Moving to Germany from the UK means registering your address before almost anything else works.** Germany runs on a residence-registration system that most other EU countries don't use in the same way: within 14 days of arriving, you register at your local citizens' office, and that single step is what unlocks your tax number, your health insurance application and, if you don't already have a visa, your appointment with the immigration authority. Get that sequence right and the rest of the move is straightforward. Get it wrong and you're chasing paperwork after the fact.
This guide covers the practical order of events, what a UK-Germany removal costs and how long it takes, and where to check the rules yourself rather than take our word for it.
We're not immigration or tax advisers, so treat this as a starting point rather than the final word. Confirm anything visa or residency related against the official Living in Germany guidance
Registering in Germany: Anmeldung Comes First
Since Brexit, British citizens are treated as third-country nationals under German immigration law. You can enter and stay for up to 90 days without a visa, but a permanent move needs the right permit before you travel, and a registration step once you land that other countries don't require in quite the same way.
Here's the sequence, based on gov.uk's Living in Germany guidance:
1. Sort your visa route before you leave, if you need one. Common routes include a work visa (sponsored by a German employer), a student visa, or a family reunion visa. If you didn't arrange a visa in advance, you'll need to book an appointment with your local Foreigners' Authority (Ausländerbehörde) within 90 days of arriving.
2. Register your address (Anmeldung) within 14 days of arriving, at the local registration office (Bürgeramt) for your area. This is a legal requirement, not a formality.
3. Your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer) arrives by post after you register, and your employer will need it.
4. Apply for health insurance. Cover is compulsory in Germany. Most people join a statutory provider (Krankenkasse), often arranged through an employer, though private cover is available in some cases. Retirees and some short-term arrangements can use a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or an S1 form instead. Check healthcare for UK nationals in Germany for which applies to you.
5. If you move house within Germany later, you'll need to re-register (Ummeldung) within 14 days of the new address too.
Because visa categories, income thresholds and required documents change, always check current requirements on gov.uk or with the German Missions in the United Kingdombefore applying. We're removals specialists, not immigration advisers, so we won't guess at rules that affect your legal right to stay.
What Does a Move to Germany Cost, and How Long Does It Take?
A German removal isn't priced off a single figure, and the biggest swing factor isn't always the move itself. Here's what actually shapes the total:
| Factor | Why it matters for Germany specifically |
|---|---|
| How much you're shipping | Sets whether a shared part-load or a dedicated vehicle makes more sense |
| Destination | Frankfurt and Cologne sit closer to the crossing points than Munich or further south, which affects the route |
| Packing standard | German apartment buildings often mean lift access or stair carries, so packing needs to hold up to more handling than a ground-floor UK move |
| Storage bridge | If your Anmeldung and tenancy start before your shipment can be delivered, storage covers the gap |
The registration timeline above tends to matter more for total cost than people expect: renting in Germany usually means a deposit (Kaution) of two to three months' rent, on top of visa fees and health insurance contributions, so the removal itself is often a smaller share of your overall moving costs than people assume. We give a free, itemised quote for the removal once we know your move details.
Transit time follows the same logic: a dedicated vehicle to Frankfurt or Cologne runs faster than a shared load reaching Munich or further south. Full detail on how routes, loads and transit windows work is on our Germany removals page.
A Realistic Timeline
| Stage | What's involved |
|---|---|
| 3 to 6 months before | Confirm your visa route (if needed), gather documents, start the application |
| 2 to 3 months before | Book your removal, arrange export packing, confirm your German address |
| 4 to 6 weeks before | Finalise customs paperwork, arrange pet travel if needed, sort UK admin (banks, HMRC, GP) |
| 1 to 2 weeks before | Confirm collection date, finish packing |
| Within 14 days of arrival | Complete your Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt |
| Within 90 days of arrival |
Attend your Foreigners' Authority appointment, if you didn't secure a visa before travelling |
Popular Destinations for UK Movers
Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg are the most common destinations for UK nationals relocating to Germany, each with its own access considerations for a removals crew, from Berlin's courtyard buildings to Hamburg's older port-city residential blocks. Our Germany removals page covers the access detail for each city, alongside the other towns and regions we serve across the country.
Moving with Pets to Germany
The microchip, rabies vaccination and Animal Health Certificate rules for bringing a pet into Germany are the same post-Brexit requirements that apply to any EU country, so if you've researched this for another route, most of it will be familiar. What's worth checking specifically for Germany is that entry has to be through an approved travel point, and that Germany's own customs authority (Zoll) publishes country-specific guidance on importing pets alongside the general gov.uk guidance on taking pets abroad. Confirm current requirements with your vet before you travel, since these rules do change.
Driving in Germany
Buying a car once you're settled is often simpler than shipping one, but if you'd rather bring your own vehicle, four things need sorting:
- Driving licence. A UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man licence is valid to drive in Germany for up to 6 months. After that, you must exchange it for a German licence at your local driving authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde), and you cannot renew or replace your original licence while living in Germany.
- Vehicle registration. Bringing a UK-registered car into Germany involves customs formalities and German registration.
- Insurance. UK motor insurance doesn't automatically cover you long-term in Germany, so you'll need German-compliant cover.
- Low-emission zones. Several German cities operate Umweltzonen (environmental zones) that restrict access for older, more polluting vehicles.
Full detail sits with gov.uk's guidance on driving in Germany and the local Fahrerlaubnisbehörde, so check current requirements before you commit to shipping a car rather than buying one there.
How Regal Moving & Storage Handles the UK-Germany Route
Because Germany's process leans so heavily on getting registered quickly after arrival, timing the removal itself matters more here than on some other routes: if your shipment arrives before your Anmeldung and tenancy are sorted, you're paying for temporary storage you didn't plan for. Our coordinators build the delivery window around your actual registration timeline rather than treating it as a separate problem.
That means export packing built to handle lift access or stair carries common in German apartment buildings, customs paperwork prepared ahead of collection, and UK storage bridging the gap, self storage units, containerised wooden container storage, or mobile collect-and-deliver storage, if your German address isn't ready when your UK move-out date arrives. Every move is backed by the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee, and one coordinator manages your move from first enquiry through to delivery.
Full detail on the route, destinations and access considerations for cities like Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg is on our Germany removals page, or see our wider European removals services for other countries and routes.
Moving to Germany FAQs
Yes, if you're staying longer than 90 days. British citizens can visit Germany visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, but a permanent or extended move needs the right long-stay visa or residence permit before you travel, or a Foreigners' Authority appointment within 90 days of arrival if you didn't arrange one in advance. Check current requirements on gov.uk.
Start Planning Your Move to Germany
Whether you're still working out your visa route or ready to book your removal, getting the registration sequence right early makes the whole move easier. Our team handles the export packing, customs paperwork and delivery logistics, so you can focus on settling in.
