How does a part-load move work for students?

With a part load , you share the cargo space with other jobs going in the same direction and only pay for your share. For a few boxes to your host country or back, that can be cheaper than a transport of your own. Whether a part load to your destination country is possible and which delivery window applies, we clarify when you enquire.

When is the best time for a semester move?

Go by the start of the semester in your host country, not the German calendar – in many countries lectures start as early as September. Schedule moving out or putting things into storage for the days after your last exam in Germany, with a little buffer before you leave. That way you avoid packing and flying on the same day.

Do I have to deregister before my semester abroad?

Only if you no longer have a flat in Germany: if you move out and do not move into a new flat in Germany, you deregister within two weeks of moving out (§ 17 (2) BMG). If you keep the room or are registered at your parents' address, you stay registered. After your return, the rule applies again: register within two weeks of moving in.

What is the most efficient way to pack my shared-flat room?

First sort into three piles: going abroad, into storage, get rid of. For storage, use sturdy boxes of the same size and label them with contents and destination. Heavy books belong in small boxes, bedding in vacuum bags. You can add the packing service on request.

Do you also handle long-distance moves between university cities?

Yes, we are based in Berlin and handle long-distance moves to other university cities and back – including into your new room after the semester abroad. We give you the price as a fixed price after the survey. You can find details under long-distance moves .

How is my move protected with you?

For damage during transport, we are liable under the German Commercial Code for up to €620 per cubic metre of removal goods (§ 451e HGB). For expensive single items, additional insurance is available on request. It is best to check before you leave whether your household contents insurance covers stored belongings.

Can I book a moving date at short notice?

In many cases yes, especially outside the peak times around the start of the semester. For spontaneous short-notice moves , we recommend calling us directly on 01625978461 to check availability. We always try to accommodate students' schedules flexibly. The earlier you let us know, the greater the choice of dates.

How does a move abroad work, for example for an Erasmus semester?

For an Erasmus semester, luggage plus a few boxes is usually enough. Within the EU, you do not need any customs formalities for your household goods; it is different for Switzerland or the United Kingdom, for example. Whatever does not travel with you goes into storage or to your parents; small quantities can travel to your host country as a part load. When you enquire, we advise you on what makes sense for your destination country and quantity.

What happens to my furniture if I want to store it temporarily?

If there is a gap between moving out and returning, furniture and boxes can be put into storage. How this works with us and what it costs, we clarify when you enquire; find out more under storage . Dismantled and labelled, your things need much less space in storage.

Do I get a discount on my move as a student?

Whether there are special terms for students, we will tell you when you enquire. It will be cheaper in any case if you sort things out before your semester abroad, pack yourself and send small quantities as a part load. Call us on 01625978461.

What about the deposit and handover report for my old flat?

When handing back your old flat, you draw up a handover report with the landlord recording meter readings, the number of keys and any damage, ideally with photos. Thorough cleaning increases the chance of getting your deposit back in full. Give the landlord an address or bank details that can also be reached during your semester abroad – more in the article Getting your deposit back .

SEMESTER ABROAD

Moving for a semester abroad: keep your room store your things or sublet

A semester in Lyon, Kraków or Utrecht: what you take with you, what you put into storage and what happens to your room in Germany.

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FROM BERLIN-MOABIT

Erasmus and co.

A semester away – and the room?

Take, store or get rid of

Unsere Firma Moving for a semester abroad: planning luggage, storage, subletting, deregistration and transport to another EU country properly.

Before a semester abroad, three questions arise: what comes along, what goes into storage, and what happens to the room? For four or five months, suitcases and a few boxes are usually enough; the bed and desk stay in Germany. If you keep the room, you save yourself the search after you return – but you keep paying rent. For whatever stays in Germany, storage is a good option.

If you give notice on the room and no longer have another flat in Germany, you must deregister within two weeks of moving out (§ 17 (2) BMG). If you keep it or remain registered at your parents' home, there is no need to deregister. If you really are taking more household goods with you, we also handle the transport from Berlin abroad – find out more under international move. We give you the fixed price after the survey.

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PERSONAL ADVICE

Get advice before your semester abroad

What comes along, what stays, what it costs

Tell us what is going abroad and what should stay in Germany. Call us on 01625978461: we survey your room, then give you a fixed price for transport or storage and plan the date to fit your departure.

Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.

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BEFORE YOU LEAVE

How we help you before your semester abroad

Moving out, storage, return

Time is usually short before you leave: learning agreement, accommodation in the host country, final exams. We take over the physical part – dismantling furniture, carrying boxes, taking them to storage or to your parents – and after your return, back into your new room. For transport damage, we are liable under the HGB (§ 451e: €620 per m³). We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and rated 5.0 on Google from 119 reviews.

Storage

On request, we take furniture and boxes that are not travelling with you into storage – we clarify the details when you enquire; find out more under storage.

Transport to your parents

If you give notice on the room, we take your bed, shelving and boxes back to your home town – within Germany or as a long-distance move.

Assembly service

We dismantle the furniture to save space before storage and reassemble it in your new room after the semester abroad.

Moving abroad

If more needs to come along after all, we take it from Berlin to the host country; small quantities are often cheaper as a part load abroad.

THREE PILES

Take, store or get rid of: how to sort

Before you pack, go through the room once and divide everything into three piles. That makes it clear how many belongings really need to be moved.

Going abroad

Clothes for the season, laptop, documents, medication. Whatever fits in your suitcase and rucksack travels with you; bedding is often provided locally in the hall of residence.

Into storage

Furniture, books and winter things that you will need again after your return. Dismantled and labelled, they take up little space in storage.

Get rid of it

Whatever you have not used for a year, sell or give away before you leave – that reduces storage space and costs.

Sort out the room

Keep, sublet or give notice? You may only sublet with permission; if you have a legitimate interest, you are often entitled to it for part of the flat (§ 553 BGB).

Register or not

If you no longer have a flat in Germany, you deregister within two weeks of moving out. If you stay registered, you do not need to deregister.

Plan your return

It is best to roughly plan the return transport from storage before you leave – then the date is fixed when the new semester starts.

FOR A FEW BOXES

Part load to your host country

Small quantities across the border

If not everything fits in your suitcase but it is not enough for a van of its own, a part load abroad can be cheaper: your boxes travel along with other jobs. Within the EU, you do not need customs papers for this; whether a part load suits your destination country, we clarify when you enquire.

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OVERVIEW

Preparing
for a semester abroad

Room, luggage, formalities

A semester abroad is a temporary move. The decision about your room in Germany determines almost everything else: whether you have to deregister, whether furniture goes into storage and whether you look for a new place to live after you return. You can read more about interim lets in the article Subletting and interim solutions, and about customs questions outside the EU in the article Customs when moving abroad.

Room and registered address

Keep, sublet or give notice – deregistration depends on it. That way your student move, private move or small-load transport stays easy to plan before you leave.

Packing and storage

With a packing service, furniture assembly and furniture transport, whatever stays goes dismantled into storage or to your parents – and comes back after the semester.

Transport abroad

For a few boxes to your host country there is a part load, for more a long-distance move or a furniture taxi – within the EU without customs formalities.

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MoabitBased at Stromstraße 21

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about moving for a semester abroad

Answers on deregistration, subletting, storage, part loads abroad, customs, liability and your return.

The price depends on quantity, distance and floor, not on student status. The table above lists the starting prices by number of rooms; for a shared-flat room that only goes into storage or to your parents, the effort is usually small. We give you the binding fixed price after the survey; call us on 01625978461.

Packing your shared-flat room before you leave

Before a semester abroad, you are not packing for one move but for three destinations: suitcase, storage and giving away. Go through the room by category – books and papers, clothes, kitchen, technology – and decide for each pile where it goes. For storage, use sturdy boxes of the same size and vacuum bags for bedding so that everything stacks well.

Label every box with its contents and destination (“storage”, “parents”, “host country”). Your laptop and monitor go into their original box or bubble wrap. If you are short of time, book the packing service and only pack your suitcase yourself.

Deregister or stay registered?

Whether you have to deregister before your semester abroad depends on the flat: if you move out and do not move into a new flat in Germany, you must deregister with the registration authority within two weeks of moving out (§ 17 (2) BMG). If you keep the room or continue to live with your parents, you stay registered. In that case, also think about the broadcasting fee and your university: enrolment usually continues during the semester abroad.

If you sublet the room, you need your landlord's permission (§ 540 BGB); for part of the flat, you are often entitled to it if you have a legitimate interest (§ 553 BGB). You apply for BAföG for studying abroad at the office responsible for your destination country. If you are taking more household goods, you will find information under long-distance moves.

Overview of moving and transport costs

House/villa	individual quote
4-room flat	from €1,279
3-room flat	from €905
2-room flat	from €584
1-room flat	from €365
Long-distance move	from €3.90/km

Take advantage of our free survey to receive an individual quote.

What determines the price – storage included

The decisive factors for the price are above all volume and distance, the latter calculated from €3.90/km. The floor, the lift and a parking restriction zone (Halteverbotszone) also play an important role. We are happy to combine your move with furniture assembly or a part load.

How we support you

Our services in detail – the right solution for every need.

Home move – Home move: from the boxes to the kitchen, everything under control.
Company relocation – Company relocation: efficient implementation for businesses.
Furniture transport – Furniture transport: we reliably transport individual pieces too.
Part load – Part load: combined trips for smaller budgets.
Move with assembly – Move with assembly: an all-round service including assembly.
Clearance – Clearance: creating space made easy.

From Berlin to your host country and back

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and handle transport within Germany and to other European countries – before your semester abroad and after your return. You can find destinations with their own page in the locations overview, and long distances under long-distance moves.

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September 15, 2026

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