Moving to Germany by road

Germany is reached by road through France, Belgium or the Netherlands. One crew loads at your door in Britain and unloads at your door in Berlin, Munich or Frankfurt, usually within three to five days with a dedicated vehicle.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Get a quote for Germany Estimate your volume

The route at a glance

Collected from: Any UK address
Crossing via: Eurotunnel, Dover–Calais or Harwich
Typical transit: 3–10 days door to door
Departures: Weekly
Book by: 4–6 weeks before you move

AnmeldungRegistering your address within two weeks of moving in

HalteverbotThe no-parking zone reserved for your removal

SundayNo heavy lorries on German roads

One crewThe people who load are the people who deliver

Orderly rules, applied properly

Germany is a well-trodden route for our vehicles, and the motorway network makes the journey predictable. Most of our German moves are relocations with work, to the big cities and to the industrial regions around them.

German customs are precise. The transfer of residence relief is claimed with a formal declaration to the Zoll, supported by your Anmeldung and a valued inventory. Prepared properly it is a quick process; prepared loosely it is a slow one.

Loaded at your door · Across the Channel · Unloaded at the other

Where we deliver in Germany

Door-to-door transit times from UK collection, with what to expect at the delivery end. Dedicated vehicles are at the quick end; part loads wait for a scheduled departure and share the journey.

Cologne, Düsseldorf & the Ruhr

2–3 days dedicated · 5–9 part load

The closest German cities and the quickest run. Apartment buildings with courtyard access and corporate relocations.

Frankfurt & the Rhine-Main

3–4 days dedicated · 5–10 part load

Finance and international organisations. City apartments and family homes in the Taunus.

Hamburg & the north

3–4 days dedicated · 5–10 part load

Port-city apartments, often in older buildings with steep staircases and no lift.

Berlin

3–5 days dedicated · 6–10 part load

Altbau apartments with high ceilings, courtyards and fourth-floor walk-ups. External lifts and parking zones are part of most moves.

Munich & Bavaria

3–5 days dedicated · 6–10 part load

Expensive city apartments and Alpine homes with winter access to consider.

Stuttgart & Baden-Württemberg

3–4 days dedicated · 6–10 part load

Automotive and engineering relocations, hillside streets and family homes.

Door-to-door transit times from the UK to Germany, by region
Region	Dedicated vehicle	Part load
Cologne, Düsseldorf & the Ruhr	2–3 days	5–9 days
Frankfurt & the Rhine-Main	3–4 days	5–10 days
Hamburg & the north	3–4 days	5–10 days
Berlin	3–5 days	6–10 days
Munich & Bavaria	3–5 days	6–10 days
Stuttgart & Baden-Württemberg	3–4 days	6–10 days

Transit times are typical, not guaranteed. Drivers' hours are regulated, so longer runs include mandatory rest, and customs clearance is usually a matter of hours when the paperwork is right.

Dedicated vehicle or part load

Road freight is priced on the space you occupy in a vehicle and the distance it drives. Volume decides which makes sense.

Dedicated vehicle

A full house · your load only

The vehicle carries nothing but your belongings and drives straight to your new address in Germany. Fastest, with fixed dates for loading and delivery. Usually the right answer for a three-bedroom house or larger.

Part load

A flat or part of a house · shared vehicle

You pay for the space you use and share the journey with other consignments heading the same way. Considerably cheaper, with a delivery window of a few days rather than a fixed date.

Small consignments

A few boxes or a single room

Students, second homes, a room of furniture for a relative. We consolidate these onto our scheduled German runs.

Storage at either end

When the dates don't line up

Completion dates and visa appointments rarely line up with a UK moving date. We hold goods in containerised storage in the UK and deliver when you are ready.

Customs and documents for Germany

Germany applies the EU transfer of residence relief through the Zoll. These are the documents that most often need obtaining by you.

What you will need

We prepare the export and import declarations and the valued inventory. Several of the documents below can only be issued to you personally, so start them early.

AnmeldungRegistration at the local Bürgeramt within two weeks of moving in. The resulting Meldebescheinigung is the key evidence of your German residence.
Residence permit, if neededSince Brexit British citizens generally need a residence title from the Ausländerbehörde to live in Germany, unless covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
Customs declaration for removal goodsThe German declaration for household effects being moved to Germany, with a valued inventory. We prepare it; in some cases it has to be presented at the Zollamt in person.
Proof of your German addressA rental contract, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord, or a purchase contract.
Evidence of leaving the UKA sale completion, the end of a tenancy, or a letter from your employer confirming the move.
Six months’ ownershipGoods must have been owned and used for at least six months before the move to qualify for relief.

Customs and immigration requirements change. We confirm the current position for Germany at survey and give you a written checklist before anything is packed.

The last hundred metres

German cities have clear rules about where a removal vehicle may stand. Following them is the job.

Halteverbotszone permitsA temporary no-parking zone outside the building is the standard way to reserve space for the vehicle. It must be applied for in advance and signposted days before the move.
Sunday and holiday lorry bansHeavy goods vehicles cannot drive on German roads on Sundays and public holidays, and quiet hours apply in residential buildings. The schedule is built around both.
Altbau staircasesOlder apartment buildings often have four or five storeys and no lift. External furniture lifts are common and quick.
Low emission zonesMany German cities have an Umweltzone requiring a green sticker. Our vehicles comply.

SealedYour vehicle is sealed at loading and not opened in transit

Secure parkingOvernight stops at guarded compounds, never a lay-by

Same crewThe people who load in Britain unload at your new home

No portGoods are never containerised, craned or double-handled

What a Halo move to Germany includes

Quoted as one price, delivered as one service. Anything not on this list is named in your quotation rather than discovered later.

Pre-move survey by video call or in person, with a written volume assessment
Export-standard packing and materials, or cartons delivered if you're packing yourself
A numbered, valued inventory in the format German customs expect
Collection from any UK address, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
UK export declaration and German import declaration, both prepared and filed
Your transfer of residence relief claim, with a checklist of the documents you need
The sea or tunnel crossing and all road tolls, permits and vignettes
A sealed vehicle and secure overnight parking throughout the journey
Access assessment at destination, including parking permits and furniture lifts
Delivery into the rooms you choose, with furniture reassembled
Removal of packing debris on the day
One named consultant, contactable directly, from survey through to final delivery

Moving to Germany: common questions

How long does a move to Germany take?

Western Germany is usually two to three days with a dedicated vehicle, and Berlin and Munich three to five. Part loads take five to ten days.

Do I need my Anmeldung before the goods arrive?

It helps a great deal, because the Meldebescheinigung is the main evidence of residence. If your appointment is after the delivery date, we can hold the goods in storage or discuss alternative evidence with you.

Can I bring food and alcohol?

Meat and dairy products from the UK cannot enter the EU. Alcohol must be declared and is outside the relief, so duty is payable.

Can you move my car to Germany?

We arrange vehicle transport alongside the move. A UK car needs customs clearance, a TÜV inspection and German registration. Ask before you assume it is worth bringing.

What does a move to Germany cost?

Volume first, then distance, then whether you need a dedicated vehicle or can share one. Use the volume estimator on our home page for a sense of scale, then let us survey and quote in writing. Our prices page explains what goes into the figure.

Get a quotation for Germany

Tell us where you're heading and roughly when. A consultant will come back within one working day to arrange a survey.

European desk: 07749 924755
Email: europe@halointernationalrelocations.com
Not sure of your volume?: Use the move estimator for an indicative figure in about thirty seconds, then send it through with your enquiry.
Elsewhere in Europe?: See our road freight guides to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland, or the overview of European removals.