Removals to Germany
Removals to Germany are one of our steady European routes — regular road runs to Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne and beyond, for corporate transferees, professionals and families alike. Europe’s largest economy is a straightforward move on paper, but German customs, tall Altbau apartments and city low-emission zones all shape the day. Britannia Sandersteads has handled European moves as a family-run firm since 1972 — here’s how removals to Germany actually work, what affects the cost, and the questions worth answering before you book.
What's Included in Our Germany Removals Service
A move to Germany goes by road — loaded in the UK, across the Channel and on through France or the Low Countries to your German address. It’s a well-run route in our European removals service, handled end to end by our own crew and established German delivery partners, so the standard at collection in Surrey is the standard at delivery in Berlin or Munich. As a big corporate and professional destination, it’s one we’re used to coordinating with employers and relocation teams on too.
- Dedicated and part-load options by road, with delivery to every German state — cities, suburbs and rural addresses
- Professional packing and export wrapping in the UK, with a full unpacking service at your German address
- Post-Brexit customs handled — we prepare the detailed inventory German customs (the Zoll) requires and advise on the documents
- UK and German-end storage if there's a gap between moving out and your new home being ready
How removals to Germany work
Key Information
Customs and paperwork
Germany is in the EU, so since Brexit your household goods clear German customs — the Zoll — on arrival. A detailed, valued inventory is central to it, and a transfer-of-residence relief applies to personal effects, subject to conditions on ownership and time lived outside the EU. We prepare the paperwork and advise on your position; the Zoll sets the exact rules.
Access: Altbau, lifts and low-emission zones
German cities are full of tall Altbau apartment blocks — narrow, winding staircases, often no lift — so an external furniture lift routinely hoists items through a window or balcony. Many city centres are low-emission zones too, needing the right vehicle permit to enter. Tell us the floor and the address early, and our German partners plan for both.
Storage before shipping
German move-in dates and your UK completion rarely land together, and a long road leg leaves little slack. We can hold your belongings in our own containerised storage at Godstone before departure, with no minimum period, and our German partners can store them locally until your new home is ready to receive them.
What affects the cost of removals to Germany?
Every Germany move is priced on what it involves, not a set rate. What moves the number most:
- Volume — the load size sets the vehicle and crew, and drives most of the cost
- Dedicated or part-load — a vehicle to yourself on fixed dates costs more than sharing a scheduled European run
- Packing — a full pack, a fragile-only part pack, or materials-only each price differently
- Distance into Germany — Cologne or Hamburg is a shorter run than Munich, Berlin or Dresden
- Access — an Altbau with no lift, an external furniture lift, or a low-emission-zone permit all add time or equipment
- Customs — the post-Brexit clearance and detailed inventory add admin to every EU move
- Storage and timing — a gap before your new home is ready, or a fixed delivery date, adds cost and reduces flexibility
The honest way to get a real figure is a quick, free survey.
Why Britannia Sandersteads for Germany
- Family-run since 1972 and part of the Britannia Cooperative — the UK's largest network of independent, family-owned removers, 40+ locations behind every Germany move
- BAR members, so your removals to Germany come with the British Association of Removers' code of practice and free independent dispute resolution
- National Quality Award winners in 2023 and 2024, used to corporate and relocation-team requirements, with your move crewed throughout by our own full-time, trained staff
- The same packing and containerised storage standards as our overseas removals and every house move we run
Don't Take Our Word for It
Request Your Free Quote
Send us the details. We aim get back to you within 2 hours during business hours.
01883 741000
info@sandersteads.co.uk
Mon-Fri 7:30am – 5:30pm
How long do removals to Germany take?
It’s an all-road route — across the Channel, then through France or the Low Countries — so timing depends on how far into Germany you’re headed, the service (dedicated or part-load) and our schedule. We confirm realistic dates at survey, and on a shared load delivery is a window rather than a fixed day.
How does the quote process work?
It starts with a free video or in-home survey so we can see the volume and the access, then you get a written, itemised quote — crew, vehicle, packing, transit, customs and any storage. No sight-unseen phone estimates that drift on the day.
Do you pack for me, or do I pack myself?
Whichever you prefer: a full pack, a part pack for the fragile and high-value items, or materials only. Anything breakable bound for Germany is export-wrapped to a recognised standard for the long road journey, not just a hop across town.
What about customs and paperwork for a move to Germany?
Germany is in the EU, so since Brexit household goods clear German customs (the Zoll) on arrival. We prepare the detailed inventory it depends on and advise on the transfer-of-residence relief; the Zoll sets the exact conditions. One route note: the trip usually transits France, which limits the alcohol and tobacco a load can carry — leave those out.
Can you deliver to a top-floor Altbau apartment with no lift?
Yes — it’s one of the most common German scenarios. Where a tall Altbau has narrow stairs and no lift, our German partners use an external furniture lift to hoist items through a window or balcony. Flag the floor and access at survey so the lift and any city-zone permit are arranged in advance.
Is my move insured in transit?
Cover for the journey is arranged as goods-in-transit insurance, separate from your UK home contents. High-value items — antiques, art, a piano — are best declared and valued separately, which also helps the customs inventory. We walk you through it at quote stage.
Can you store my belongings before shipping?
Yes. If your dates don’t line up, we hold your belongings in our own containerised storage at our Godstone depot before departure, and storage is available at the German end too. There’s no fixed minimum period.