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Moving from London to Vienna is one of Europe's most well-established international relocation routes. The Eurotunnel's 35-minute crossing and a direct road route through Belgium and Germany mean dedicated vehicles reach Vienna in 4 to 7 days. Vienna attracts British professionals working in finance, the UN system and the diplomatic community, as well as families and retirees drawn by the city's quality of life, public transport and comparatively affordable European property market.
What follows is the ten checks that separate a good Vienna route mover from a poor one, drawn from FIDI FAIM and BAR Overseas standards, so you can apply them to any quote you receive. The companies that carry out our London to Vienna moves are named further down this page.
International Removals Companies is a free enquiry matching service operated by Darren Benjamin since 2010. We match each London to Vienna enquiry with one suitable accredited removal company based on your London borough, Vienna Bezirk, timeline and volume. Your details are not passed to several firms at once. One contact. One quote.
European relocations like London to Vienna are priced by van space rather than sea containers. Costs depend on volume (m³) and service level. These are indicative guides only. The matched removal company gives the confirmed price before you book.
10 to 15 m³
Part Load: from approx. £850 to £1,400
Dedicated Van: from approx. £1,600 to £2,200
20 to 25 m³
Part Load: from approx. £1,300 to £1,900
Dedicated Van: from approx. £2,000 to £2,800
30 to 35 m³
Part Load: Not suitable for this volume
Dedicated Van: from approx. £2,200 to £3,800
Typically included: Professional packing, London collection, Eurotunnel crossing, Austrian customs clearance (ZBefr2 documentation), Vienna delivery and goods-in-transit insurance. Confirm exact inclusions with your matched removal company before booking.
All prices are indicative planning guides only. The matched removal company confirms the actual price after surveying your goods and addresses.
A list of firm names is easy to write and tells you almost nothing about how your move will actually run. These ten checks do. London to Vienna has its own traps, from Parkpickerl parking zones to Altbau staircases and the Meldezettel sequence. Ask these of any company quoting on the route, including the one we match you with. A good firm answers all ten without hesitating.
FIDI FAIM involves more than 200 independent quality checks and an EY audit every three years. BAR Overseas is the UK trade standard, and fewer than 100 firms qualify for that section. They are not the same thing, and a firm may hold one, both or neither. Ask for the certificate number and the legal entity it sits under, then check it on the FIDI register at fidi.org or with BAR.
A good answer: the certificate number and the entity name, offered without hesitation.
Since Brexit, UK household goods entering Austria need Transfer of Residence clearance. The ZBefr2 declaration goes to Zollamt Österreich with your numbered inventory, and it should be lodged before the lorry reaches the border. Some firms handle it. Others send you the form. The difference does not always show in the price.
A good answer: names ZBefr2, confirms they submit it, and says how far ahead.
Your Vienna address registration must be complete before goods cross the Austrian border, and it depends on your residence permit, which is a separate queue. Ask what happens if it slips: whether goods wait in a UK depot, go into Austrian storage, or sit at the border. The answer changes the cost of a delay considerably.
A good answer: describes a plan and quotes the cost of each option before you book.
This route needs parking sorted at both ends. London boroughs require a bay suspension booked days ahead, at a cost that varies wildly by borough. Vienna's Parkpickerl short-stay zones now cover all 23 districts. A firm that has done the route knows both. A firm that has not will find out on the day, at your expense.
A good answer: raises both ends unprompted and says who books and pays for each.
Vienna's older apartment blocks have tall ceilings, narrow winding staircases, courtyard entrances and lifts that were added later and are often too small for a wardrobe. Some deliveries need an external hoist. Send photographs of the stairwell, the lift and the courtyard entrance before you accept a price.
A good answer: asks about floor, lift size and stairwell width before quoting, not after.
Limited liability cover pays by the kilogram, typically £40 to £60. A 40kg sofa is worth 40kg, not what you paid for it. All-risks pays the declared replacement value. Limited liability is often the default unless you ask, which is why two quotes can look similar and protect you very differently over 1,600 km.
A good answer: states which level is in the price and quotes the upgrade.
Usually not. Boxes you pack yourself are commonly covered for total loss only, meaning the whole box going missing rather than the contents arriving broken. Austrian customs also want a numbered inventory with descriptions and values, which is harder to produce for boxes you filled yourself.
A good answer: explains the exclusion up front rather than leaving it in the terms.
A price given from a room count, without a video or in-person survey, is an estimate. If the volume turns out higher on the day, the price usually follows. On a route where the vehicle is booked around your cubic metres and a part load has a hard ceiling, that matters more than on a local job.
A good answer: offers a video survey at minimum, and says whether the price is fixed or volume-dependent.
A firm running Austria regularly can put you on a shared load and pass on the saving. A firm running it occasionally has to sell you a dedicated van or wait until the load fills, which is where long unexplained delays come from. In July and August the route is busy enough that frequency decides whether you get your date at all.
A good answer: gives a real frequency and the next few departure dates, not "regularly".
Ask for the claim window in days, who you notify, and whether the firm falls under an independent dispute service. BAR Overseas members come under the Furniture Ombudsman scheme. A firm confident in its handling explains this plainly. Hesitation here is the most useful signal you will get on a quoting call.
A good answer: names the claim window, the form and the dispute route.
Professional packers collect from your London borough, whether Central (Camden, Westminster), South (Croydon, Bromley), East (Hackney, Tower Hamlets) or North (Barnet, Enfield). Parking suspensions are arranged for restricted streets in advance.
Van travels to Folkestone, crosses to Calais via Eurotunnel (35 minutes). More reliable than ferry for freight, with no weather delays.
Route: Calais, Belgium, Germany (Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich), then into Austria via Salzburg or the Inn Valley.
Since Brexit, UK household goods entering Austria require Transfer of Residence customs clearance. The removal company pre-submits the ZBefr2 declaration to Zollamt Österreich. When all documents are in order (passport, Meldezettel, numbered inventory), clearance is typically completed the same day. Goods arriving without confirmed Austrian residency registration may be held with daily storage fees.
Door-to-door service to all 23 Vienna Bezirke. For deliveries to inner-city districts, Parkpickerl zone restrictions and building access are confirmed 48 to 72 hours ahead.
Austria is a pet-friendly country and Vienna is one of Europe's most dog-friendly cities. Since Brexit, however, UK pets can no longer use EU pet passports. A fresh Animal Health Certificate is required for every trip from the UK to Austria.
Quarantine: Austria does not require quarantine for dogs and cats from the UK when all documentation is correct and the AHC is valid.
Vienna breed restrictions: Vienna operates its own Wiener Hundehaltegesetz (Dog Keeping Act). Certain breeds require a muzzle and lead in all public spaces, owner certification (Hundeführerausweis) and Hundehaftpflichtversicherung (dog liability insurance). Confirm rules for your specific breed before travel.
Registration: All dogs in Vienna must be registered with the local Magistratisches Bezirksamt after arrival. Hundesteuer (dog tax, approximately €72 per year for the first dog) applies.
Dogs in public: Vienna has dedicated dog-off-lead areas (Hundeauslaufgebiete) and a comprehensive dog-friendly park network. Dogs must be on a lead in most public areas unless in a designated off-lead zone.
The AHC is valid for 10 days from issue. Book your Official Veterinarian appointment no earlier than 10 days before your travel date. Pets travel with you by car through the Channel Tunnel and across France, Belgium and Germany into Austria, not on the removal lorry. The road journey from London to Vienna takes approximately 12 to 14 hours. Austrian border officials may check the AHC at the crossing.
Austria uses the Euro (EUR). Your removal is quoted in GBP. Any Austrian property purchase, rental deposit, savings transfer or ongoing living costs are in EUR. Most people treat the move and the money as two separate jobs, and end up paying more than they need to on both.
Currency exchange is part of what we help with. We have helped customers exchange currency in any currency through trusted partners for many years, alongside arranging the move itself. Tell us at the enquiry stage that you have money to transfer and our partners can help with that side of it. There is no extra charge for the introduction.
Experts in currency exchange
No hidden fees
5-star consumer ratings
Competitive exchange rate
Vienna property prices vary considerably by Bezirk. Inner districts (1, 2, 3) command some of the highest prices in the German-speaking world; outer districts (10, 21, 22) offer more accessible entry points. At typical exchange levels, a 5% movement in the GBP/EUR rate on a €400,000 Vienna property changes the sterling cost by approximately £18,000 to £20,000. Austrian conveyancing typically runs from the Kaufvertrag (purchase contract) signing to Grundbuchseintragung (land registry entry) over 4 to 8 weeks, during which the rate can shift.
A forward contract locks in today's GBP/EUR rate for the transfer needed at Austrian property completion, protecting you against rate movements during the conveyancing period. This is particularly relevant for purchases in Vienna's higher-value inner Bezirke where the absolute EUR amount is large.
Currency specialists typically offer better exchange rates and lower fees than high street banks for GBP to EUR transfers of property-purchase size.
To receive EUR in Austria and pay Austrian bills, you need an Austrian current account. Most banks require a valid passport, your Meldezettel (Vienna residency registration) and an Austrian residence permit. Opening an account before arriving is difficult without a Meldezettel; allow one to two weeks after your Vienna registration is complete.
Austrian property purchases carry Grunderwerbsteuer (property transfer tax) of 3.5% of the purchase price, plus Eintragungsgebühr (land registry fee) of 1.1%. These are paid at completion and must be budgeted in EUR alongside the purchase price. Timing your GBP to EUR conversion to line up with the completion date is worth planning early.
Regular Austrian living costs (Miete/rent, Betriebskosten/service charge, Strom/electricity, Fernwärme/district heating) are all in EUR. Vienna's cost of living is materially lower than London's, but ongoing GBP to EUR conversion costs add up over time.
To import a vehicle duty-free under the Transfer of Residence exemption, the car must have been owned and used for at least 6 months before the move and be for personal use only. The ZBefr2 declaration covers the vehicle alongside household goods. If the vehicle does not qualify for the exemption, for example because it was purchased less than 6 months before the move, Austrian import VAT (20%) and any applicable duties will apply.
Even when import duty is waived under the exemption, NoVA (Normverbrauchsabgabe) still applies. NoVA is Austria's standard consumption tax on the first registration of a motor vehicle. It is calculated on the vehicle's CO2 emissions and engine type and is paid at the local Finanzamt (tax office) when registering the car in Austria. For a typical petrol family car, NoVA can range from a few hundred to several thousand euros. Budget for this separately from the removal cost.
Right-hand-drive UK vehicles are legal to drive in Austria. No mechanical modification is required. The practical challenges are the same as elsewhere in Europe: toll booths, car parks and drive-throughs are designed for left-hand drive, so the passenger must assist or the driver leans across.
UK vehicles that do not hold EU type approval require an individual approval. After this, a Pickerl (§57a Begutachtung, Austria's vehicle safety inspection) is required before registration. Cars over 3 years old need a Pickerl every 2 years; vehicles under 3 years every 3 years. The inspection is carried out at an authorised Prüfstelle.
Registration is handled at the Zulassungsstelle (vehicle licensing office) in your Vienna Bezirk. You need: passport, Meldezettel, proof of insurance from an Austrian insurer, NoVA confirmation and the UK V5C logbook. Austrian number plates replace UK plates. Annual road tax (Kraftfahrzeugsteuer) applies from the first full year of Austrian registration.
Austrian motorways require a vignette toll sticker. The annual Autobahnvignette costs approximately €100 and covers all Austrian motorways and expressways for a calendar year. Digital vignettes are available online but must be purchased 18 days in advance, unless you buy a digital vignette for immediate use from selected physical outlets. SORN the vehicle with DVLA before export from the UK.
UK storage is needed when your Vienna property is not yet available, when your UK tenancy end date falls before your Vienna start date, or when renovation work in Vienna is ongoing. Options include:
Indicative UK container storage cost: from approximately £80 to £150 per container equivalent per month. Confirm with your matched removal company.
Vienna arrival storage (Einlagerung) is needed when the property is not ready, when customs clearance takes longer than expected, or when moving into furnished corporate accommodation first. Options include:
Indicative Vienna depot storage cost beyond free period: approximately €15 to €30 per cubic metre per month. Confirm with your matched removal company.
Storage charges are separate from the removal price. Confirm inclusions, free period and costs per additional week with your matched removal company before booking.
International removal companies typically offer two levels of goods-in-transit insurance:
1. Limited liability: Cover based on weight (typically £40 to £60 per kilogram). For a 2-bedroom household at around 2,000 kg this gives approximately £80,000 to £120,000, usually below the replacement value. This is the default level if you do not specify otherwise.
2. All-risks cover (full replacement value): Cover based on the declared replacement value of your goods. All-risks is the recommended level for London to Vienna moves, where goods travel over 1,600 km through multiple countries and cross an international customs border. If an item worth £2,000 is damaged, it is replaced at £2,000.
Declare the replacement value of your goods accurately. Under-declaring saves on premium but reduces any claim payment proportionally. A room-by-room inventory with replacement values for major items is required. International removal insurance typically costs 2% to 4% of the declared replacement value. Always confirm whether cover is all-risks or limited liability before signing.
Conditions to qualify for duty-free and MwSt-free entry:
Prohibited and restricted items:
Match with an Austrian customs-experienced removal company →
International Removals Companies was founded by Darren Benjamin in 2010, with more than 20 years in international logistics behind it. The company is registered in England and Wales and can be checked on Companies House. Firms used on the London to Vienna route are assessed against the three criteria below. Accreditations are verified independently on a rolling basis. We do not accept payment for placement, because there is no placement to buy.
British Association of Removers Overseas membership. Independent quality checks, Furniture Ombudsman dispute resolution and adherence to published industry service standards. Fewer than 100 UK firms meet the criteria for this section of the BAR.
The international quality standard for removal companies. More than 200 independent quality checks. Audited every three years by Ernst and Young for operational excellence, financial stability and customer service. Certificates are held by named legal entities and can be checked on the FIDI register.
Demonstrated London to Vienna route operations. Expertise in Austrian customs procedures (ZBefr2 declaration, Zollamt Österreich clearance), Vienna Bezirk delivery logistics including Parkpickerl zones and Altbau access, and German-speaking support at the Austrian delivery end.
From approximately £850 to £1,600 for a 1-bedroom flat (part load) to £2,200 to £3,800 for a 3-bedroom house (dedicated van). Costs include professional packing, Eurotunnel crossing, Austrian customs clearance and door-to-door delivery. These are indicative guides only. The matched removal company confirms the actual price after survey.
4 to 7 days door-to-door. Timeline: London collection (Day 1), Eurotunnel crossing to France (35 minutes), road freight through Belgium and Germany into Austria (Days 2 to 5), Austrian customs clearance via Zollamt Österreich (same day if ZBefr2 is pre-submitted and Meldezettel is ready), final Vienna delivery (Days 6 to 7).
Since Brexit, the UK is no longer in the EU. UK to Austria moves require Transfer of Residence customs clearance via Zollamt Österreich. Used personal household goods qualify for duty-free and MwSt-free (20%) entry under the ZBefr2 transfer of residence declaration if: goods were owned and used for at least 6 months, you are permanently transferring your primary residence to Austria, and you hold a valid Meldezettel and Austrian residence permit before goods arrive. Your matched removal company handles all ZBefr2 documentation.
Yes. Vehicle shipping takes 7 to 10 days. Right-hand drive is legal in Austria. The car must be owned and used for at least 6 months for Transfer of Residence duty-free exemption. Note that NoVA (Normverbrauchsabgabe), Austria's vehicle registration consumption tax, still applies on first Austrian registration even if import duty is waived. A Pickerl (§57a inspection) and registration at the Zulassungsstelle are required. An annual Autobahnvignette (€100) is needed to drive on Austrian motorways. SORN the vehicle before export from the UK.
Yes. Dogs and cats need: ISO microchip, valid rabies vaccination given after microchipping, and an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from an Official Veterinarian endorsed by APHA and valid for 10 days from issue. No quarantine required if documents are correct. Vienna has its own Hundehaltegesetz with breed-specific rules, annual dog registration and Hundesteuer (approximately €72 per year for the first dog). Confirm breed rules for your Vienna Bezirk before travel. Mention pets in your enquiry.
Austria uses EUR. Your removal is quoted in GBP. A 5% GBP/EUR rate movement on a €400,000 Vienna property changes the sterling cost by approximately £18,000 to £20,000. Austrian property purchase involves Grunderwerbsteuer (3.5%) and Eintragungsgebühr (1.1%) payable in EUR at completion. A forward contract locks in today's rate for a transfer you need to make at a future date. You need a Meldezettel before opening an Austrian bank account. Currency exchange is part of what we help with. We have arranged currency exchange in any currency through trusted partners for many years, alongside the move itself. Mention it at the enquiry stage and our partners can help with the money side. Your partner confirms the rate, the fees and the terms before any money moves.
UK depot storage: from approximately £80 to £150 per container equivalent per month while awaiting your Vienna property or rental start date. Vienna arrival storage (Einlagerung): held at the Austrian partner's depot, with many full-service removals including 14 to 30 days free. Confirm free period and additional costs with your matched removal company before booking.
The moving companies in our network cover every Vienna Bezirk (1 to 23): Innere Stadt, Leopoldstadt, Landstraße, Wieden, Margareten, Mariahilf, Neubau, Josefstadt, Alsergrund, Favoriten, Simmering, Meidling, Hietzing, Penzing, Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus, Ottakring, Hernals, Währing, Döbling, Brigittenau, Floridsdorf and Donaustadt. Parkpickerl zone access and freight lift logistics for Altbauten are confirmed at the survey stage.
International Removals Companies works within the AGM Group network. Bishop's Move, Abels Moving Services, Gerson Relocation, Gerson Moving Services and Anglo French Euro Removals are part of that group and handle a share of the London to Vienna moves that come through this page. We also work with independent firms outside the group where a route suits them better. Which one your enquiry goes to depends on your London borough, your Vienna Bezirk, your volume and your dates. We do not rank firms or take payment for placement, and we do not send your details to several companies at once. One firm contacts you, confirms the scope and gives the price. The service is free.
Most sites in this trade will not tell you who turns up. You send your details, someone rings, and you find out on collection day. We would rather say it up front, because knowing which firm is coming is half of what people are worried about when they fill in a form.
AGM Group network
A nationwide relocation company running 24 branch locations across the UK, several of them in and around London. The survey, the packing crew and the collection all come from a local team who know your borough's parking rules and building types, while the European leg runs on the group's international operation.
Suited to: households anywhere in London and the surrounding counties.
Holds: Founding member of the British Association of Removers. BAR Overseas Group. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. BAR Commercial Moving Group, certified to BS 8522. EUROMOVERS International. Movers Trading Club, an NVOCC registered with the US Federal Maritime Commission. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001.
AGM Group network
Abels handles residential moving for private customers going from the UK to Europe and further afield. The work is aimed at households rather than corporate mobility programmes: one point of contact, a proper pre-move survey, export packing by their own crews, and a delivery plan agreed with you.
Suited to: private households paying for the Vienna move themselves.
Holds: FIDI FAIM Plus, listed on the FIDI affiliate register. BAR member number A001. BAR Overseas Group, a section fewer than 100 UK firms qualify for. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. International Association of Movers. Movers Trading Club. ISO 9001:2015. Royal Warrant for removals and storage services.
AGM Group network
Gerson runs as two arms of one business. Gerson Relocation supports large multinational employers and manages mobility programmes end to end, which is the shape most Vienna assignments take for staff at the international organisations based there. Gerson Moving Services handles individuals and families moving privately.
Suited to: employees relocating to Vienna on a company programme, and separately, families moving privately.
Holds: FIDI FAIM Plus, with operations and management systems independently audited by EY. BAR Overseas Group. OMNI, the Overseas Moving Network International. EuRA, the European Relocation Association. Employee Relocation Council.
AGM Group network
Anglo French runs cross-Channel road freight as its main business rather than as one route among fifty. Every London to Vienna lorry crosses the Channel and drives through France and Germany before it reaches Austria, so the first and longest stretch of the journey is the part they do every week.
Suited to: London departures travelling by road through France, and moves starting in France.
Holds: British Association of Removers member. Guild of Removers and Storers member. Running UK to France removals since 1984, and part of the AGM Group network since November 2024.
No commercial relationship. Listed because they are good on European routes.
Founded in 1884 and working on international moves only, so surveyors and packers deal with export standards every day rather than splitting attention with domestic jobs. Runs a shared container part-load service, which suits the smaller London flat volumes common on this route.
Holds: FIDI FAIM. BAR Overseas Group. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. OMNI. IAM Trusted. Movers Trading Club.
Trading since 1871 and one of the largest privately owned removal firms in the country, with its own containerised storage in 19 UK locations. Useful when a mixed inventory needs specialist packing alongside ordinary household contents.
Holds: Founder member of FIDI, operating to the FAIM standard. Founder member of OMNI. BAR member with Advanced Payment Guarantee. BS EN 12522.
Moving households since 1895, with scheduled European road freight as its strength. Offers a choice between a dedicated service on a fixed collection and delivery date, or a shared load with a delivery window at lower cost, which is the decision most people face on this route.
Holds: FIDI FAIM, independently audited by EY. BAR Overseas Group with Advanced Payment Guarantee. Founder member of OMNI.
Started in 1977 as a fine art and antiques mover and kept that specialism while growing into full international removals. Builds custom export crating for individual pieces, which matters where Austrian customs want detailed values for high-value items.
Holds: FIDI FAIM. BAR Overseas Group. IAM.
Founded in 1929, with branches across England and Scotland and its own international packing teams. Covers European road freight and sea freight, and handles office moves as well as households.
Holds: FIDI affiliate, FAIM accredited, listed on the FIDI register. IAM. BAR Commercial Moving Group.
Formed in 1978, working from London, Manchester and Glasgow. Its depth is in long-haul sea freight to Australia, New Zealand and the USA, so on a Vienna page it comes into play mainly for people arriving in Austria from those countries.
Holds: IAM member. FIDI accredited.
Tell us your London borough and Vienna Bezirk. We match you with one accredited removal company from our network. One contact. One confirmed quote. The service is free.
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