Moving to Berlin from the UK is a great move, but since Brexit it comes with more admin than a domestic house move. You need the right visa, a customs inventory for your belongings, and a plan for Berlin’s registration deadlines and parking rules. Here are seven practical tips to help your move go smoothly.
1. Sort your visa or residence permit before you travel
UK nationals are now third-country nationals, so you need a visa or residence permit to live in Germany for more than 90 days. Which one depends on whether you are coming to work, study, join family or carry out research. The GOV.UK guide to living in Germany sets out the official routes, and you should apply before you travel wherever possible. If you arrive without a visa, book an appointment with the Foreigners’ Authority (Ausländerbehörde) within your first 90 days.
2. Book your Anmeldung appointment early
Germany takes residence registration seriously. You must register your address — the Anmeldung — within 14 days of moving in, at your local Bürgeramt. Berlin appointments get booked up well in advance, so start looking the moment you have a signed tenancy. You will need your landlord’s confirmation that you have moved in (the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung), so ask for it on the day you collect the keys. Almost everything else — bank account, tax ID, phone contract — depends on having done this first.
3. Use the customs relief for your household goods
Moving your main home to Germany from outside the EU means your belongings pass through German customs, but you can usually bring them in free of duty and import VAT. According to German customs (zoll.de), you must have had your normal residence outside the EU for at least 12 months, and the items must have been in your possession and use for at least six months. You will need a detailed, dated and signed inventory, and you have 12 months from establishing your German residence to bring everything in — it can arrive in more than one load. The goods stay under customs supervision for 12 months, so you cannot sell, lend or pledge them in that time without losing the relief. Alcohol, tobacco and commercial vehicles are excluded.
MoveDay Removals handles the customs paperwork for you through our customs removals service, so your belongings reach Berlin without sitting in a bonded warehouse.
4. Arrange a Halteverbotszone for the removal lorry
Berlin streets are busy and you cannot simply park a 7.5-tonne lorry outside your new flat and hope. You need a temporary no-stopping zone — a Halteverbotszone — applied for through your district’s road traffic authority. The signs have to go up a few days before the move for the zone to be enforceable, so allow a couple of weeks. Most Berlin removal firms will arrange it as part of the job; tell your UK company your exact address early so they can either organise it or brief a local partner.
5. Check the stairs before you book the van
Berlin’s classic Altbau flats are beautiful and often come with high ceilings, wide doorways — and four flights of stairs with no lift. Measure your largest pieces and the stairwell before moving day. If anything will not go up, an external furniture lift is routine in Germany and far cheaper than discovering the problem with a sofa wedged on a landing. Send photos of the staircase and the street to your removal company when you get your quote.
6. Sort health insurance from day one
Health insurance is compulsory for residents in Germany — it is not optional and not something to leave until you have settled in. You will need to join a German health insurer (a Krankenkasse) or take out private cover, and you will often be asked for proof when you register your residence or start work. Check the GOV.UK healthcare in Germany guidance before you leave, particularly if you are moving with a pre-existing condition or taking regular medication.
7. Exchange your driving licence within six months
You can drive in Germany on a UK licence for up to six months after becoming resident. After that you need to exchange it at your local driving licence authority (Führerscheinstelle), and depending on your circumstances you may be asked for an eye test or a medical certificate. Do not leave it to the last week — appointments and document checks take time, and driving on an invalid licence will invalidate your insurance.
Planning a move to Berlin? Get a free quote from MoveDay Removals and we will handle the transport, the customs paperwork and the paperwork in between.