Moving to Austria: customs Meldezettel & formalities
Customs & formalities
Moving to Austria: what is duty-free and which deadlines apply
Deadlines in view
A move to Austria is a move within the EU: for your ordinary household goods there is no customs declaration and no import duty. What you still have to plan for are the registration duties. The Meldezettel (registration form) is due within three days of moving in, and the registration certificate for EU citizens no later than four months after arrival. We take care of packing, transport and assembly right up to your new address in Vienna, Salzburg, Graz or Innsbruck; our Home move page shows what is included.
For an international move to Austria you do not need an inventory of removal goods for customs. A simple packing list still makes sense – for insurance purposes and to check after unpacking that everything has arrived. We state the fixed price after the survey. We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21); the overview of our locations shows which destinations have their own page.
Advice on the process and deadlines for your move to Austria
Fixed price after a survey, checklist included
Call us on 01625978461 – we will discuss the date, volume and deadlines for your move to Austria. We calculate the price from volume, distance and additional services. You also receive our checklist with the Meldezettel, deregistration and vehicle steps.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
What we take on – and what stays with you
Transport with us, official errands with you
We take care of the transport to Austria: packing, loading, the drive on the motorway and unpacking at the destination. The official errands remain with you, because the Meldezettel is signed by the accommodation provider (Unterkunftgeber) and you apply for the registration certificate in person. So that nothing gets left undone, we give you a checklist with all the deadlines. Our liability is under the German Commercial Code (HGB, § 451e: €620 per m³), and additional insurance is available on request. The fixed price applies after a survey.
Packing service
Office move
Senior moves
Furniture transport
The most important steps after moving in
Customs plays no role for household goods when moving from Germany to Austria. What matters are the registration deadlines and the rules for your car – you should know these steps before moving day.
Meldezettel in three days
Registration certificate
Deregistering in Germany
Car within one month
NoVA on first registration
ORF fee automatically
Part load to Austria
From
moving out to vehicle registration
When moving abroad to Austria, various topics play a central role: from the question of whether a customs declaration is needed (not within the EU) to re-registering your residence and registering your vehicle locally. Insurance questions and deregistering in Germany on time are also among the important formalities. Our home move services cover the transport; you handle the official errands yourself, with our checklist of deadlines. This way you keep track of official errands, deadlines and the documents you need.
Deregistering and registering
Packing list instead of customs list
Car, company, special cases
Questions about customs and formalities
Customs when moving to Austria: what applies
As Austria is a member of the European Union, there is no customs declaration for removal goods when moving from Germany. This applies to EU citizens as well as to citizens of other countries, as long as the household goods come from an EU country. Customs formalities only arise when removal goods are imported into the EU from a non-EU country. An inventory is still useful – for liability during transport and for high-value individual items.
The deadlines matter more: you submit the Meldezettel within three days of moving in. If you stay longer than three months, as an EU citizen you apply for the registration certificate no later than four months after arrival. Once you have established your main residence, a car with German number plates may only be used for one month from bringing it into the country; for registration, Austrian insurance, the vehicle data in the approval database and the NoVA all count.
Process and special features of a move to Austria
The typical process of an international move starts with a free survey and volume assessment, followed by the fixed-price quote. We then take care of packing, transport and, if necessary, interim storage, before delivery to your new address in Austria on the agreed date. You can read more about long routes under Long-distance moves.
Registration is regulated uniformly throughout Austria (Registration Act, Meldegesetz), but the individual municipality is responsible. The former GIS broadcasting fee was replaced in 2024 by the ORF fee, which is collected automatically via the register of residents. In cities such as Vienna and Graz parking space is scarce; you apply for the no-parking zone for the removal van to the city in question – in Graz, for example, to the road department (Straßenamt).
Moving prices by flat size
Customs costs nothing when moving to Austria – the price depends on the size of the flat and the route. As a rough guide: 1-room flat from €344, 2-room flat from €615, 3-room flat from €915, 4-room flat from €1,299. Houses or villas receive an individual quote. For long-distance moves we also calculate €3.80/km. We give exact figures after a free survey.
What makes up the price
Every calculation is based on volume and distance – the latter at €3.80/km. On top of that come the floor, the lift and a parking restriction zone at the destination in Austria. Furniture assembly and a part load can also be booked.
Our services for your move to Austria
Moving services – what we do for you
A move does not have to be complicated – with us everything runs smoothly.
- Part load
- A low-cost alternative for smaller transports. Part load
- Furniture transport
- Safe transport of your furniture. Furniture transport
- Home move
- We take care of your move to your new home. Home move
- Company relocation
- Professional moves for businesses and offices. Company relocation
- Clearance
- We dispose of what you no longer need. Clearance
- Move with assembly
- Your furniture is assembled professionally. Move with assembly
From Berlin to Austria and nationwide
We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and operate nationwide and abroad, including to Austria. We describe routes and the process under Long-distance moves, and destinations with their own page in the locations overview.
The Meldezettel in Austria: deadline, documents and registration office
The most important formality after moving in is the Meldezettel. According to oesterreich.gv.at, you must submit it within three days of moving in; the site speaks of "three days", not working days. It is submitted at the municipal office (Gemeindeamt), in statutory cities at the Magistrat and in Vienna at the Municipal District Office (Magistratisches Bezirksamt). It is free of charge.
- Form: each person needs their own Meldezettel. The accommodation provider – that is, the owner, main tenant or subletting landlord – signs it.
- Documents: documents showing your name, date and place of birth and nationality, such as a passport or birth certificate. Non-Austrians need a travel document.
- Submission: in person, by courier, by post or online in the registration portal with ID Austria or EU Login. Fax and email are not legally permitted.
- Penalties: according to the site, breaches can be fined up to 726 euros (up to 2,180 euros for repeat offences).
As an example for a city, Graz states: registration within three days of actually moving in, online for EU citizens or in person after booking via eTermin; according to the city, the registration service in the Bürger:innenamt (citizens' office), Schmiedgasse 26, is open Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 1 pm. General information on registering after a move is provided in the guide to re-registration deadlines, and overall planning in the guide to costs and planning.
Austria: vehicle registration, NoVA, ORF fee and social security
Besides the Meldezettel, there are further steps in Austria.
Car and NoVA: according to the Federal Ministry of Finance, the standard fuel consumption tax (NoVA) is due when a vehicle is delivered to a customer in Austria or registered for road use for the first time, for example on import or relocation. The procedures differ depending on whether you come from an EU member state or a non-EU country. The ministry has dedicated pages on "relocation and personal vehicle import", and the tax office provides information on the amount. The oesterreich.gv.at portal brings together information on personal import, vehicle registration and number plates. For imports from EU states, it distinguishes the steps of purchase, transfer to Austria, vehicle type approval and registration in Austria; for imports from non-EU countries, customs formalities at the border and official errands in Austria are added.
No-parking zone at the destination: for temporary orders for removals, the City of Graz names the road department (Straßenamt), Temporary Use team; you can get information there by phone (+43 316 872-3646) or email ([email protected]).
ORF fee: it is collected by ORF-Beitrags Service GmbH per address as soon as at least one adult person is registered there with their main residence. No separate registration is needed for private addresses; the data comes from the Central Register of Residents. You can reach the hotline on 05 0200 800.
Social security: the sozialversicherung.at portal brings together information on the e-card, forms and online services.
How to proceed next is shown in our checklist for moving to Austria. If you want to have furniture transported without moving yourself, you will find tips in the article Furniture transport to Austria.
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