Moving to Germany
The UAE to Germany corridor runs on sea and air freight into one of Europe’s most meticulously regulated customs regimes. Seemleius holds the paperwork and the plan.
- 22 years moving households & cargo
- 1,213+ moves delivered door to door
- 4.9 on Google from 12 reviews
- One coordinator from quote to delivery
Moving your home? Relocation to Germany from Dubai and Abu Dhabi
A Hamburg-bound shipment from Dubai begins on the road these days: the Strait of Hormuz has been closed to commercial shipping since February 2026, so containers are trucked to a port outside the strait, such as Khor Fakkan or Fujairah on the UAE’s east coast or Sohar in Oman, and sail for Hamburg from there. Routing and dates are confirmed at your survey, and your coordinator passes on the vessel and booking details once the sailing is fixed. That is the level a German move runs on, and the level our 22 years’ experience is built around.
Typical moves to Germany include a Mittelstand engineer heading back to Stuttgart, a Dubai family taking up a flat in Munich-Schwabing for the school year, or a UAE firm consolidating its German subsidiary in Frankfurt. The rules are exacting, so the paperwork is prepared before anything ships.
Why move with Seemleius
Übersiedlungsgut handled precisely
Article 3-11 transfer-of-residence relief exempts personal effects owned and used for six months or more from duty and the 19% Einfuhrumsatzsteuer, if you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months. We prepare the Zoll dossier and German-language inventory before the container sails.
ATLAS prepared in advance
German Customs runs ATLAS as its electronic backbone. A mismatch between declared value and inventory stalls the box. Our destination partner pre-validates the lodgement so the file is right first time.
Anmeldung-aware scheduling
Residents register at the Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving in, and the Meldebescheinigung is sometimes needed at the bonded warehouse. We plan the shipment around your lease start and registration appointment, and share the carrier’s estimated arrival once the sailing is booked.
How your move works
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Survey and brief
UAE survey or video walk-through, volume measured in cubic metres, items that change customs treatment flagged. Sea and air options come back against the Anmeldung window and your German start date.
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Documentation before sail
EORI confirmed for commercial flows. Übersiedlungsgut declaration (Form 0350) prepared with a German inventory and proof of the move, such as UAE deregistration evidence and a German registration certificate or rental contract. ICS2 pre-arrival data supplied before sailing.
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Export pack and dispatch
Export-standard pack from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah. ISPM-15 timber where required. Sea freight to Hamburg, Bremerhaven or Wilhelmshaven, or air to FRA, MUC, DUS or HAM.
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Clearance and delivery
ATLAS lodgement at point of entry, Übersiedlungsgut relief applied, container devanned and trucked. Schwertransport permits for over-dimensional loads. Our destination partner unpacks, reassembles and removes debris on the same visit.
The UAE–Germany corridor in detail
Sea and air routes
Sea lands at three German ports. Hamburg via the Elbe handles most household traffic. Bremerhaven suits consignments routing north and west; Wilhelmshaven (JadeWeserPort) is the deeper-draught option on some rotations. Air from DXB covers FRA, MUC, DUS and HAM in six to seven hours.
ATLAS, the Zoll and Übersiedlungsgut
The Generalzolldirektion runs ATLAS as its electronic clearance backbone. For household goods moving from the UAE the working filing is Übersiedlungsgut — Article 3-11 transfer-of-residence relief under Council Regulation 1186/2009. It covers duty and the 19% import VAT on personal effects owned and used for six months or more, where the resident has lived outside the EU for 12 months and is establishing primary residence in Germany. The file includes a German-language inventory, a Meldebescheinigung or German rental contract, UAE deregistration evidence and a signed declaration on Form 0350. New white goods, commercial stock and commercial vehicles sit outside the relief.
Transit, exclusions, vehicles and pets
By sea, routing and dates are confirmed at the survey, as sailing schedules are longer and less predictable than before. Add three to five days for ATLAS clearance, then one to three days road delivery south to Munich or Stuttgart. Air is usually 36 to 48 hours from Dubai to Frankfurt, plus a working-day clearance. Exclusions: firearms need a Waffenbesitzkarte, certain Waffengesetz knives cannot ship, alcohol and tobacco get no Übersiedlungsgut relief, new boxed electronics do not qualify, plants need phytosanitary certificates. A used UAE vehicle needs a TÜV inspection and registration at the local Zulassungsstelle, and its emissions class decides whether it may enter an Umweltzone. Pets follow the EU rules for pets from non-EU countries: microchip, EU-recognised rabies vaccination 21+ days before travel, EU health certificate from an official UAE vet within 10 days.
Destination clusters and pricing
Berlin for technology and creative; Munich for automotive (BMW München, Audi at Ingolstadt); Hamburg for logistics and Finkenwerder aerospace; Frankfurt for finance and the Main chemical corridor; Stuttgart for Mittelstand engineering; Düsseldorf for media. Pricing builds from volume, route, freight mode, customs treatment and destination access; every quote itemises freight, customs, haulage, packing and, if you choose it, transit insurance.
Dubai Marina to Munich-Bogenhausen
A family of four on a five-year posting with a German automotive group, with the children due to start school in Munich at the new term. The coordinator plans the move around the apartment handover and the term date: sea freight to Hamburg, then a road leg south once the container has cleared. The Übersiedlungsgut declaration goes in with the family’s Munich Meldebescheinigung.
Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt finance role
A senior banker starting a role at one of the Bankenviertel houses, with part of the household going by air and the rest by sea to bridge the move-in window. The coordinator splits the consignment into priority air freight to FRA for working items and a sea container to Hamburg for everything else. Both shipments are declared as Übersiedlungsgut, with the same inventory references on the air waybill and the bill of lading.
Engineering consignment to Stuttgart
A specialist engineering firm shipping test equipment to its Stuttgart facility: export paperwork is prepared in Dubai and the ATLAS lodgement is filed before the box lands at Bremerhaven. Your coordinator and our destination partner arrange the Schwertransport permit for an over-dimensional crate and the escorted run south on the autobahn, timing delivery to the engineer's site induction window.
Frequently asked questions — Germany corridor
What is Übersiedlungsgut and do I qualify?
It is transfer-of-residence relief under Article 3-11 of Council Regulation 1186/2009. You qualify if you have lived outside the EU for 12 months or more, items have been owned and used for six months or more, and you are establishing primary residence in Germany. It covers duty and the 19% Einfuhrumsatzsteuer, and the goods are declared on Form 0350 within 12 months of your move.
How long does ATLAS clearance take?
For a properly lodged file, three to five working days at Hamburg or Bremerhaven is realistic. Air at Frankfurt typically clears in a working day. Where the Zoll desk asks for the Meldebescheinigung, the clock pauses until it is issued.
Hamburg or Bremerhaven?
Hamburg has wider service frequency and is the default for Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart and the southern corridor. Bremerhaven suits north and west. Wilhelmshaven is the deeper-draught option on some rotations.
Does Anmeldung affect delivery timing?
It can. Every resident must register at the Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving in, and some Zoll desks ask for the Meldebescheinigung before releasing goods. We plan delivery around the appointment once the carrier’s estimated arrival is known.
Can I ship my UAE car?
Yes, but expect an individual approval inspection (Einzelabnahme) at a testing station such as TÜV if the car was not built to EU type approval, then registration at the local Zulassungsstelle; its emissions class decides whether it may enter the destination Umweltzone. A private car registered in your name in the UAE can come under the Übersiedlungsgut relief if the other conditions are met; commercial vehicles cannot.
Pet relocation?
Pets need an ISO 11784/11785 microchip, EU-recognised rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, and an EU health certificate from an official UAE vet within 10 days of departure. We hand off to an IPATA agent at Frankfurt or Munich.
What does not ship?
Firearms without a Waffenbesitzkarte, certain regulated knives, plants without phytosanitary certificates, large quantities of alcohol, and new boxed electronics treated as commercial.
Berlin and Munich differences?
Destination access drives the truck choice. Berlin's Umweltzone covers a wide central band and Munich's a tighter one, and in both cities the no-parking permit for the unloading spot has to be applied for in advance. Our destination partner books the green-sticker truck and the unloading permit ahead of delivery.
How far out should I book?
Four to six weeks before dispatch is comfortable for a full container. We can move faster on air and tight corporate timelines, but a four-week runway gives the Übersiedlungsgut file room to be right.
Ready to plan your Germany move?
Tell us when, what, and where — the coordinator or one of her team will come back to you within a working day, usually much sooner.
What people say once they’ve moved with us
“Superb packaging and customer care. On time delivery. Excellent service. Highly recommended!!”
“Miza coordinated the job so well and I appreciate her for giving me a pleasant experience with Seemleius”
“Great service! They did a great job packing all my…”Read the full review on Google
“I recently used their door to door cargo service to Jeddah from JVC, Dubai. I am extremely satisfied. The team came to my home, did excellent packing, and collection was hassle free. They are professionals and communication was very clear. Delivery to my…”Read the full review on Google
“Very smooth process throughout and importantly well updated throughout the process. I moved my home cargo from Dubai to Muscat. Seemlieus team was very professional at both the locations and I definitely recommend this”
“I'm very impressed with the level of service I received. Miza Sabroso was attentive, knowledgeable, and efficient. You can tell they truly care about their customers. Highly recommend!”Read the full review on Google
“PROFESSIONAL AND RESPECTFUL COMPANY”
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