'How to Bring Personal Belongings to Germany When Moving and Declare Them

When moving from a country outside the EU, personal belongings can be brought into Germany without import duties and VAT if they qualify as Übersiedlungsgut, meaning property transferred when moving your normal place of residence into the EU. This is not an automatic privilege for any luggage: German customs, Zoll, checks that the items are genuinely personal, were used before the move, and are not being imported for sale.

The material below describes the general procedure. If your move is connected to work, study, or family, first check residence permit in Germany and your entry deadlines. Separate rules apply to cars, medicines, animals, cash, weapons, cultural property, and food, so before shipping cargo you should compare your situation with the official pages of Zoll and the relevant authorities.

What counts as personal property when moving

Übersiedlungsgut usually includes items that a person or family used in everyday life before moving:

clothes, shoes, bedding, dishes, books, household appliances, and furniture;
personal computers, tools, and equipment for your own professional use;
bicycles, motorcycles, private vehicles, a trailer, a boat, or other property for personal use if the import conditions are met;
pets, if veterinary rules are followed;
ordinary household supplies that look like personal consumption rather than a commercial shipment.

Alcohol, tobacco products, commercial cargo, cargo vehicles, and equipment imported for business resale or commercial use do not qualify as duty-free property. Even if an item is personal, it may still be subject to prohibitions, permits, or veterinary and phytosanitary requirements.

Main conditions for duty-free import

Zoll applies EU rules on relief from import duties for property transferred with a change of residence. In practice, it is important to prepare evidence for each condition:

before the move, your normal place of residence was outside the EU customs territory for at least 12 months;
the items belong to the person moving and, for non-consumable items, were used by them in the country of departure for at least 6 months;
the new address is in Germany, at least temporarily;
the property is intended for personal use and not for sale, transfer, rent, or pledge;
after release under the exemption, the items remain under customs control for 12 months, and during this period they cannot be sold, gifted, rented out, or transferred to other people without consequences for duties and possible penalties.

If a person imports belongings before the actual move, customs may allow this if the intention to move is proven. In that case, you usually need to confirm that the new place of residence in the EU will be established within 6 months. If the deadline or conditions are violated, the exemption may be revoked and charges may be assessed retroactively.

Which documents to prepare

For clearance, it is best to assemble a document package in advance. The exact set depends on the country of departure, the composition of the shipment, and the customs office, but the following are most often needed:

a passport and documents confirming your right to reside in Germany;
proof of the new address or intention to move: Anmeldung, rental agreement, work contract, university letter, or family reunification documents;
proof of residence outside the EU before the move: registration, rental agreement, employer certificate, utility bills;
a list of belongings in German or English with an approximate description and quantity;
documents for valuable items and electronics, if available: receipts, purchase contracts, photos, serial numbers;
documents for a car or another vehicle if it is being imported as part of the move;
shipping documents from the transport company if the cargo is traveling separately from you.

If you do not have documents for old belongings, this does not always block the process, but customs must still be able to see that the property was not bought specifically to qualify for duty-free import. For expensive items, the absence of supporting documents increases the risk of questions.

How the Zoll process works

Form 0350, Zollanmeldung für Übersiedlungsgut, is used for the written customs application. You can prepare it in advance and submit it to the responsible customs office together with the inventory of belongings and supporting documents.

In practice, the process usually looks like this:

Prepare an inventory of the shipment: categories of items, number of packages, approximate value, and separate listing of valuable items and regulated goods.
Check restrictions on cash, medicines, animals, food, weapons, plants, cultural property, and vehicles.
Coordinate with the carrier where and by whom the documents will be submitted: by you personally, a representative, or a customs broker. If the shipment is sent in several parts or you plan to receive by mail some of your belongings, link each shipment to the move and the inventory in advance.
Fill out form 0350 and attach proof of the move and of ownership of the belongings.
When crossing the border or when the shipment arrives, follow customs instructions and keep the release decision.
During the control period, do not sell or transfer the imported belongings without consulting customs.

If you are carrying only ordinary personal items in suitcases, separate written clearance may not be necessary. But for a container, a large furniture shipment, electronics, a car, or delivery by a transport company, it is better to plan the procedure in advance.

Cash and payment instruments

Cash brought into Germany and equivalent payment instruments in the amount of 10,000 euros or more must be declared when entering or leaving the EU. This applies not only to banknotes, but also to certain payment instruments and valuables covered by cash control rules.

The declaration must be submitted without waiting for a separate request from a customs officer. At the airport, this usually means using the red channel. In Germany, electronic submission through the Zoll-Portal is also available for cash declarations. Failing to declare or providing incomplete information can lead to a substantial fine.

If you are transporting a significant amount of money, check the current Zoll rules in advance and prepare documents showing the origin of the funds. This is especially important when an entire family is moving, property was sold before the move, or savings are being transported.

Medicines

Medicines for personal use can usually be imported in quantities corresponding to personal need. Zoll gives a benchmark of up to three months for each medicine, taking the recommended dosage into account. This does not mean that any drug can be imported freely: German law may classify as a medicine something that in another country is sold as a dietary supplement, vitamin complex, or herbal remedy.

Particular caution is needed with:

prescription medicines;
medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances under the BtMG;
potent substances linked to anti-doping rules;
counterfeit medicines and products of unknown origin.

For medicines covered by the BtMG, medical documentation is required. When entering from outside the Schengen Area, a multilingual doctor’s certificate with the active substance, dosage, and duration of treatment is usually required. If the medicine is essential, do not send it in the main shipment without checking the rules: keep the documents with you and clarify the requirements in advance with Zoll or your doctor.

Food, plants, and mushrooms

Food products may seem like a minor household detail when moving, but restrictions often arise precisely here. Certificates or prohibitions may apply to products of animal origin, plants, seeds, fresh fruit, feed, and some non-animal products.

In practice, it is better not to include meat, dairy products, eggs, plants, seeds, potatoes, or large food stocks in a moving shipment. For individual categories, Zoll and the relevant authorities publish exceptions and limits, for example for small quantities of certain products for personal consumption or for certain fruits. These rules depend on the origin of the goods and may change, so before packing food you should check the current Zoll page on foodstuffs and feed.

Wild mushrooms, sturgeon caviar, spices, tea, nuts, and supplements may also be subject to special restrictions. If a product is expensive, rare, or of animal origin, it is safer to treat it as regulated until you verify the rules.

Pets

Bringing pets into Germany is regulated separately. For dogs, cats, and ferrets, EU rules aimed at protection against rabies apply. A microchip, valid rabies vaccination, an EU pet passport, or an official veterinary certificate for entry from a third country are usually required. In some cases, a rabies antibody blood test and waiting periods are also required.

Check breed restrictions separately. Germany restricts the import of some dangerous dog breeds, and additional keeping rules may apply in the federal states. It is best to prepare the animal’s documents before buying tickets and booking a carrier.

Car and other vehicles

importing a car can be part of Übersiedlungsgut if the ownership and use conditions before the move are met. But duty-free import does not cancel later German requirements: registration, technical inspections, insurance, and vehicle tax.

If the car was bought shortly before the move, is not registered in the name of the person moving, or is expected to be sold soon after import, the risk of refusal of the exemption is higher. For a car, documents proving registration, ownership, insurance, and the date of actual use are especially important.

Weapons, ammunition, and dangerous items

Weapons, ammunition, and some similar items cannot be transported as ordinary personal belongings. Importing them into Germany from a non-EU country requires authorization, and some items are completely prohibited. Something that is freely sold in the country of departure may be considered a weapon or a prohibited item in Germany.

This category may include not only firearms, but also certain knives, stun guns, pyrotechnics, weapon parts, and ammunition. Before transporting such items, you should obtain written information from the competent authorities. Putting them into a moving shipment on your own without permits is risky.

Cultural property, antiques, and rough diamonds

Antiques, icons, paintings, manuscripts, archaeological objects, old coins, and other cultural property require proof of lawful origin and ownership. For some objects from third countries, EU rules on importing cultural goods apply. If an item is connected to a high-risk region or resembles an archaeological find, documents proving lawful export from the country of origin are required.

Rough diamonds are regulated under the Kimberley Process. Their import usually requires a valid certificate and compliance with packaging and origin requirements. Such items should not be sent in a general shipment without professional verification.

What is better not to transport without a separate check

Before packing, make a separate list of anything that could raise questions:

cash, gold, securities, and payment instruments for large amounts;
medicines, supplements, hormonal drugs, painkillers, and prescription medicines;
meat, dairy products, plants, seeds, potatoes, feed, mushrooms, and caviar;
weapons, ammunition, pyrotechnics, dangerous knives, and similar items;
artworks, antiques, archaeological objects, old coins;
branded goods in a quantity that looks like a commercial batch;
animals and their documents;
a car, motorcycle, trailer, or boat.

If an item is expensive, rare, new, or regulated, it is better to list it separately in the inventory and ask Zoll or the carrier in advance which documents will be needed.

Common moving mistakes

Buying electronics or furniture right before the move and trying to declare them as long-used property.
Failing to prepare an inventory of the shipment and leaving the explanation entirely to the carrier.
Sending medicines, food, or plants in a container without checking special rules.
Importing a car as personal property without preparing ownership and later registration documents.
Selling or giving away imported belongings within 12 months after obtaining the exemption.
Forgetting to declare cash of 10,000 euros or more.

Where to get official information

For general questions about personal property when moving, use Zoll as your reference point: the Transferring residence / Übersiedlungsgut section and form 0350. For animals, use information from the Bundesministerium für Landwirtschaft, Ernährung und Heimat. For medicines, compare Zoll guidance with the rules for medicines under the AMG and BtMG. For cultural property, check EU rules and the German authorities responsible for protecting cultural heritage.

For complex shipments, it is reasonable to contact the customs information center in advance or have the clearance handled by a carrier with customs declaration experience. That is cheaper and less stressful than arguing with customs after the container arrives.