Moving to Karlsruhe: costs process & districts

Karlsruhe is divided into 27 districts. Around the centre lie the city centre, the Südweststadt, the Weststadt and the Oststadt, with many Wilhelminian-era and post-war buildings; to the west, Mühlburg, Daxlanden and Knielingen follow towards the Rhine, and to the south Rüppurr. On the eastern edge lies Durlach, from which Karlsruhe was founded in 1715, along with Grötzingen and the hillside districts such as Hohenwettersbach or Stupferich, which have been part of the Black Forest Central/North Nature Park since 2021.

In the north lie Neureut and the Waldstadt by the Hardtwald forest. For the move, the specific address is what counts: we clarify floor, stairwell and space for the lorry during the survey. Our private moving service adapts to this.

Karlsruhe is the administrative seat of the Karlsruhe administrative region and of the district of Karlsruhe. With the Federal Court of Justice, the Federal Public Prosecutor General and the Federal Constitutional Court, the city is the centre of the German judiciary. Among its nine higher education institutions, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is the oldest and largest, and since 2019 once again a University of Excellence. There are also two Rhine ports, Germany's largest refinery and companies such as dm and EnBW. We do not give specific rents – they depend heavily on location and condition.

If you are arriving for the start of a semester or a new job, fix your moving day early: according to the city, the signs must be in place 96 hours beforehand. Long distances from Berlin can be found under Long-distance moves.

• from €344 for a one-room flat
• from €589 for a two-room flat
• from €915 for a three-room flat
• from €1,309 for a four-room flat
• individual quote for a house/villa
• from €4.10/km for long-distance moves

The exact price is only determined after a free survey.

• Volume as the basic factor
• Distance from €4.10/km
• Floor, whether there is a lift or not
• Parking restriction zone needed or not

Can be booked in addition: furniture assembly and a part load.

We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) for private and business customers. In the locations overview you will find places with their own pages, and details on long distances under Long-distance moves. We also move you within Karlsruhe or into the surrounding area if the planning from Berlin fits.

In Karlsruhe, parking restriction signs for a move require a permit from the road traffic office (Straßenverkehrsstelle). According to the Baden-Württemberg service portal, whose text the City of Karlsruhe approved on 22 January 2026, this permit is free of charge for parking restrictions of up to three days. The road traffic office is located in the Servicezentrum Auto und Verkehr, Steinhäuserstraße 22, and can be reached via the public service number 115 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm) or at [email protected].

How to proceed: you can apply by phone or informally in writing. State your name, old and new address, phone number, purpose, date, period, area and the length of the parking restriction, which is usually based on the length of the removal vehicle. A sketch can help. You may only put up the signs once you have received the traffic order.

• Deadline: the signs must be in place at least 96 hours (four days) before the moving date.
• Signs: you can get them from specialist traffic safety companies or from the civil engineering office (Tiefbauamt), traffic equipment section, for a fee. The hire fee is €34 per week or part thereof (€17 per sign); collection is only possible by appointment on 0721 133-6643.
• Absolute no-stopping zone: if one already applies in front of the loading zone, you need an exemption permit.
• Illegally parked vehicles: if vehicles are in the zone despite the signs, you can have them towed; the owners bear the costs.

Moving companies usually take care of obtaining, setting up and removing the signs; more on this on the Parking restriction zone page.

According to the Baden-Württemberg service portal, supplemented by the City of Karlsruhe, you can dispose of bulky waste free of charge twice a year in Karlsruhe: via the fixed date for kerbside bulky waste collection and via “bulky waste on demand” (Sperrmüll auf Abruf). For the latter, each household chooses one date a year from three suggestions; appointments are made via the public service number 115 or online. The responsible office is Team Sauberes Karlsruhe, Ottostraße 21 in Durlach. The dates for kerbside bulky waste collection are in the collection calendar at karlsruhe.de/abfall. The rules can change, so check the current status before registering.

• The amount put out is limited to 4 cubic metres per household.
• Only items you would also take with you when moving count – no doors, washbasins or plasterboard, and no hazardous substances, building waste, old tyres or electrical appliances.
• Wood waste must be placed separately on the pavement; anything that does not count as bulky waste must be removed by the following day at the latest.

Public transport: according to its website, the Karlsruhe transport association (KVV) offers tickets for individuals, commuters, school pupils and students as well as the Deutschlandticket; the zones are explained in the fare zone map. Among other things, Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe operates the light rail tunnel and the Turmbergbahn funicular in Durlach. Further information is available at Moving company Karlsruhe and in the guide Living in Karlsruhe.