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Shipping your home from the USA to Germany? Sea or air freight, and a free quote from one vetted, FIDI-certified partner mover.
In short: A move from the USA to Germany crosses outside the EU, so German customs applies. Used household goods can enter duty-free under Transfer of Residence rules using Form 0350 if you qualify. Most moves go by sea freight to Hamburg or Bremerhaven, taking roughly four to six weeks, or by air for smaller, urgent loads.
You register your German address (Anmeldung) within 14 days of arriving, and submit Form 0350 at the Zollamt. US forces personnel move under different, SOFA-status rules. The enquiry is free.
Distance makes this a sea or air move rather than a road one. These are sometimes called overseas removals or house removals to Germany, and the removal services described here cover all of them.
Your partner mover advises which fits your volume, budget and timeline, and can split urgent items to air while the bulk goes by sea.
Because the USA is outside the EU, your shipment needs customs clearance in Germany. Used household goods can enter duty-free and VAT-free under Transfer of Residence rules, using Form 0350. 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.
Register your German address (Anmeldung) within 14 days, then submit Form 0350 at the Zollamt with your supporting documents. If you do not qualify for relief, import VAT may apply. Your partner mover confirms the paperwork.
If you are moving with the US forces, your move works differently. Personnel under Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) rules do not follow the standard Form 0350 customs route, and moves are usually coordinated through your base transport or personal property office. See our military moves page for more, and tell your partner mover if your move is a forces posting.
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.
The international movers and international moving companies we work with hold FIDI FAIM Certified, BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC accreditations where confirmed. Only FIDI FAIM is an audited certification, checked by Ernst and Young. To hold it, a moving company must pass more than 200 independent quality checks and be re-audited every three years.
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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.
Almost all UK to Germany road freight crosses at the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone or by ferry from Dover to Calais or Dunkirk. From there the standard corridor runs east through Belgium on the E40, crossing into Germany near Aachen and joining the A4 and A3.
The A3 runs from the Dutch border south-east through Cologne, Frankfurt and Nuremberg to Austria. The A2 runs east from the Ruhr through Hannover to Berlin. The A7 runs the full length of the country from Flensburg on the Danish border south to Bavaria. Most German deliveries use one of these three.
Intercontinental sea freight enters at Hamburg or Bremerhaven on the North Sea. Baltic ferries from Sweden and Finland arrive at Lübeck-Travemünde, Kiel and Rostock. Air freight goes through Frankfurt Airport, which handles more cargo than any other airport in Europe.
The connected partner moving company confirms which corridor and entry point suits your specific route, volume and destination Bundesland.