs barrier for household goods. You do not need Form 0350. You still need to register your address with Anmeldung within 14 days of arriving, wherever you have come from.
This guide is written and maintained by Darren Benjamin, founder of International Removals Companies (DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company number 07425576). Darren has worked in international removals and logistics for over 20 years and has been a director of a UK removals company since 2013.
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Moving between the UK and Germany means switching between pounds and euros. German landlords normally ask for a deposit of two to three months' cold rent (Kaltmiete) in euros before they hand over the keys, and that is usually the first large euro payment you will make. International Removals Companies can connect you with a trusted currency exchange partner at no charge. Ask about this when you request your Germany removals quote.
This is a customer convenience only. International Removals Companies does not give exchange rate advice, forecasts, savings claims, urgency claims or instructions to transfer money.
See our verified Germany partner movers for more on the partner network and accreditation details.
International moving companies price by cubic metre, not by room count or weight. A sparsely furnished three bed house can cost less than a heavily furnished two bed flat. Reducing volume before the survey is the most effective way to lower the figure.
Ground floor with parking outside is straightforward. A fourth floor German apartment with no lift, restricted parking and a narrow stairwell may need an external furniture lift. Describe access honestly at survey stage so it is priced in rather than discovered on the day.
June to August is peak season across the European moving industry, and prices rise while availability tightens. October to March is materially cheaper. Month-end and Friday collections are busier than mid-week, mid-month slots.