Moving to Austria, handled from door to door

Where we move clients to Austria from

Other origins we cover

• France → Austria
• Belgium → Austria
• Netherlands → Austria
• Luxembourg → Austria
• Germany → Austria
• Switzerland → Austria
• Ireland → Austria
• United Kingdom → Austria
• Spain → Austria
• Portugal → Austria
• Italy → Austria
• Greece → Austria

Customs & paperwork into Austria

Moving from another EU country

Moving to Austria from another EU country involves no customs clearance and no import duty on your belongings.

Austria has one of Europe's shortest registration deadlines: you must register your address (Meldezettel) at the local registration office within three days of moving in. EU citizens staying longer than three months also apply for a registration certificate.

Moving from outside the EU (UK, Switzerland, Norway, USA, and others)

From outside the EU — including Switzerland, the United Kingdom since Brexit, the USA and beyond — your used household goods can enter Austria free of duty and import VAT as removal goods when you transfer your normal residence. To qualify:

• you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months;
• you have owned and used your belongings for at least 6 months before the move;
• you are transferring your normal residence to Austria;
• your goods are declared within 12 months of your move.

Goods cleared duty-free must not be sold, lent or hired out during the first 12 months.

Moves from Switzerland are the most common non-EU route into Austria: we handle export on the Swiss side and import into Austria at the border, on working days.

Alcohol and tobacco are not covered and are taxed.

Documents usually required for customs clearance

• Valid passport
• Your Austrian registration confirmation (Meldezettel)
• Proof of your previous residence outside the EU for at least 12 months
• Residence permit, if you are not an EU citizen
• A detailed, signed inventory of your belongings
• The customs declaration for removal goods, which we prepare with you

Because the Meldezettel must be done within three days, you will usually have it before your shipment arrives. Keep a copy ready for customs.

Vehicles and restricted items

• Vehicles Vehicles can be cleared duty-free with your removal goods if you have owned and used them for at least 6 months. Registering a vehicle in Austria involves the standard fuel consumption tax (NoVA) unless an exemption applies, and a technical approval.
• Alcohol and tobacco Excluded from the exemption when shipped from outside the EU, and taxed.
• Firearms Require permits and specific declarations. Tell us before packing.
• Pets Pets travel separately from household goods. They need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport or an official health certificate, depending on the country of origin.

How a move to Austria works

1. Free quote. Give us your departure address, your new home in Austria and a rough volume. We send an online estimate right away and a written quote within a day.
2. Survey and planning. We validate the volume with you, pick the transport mode and go through the customs rules that apply on this route to Austria.
3. Packing and collection. Our local team packs, inventories and loads your belongings at your home in Austria.
4. Transport. Your belongings travel by the mode that fits your route to Austria: dedicated truck or shared load within Europe, sea container or air freight otherwise.
5. Customs clearance (where required). We prepare and file the documents for clearance in Austria (Austrian customs declaration for non-EU moves).
6. Delivery and set-up. Final-mile delivery to your door; unpacking and reassembly are added when your quote includes them.

One coordinator follows your move to Austria from the first call to the final delivery.

Modes and typical door-to-door times

The times below are door to door and depend on the season, your exact addresses and, if the route needs it, customs clearance.

Door-to-door transit times are indicative. Austria has no seaport: containers arrive in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Koper or Trieste and continue by road or rail.

How the price of your move to Austria is calculated

Like every international mover, we build your price to Austria from a few concrete factors:

• Volume — measured in cubic metres (m³) — the main cost driver. Our online volume calculator helps you estimate it room by room.
• Distance and route — measured on the actual road, from your door to your delivery address in Austria.
• Transport mode — shared load, dedicated truck, sea container (shared or exclusive) or air freight.
• Services — everything beyond pure transport: packing, dismantling, crating, short-term storage, extra legs by ferry.
• Access — walk-up floors, pedestrian streets, long carries from the truck, and hoists where access is tight.
• Customs — brokerage, declaration and port handling charges on routes to Austria that cross a customs border.
• Insurance — a small percentage of the declared value — scalable to what you want covered.

Typical volumes, as a guide:

Our online estimator gives you a starting price for road moves within Europe in two minutes. For sea and air freight, and for any move with customs, you receive a detailed written quote — reply within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay customs duties when moving to Austria from Switzerland or the UK?

Not if your belongings qualify as removal goods: at least 12 months living outside the EU, goods owned and used for at least 6 months, and a transfer of your normal residence to Austria.

How quickly must I register my address in Austria?

Within three days of moving in, at the local registration office. Your Meldezettel is then used for customs and most other formalities.

Is there any customs paperwork when moving from another EU country?

No. Moves between EU countries involve no customs formalities and no import duty.

Can I bring my car to Austria?

Yes, duty-free with your removal goods if you have owned and used it for at least 6 months. Registration in Austria may involve the NoVA tax and a technical approval.

How long does a move to Austria take?

From neighbouring countries, a dedicated truck usually delivers within a few days. A shared load takes one to four weeks. From North America, allow six to twelve weeks by sea container via a European port.