Reviewed by Michael Dunstan, Managing Director of Palmers Relocations | Originally published 25 November 2019 | Updated 5 November 2026
At a glance
- Australian citizens can generally apply for a residence permit after entering Germany, but permission to start work is a separate matter.
- Look closely at rental descriptions: room counts, included furnishings, and kitchen arrangements may differ from what you expect.
- Address registration, known as Anmeldung, is separate from your residence permit application.
- Qualifying used household belongings can receive customs relief when you transfer your residence from outside the EU.
- Your accommodation and expected length of stay should guide what you ship.
- Arrange suitable health insurance from arrival, including any period before employment begins.
A move to Germany might begin with a job offer, a university place or the chance to live closer to family. Once the plans become real, the questions become much more ordinary. Where will you stay first? Will your furniture fit? And what do you need to organise before you can get on with everyday life?
Some details are easy to overlook from Australia. A two-room apartment may have only one bedroom. An unfurnished rental may not come with a fitted kitchen. Your first address may also affect the paperwork you can complete after arrival.
Working through those details early helps you make sensible decisions about the move, especially what to take and when you will need it.
Start with your residence and work arrangements
Australian citizens have some flexibility when planning a longer stay in Germany.
The German missions in Australia explain that Australians can generally enter without obtaining a visa beforehand and apply for the appropriate residence permit locally. The application must be made within the applicable period, generally the first 90 days.
That flexibility does not automatically allow you to begin working. If you need to start a job soon after arrival, arranging the appropriate visa in advance may be the more practical option. German missions’ visa guidance for Australians, official application process.
Discuss the timing with your employer before settling on a start date. Leave room for the application process rather than assuming it will fit neatly into your first week.
Choose the route that suits your plans
Employment, study and joining family involve different requirements. Skilled employment options include the EU Blue Card and other residence routes, each with its own conditions. Germany also has an Opportunity Card for eligible people seeking work. Official overview of visa types.
If you are considering a temporary stay, the Working Holiday programme is another option to investigate. Current German missions guidance allows eligible Australians to apply up to age 35 for a stay of up to 12 months, subject to the programme’s conditions. Working Holiday guidance.
Your intended stay matters to the household move too. A year in furnished accommodation calls for a different shipment from a permanent move into an empty apartment.
Give your first home some thought before packing
You may prefer to find a long-term home after arriving, when you can view properties and try the commute yourself.
If so, choose your temporary accommodation with the next steps in mind. Before booking, establish whether it can support any address registration you need and whether it can receive anything beyond your luggage.
Keep the furniture shipment in that conversation. A place that works well for your first few weeks may have nowhere to put a dining table and twenty cartons.
Read the rental description carefully
German listings commonly count living rooms as well as bedrooms. A 2-Zimmer-Wohnung, or two-room apartment, usually means a bedroom and living room, with the kitchen and bathroom counted separately.
Long-term rentals are often unfurnished, and some do not include a fitted kitchen. Get a clear inventory before deciding what to bring. Official housing guidance.
That kitchen detail deserves attention. You may need to budget for appliances or an installation, but it does not mean shipping your Australian kitchen equipment will automatically be the answer. Compare the property’s layout and connections first.
Understand the rent you are comparing
Kaltmiete is the basic rent. Warmmiete adds specified running costs, but you still need to establish exactly what is included and which bills remain separate.
Compare homes using the full expected monthly cost. A lower advertised rent can look different once the other charges are added. German Government housing and rental guidance.
What should you take to Germany?
Start with the belongings you want to use in the home you are planning.
Your favourite chair, good cookware or a collection of books may make the move feel more settled. Large furniture needs a little more investigation, particularly while the destination property is still uncertain.
Measure pieces that cannot easily be dismantled. Ask for room dimensions and consider entrances, stairs and lifts as well. You want to know that a wardrobe can reach the bedroom before paying to send it across the world.
For each substantial item, weigh up its condition, usefulness, replacement cost and sentimental value. There is no need to treat everything you own in the same way.
When storage makes sense
For a temporary assignment, storage in Australia may let you keep furniture you want to return to without moving it twice.
Work out the likely cost over your absence, then consider what happens if your stay becomes longer. It can also help to separate belongings you definitely want to keep from things you have simply not decided about yet.
If you may send more later, discuss that before the first shipment. Customs relief has timing conditions, so leaving belongings behind indefinitely can affect the available options.
How much does moving to Germany cost?
A useful quote begins with a realistic inventory and an understanding of both properties.
A few selected pieces and boxes need a different plan from a full household with workshop equipment, outdoor furniture and fragile collections. Packing requirements and access can also change the work involved.
Give your moving specialist photographs of awkward entrances or stairs, and mention items needing special preparation. These details are easier to account for while planning than after packing has begun.
When comparing quotations, look beyond the freight figure. Establish what each includes for packing, collection, clearance coordination and destination delivery, along with any exclusions.
Keep an arrival budget alongside the removal budget. Temporary accommodation, rental setup, health insurance and furnishing gaps can fall close together. If an employer is contributing, find out which expenses need approval and whether you must pay them before reimbursement.
Choosing how your belongings travel
The right shipping arrangement depends on how much you are taking and how soon you need it.
A shared-container service may suit a smaller shipment with flexible timing. A sole-use container may suit a larger household, while air freight can be considered for selected essentials. Palmers can discuss the options available for your route. International moving services.
Think about the weeks before delivery. Furnished accommodation may give you room to wait for the shipment. An empty apartment will need a plan for sleeping, cooking and working in the meantime.
Ask about the whole journey
A freight journey is only one part of an international move. Collection, preparation, departure, clearance and delivery all need to fit together.
Request an estimate for your proposed service and establish what period it covers. Avoid planning a furniture delivery around the vessel’s expected arrival alone.
Keep your moving team informed as the destination becomes clearer, especially if there are building bookings, parking restrictions or a change of address.
Bringing household goods into Germany
Qualifying household belongings can be imported with customs relief when you transfer your normal residence from outside the EU to Germany.
The standard conditions include having lived outside the EU customs territory for at least 12 months and having used the relevant non-consumable goods for at least six months before the move. They must remain for the same personal or household purpose.
The goods generally need to be declared within 12 months of the move. Restrictions apply to selling, giving away or lending them during the 12 months after the declaration is accepted. German federal guidance on removal goods.
Prepare the evidence while it is easy to find
Your inventory is part of the customs preparation, alongside evidence of your move and ownership where required.
The German procedure uses Form 0350 for the removal-goods declaration. Discuss the documents and clearance arrangements before dispatch, particularly if belongings will travel in separate shipments.
Flag new purchases, alcohol, tobacco and unusual items early. Customs relief does not remove restrictions or make every possession eligible. German federal customs procedure.
Make room for Anmeldung in your arrival plans
Anmeldung is the registration of your address. It is separate from applying for a residence permit.
The general requirement is to register within two weeks of moving into your home. For rented accommodation, the process normally requires a landlord’s confirmation called a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Official registration guidance.
Before signing for accommodation, establish how the confirmation will be provided. Then follow the appointment and document instructions for the municipality where you will live.
Keep copies of the registration paperwork accessible. A small folder of arrival documents is much easier to manage than searching through emails while trying to complete another application.
Arrange health insurance from the beginning
Health insurance is generally compulsory for residents in Germany. The statutory and private systems have different eligibility requirements, so the suitable arrangement depends on your circumstances.
If you are moving for work, speak with your employer and prospective insurer before departure. Establish when regular cover begins and how you will cover any gap after arrival.
Ordinary short-stay travel insurance should not be assumed sufficient for a long-term residence or visa application. German Foreign Office health insurance guidance.
For ongoing treatment, bring a medical summary and discuss continuity of care with your doctor. It is also worth confirming how your partner and children will be covered rather than assuming one policy automatically includes everyone.
Moving with children
School arrangements can influence where you live, so begin that discussion alongside the housing search.
Germany’s education system varies between federal states. Contact the relevant local authority or prospective schools about placement, the documents needed and language support.
If your children are still learning German, ask how the school supports new arrivals. The Government’s school guidance specifically recommends investigating Deutsch als Zweitsprache, or German as a second language. Schooling in Germany.
Keep recent reports and information about any learning or medical needs with your documents. Those details help the conversation move beyond simply finding a place.
Taking a dog or cat
Pet preparation has its own timetable, so start before booking flights.
Entry from Australia needs to meet the applicable EU requirements, including identification, rabies vaccination and health documentation. Travel dates relative to your own also matter to whether the movement qualifies as non-commercial.
Discuss the complete route with the specialist arranging transport, especially if you and your pet will arrive separately. European Commission guidance on bringing pets into the EU.
Include the pet in your accommodation search too. Having travel arranged is only part of the plan; your first home needs to be suitable as well.
Will you need a car?
Look at the journeys you will actually make before deciding to ship your Australian car.
A home close to work may give you different options from one involving a cross-country commute or regular travel with children. Compare the full vehicle import and registration process with arranging a car after arrival.
Your driving licence is a separate consideration. The Australian Embassy explains that Australian licences generally cease to be recognised after six months of residence and that conversion normally does not require a practical or theory test. Additional documents or an eye test may be needed depending on the licence.
Contact the local licensing authority early, while you have time to obtain records from Australia. Australian Embassy driving licence guidance.
Planning your Germany move with Palmers
You can start the conversation before every detail is settled.
Tell Palmers why you are moving, your likely travel date and what you know about your first home. A provisional inventory will help us discuss the shipment, including any belongings you may store or send later.
Mention pets, vehicles and specialist items at the beginning so their arrangements can be considered alongside the household move.
Call 1300 363 916 or explore our international removals service to begin planning.