Moving Household Goods to Austria: Customs

Bringing furniture and belongings to Austria? Separate EU moves from non-EU imports, understand relocation relief and build a documented shipping plan before loading the van.

Start with the customs route, not the removal quote

Moving your belongings to Austria involves two separate plans: transporting the goods and establishing how customs treats them. A removal company can provide packing and delivery, but a quotation saying “door to door” does not necessarily include every declaration, storage charge or tax. Before booking, identify the departure country, route, owner, intended use and when you are transferring your normal residence.

This guide was reviewed on 16 October 2026. It explains ordinary personal household moves and planning questions, not every commercial, excise or restricted-goods situation. A passport alone does not determine the shipment’s customs treatment. An Austrian citizen returning from outside the EU can face an import procedure, while a non-EU citizen moving personal belongings already in the EU may have a different customs starting point.

Moving from another EU country differs from importing from outside the EU

Austria’s Finance Ministry states that moving personal property from another EU member state does not require import taxes, duties or personal-property customs formalities under its ordinary relocation guidance. It separately warns about NoVA before first registering a car in Austria. Do not interpret the household-goods rule as a universal exemption for a vehicle, new commercial stock or a shipment passing through a different customs territory.

For a non-EU departure, investigate import relief before the move. Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are not EU member states. Border or trade arrangements can differ, so ask about the actual route rather than assuming that a short drive or visa-free travel removes customs requirements. Give the carrier the collection and delivery addresses and every transit country when requesting its written plan.

The ordinary non-EU relocation-relief conditions

The Finance Ministry’s ordinary relief rules cover qualifying used personal property when you transfer normal residence into the EU. They generally require twelve consecutive months of previous normal residence outside the EU customs territory, ownership and at least six months’ prior use of the goods, and continued use for the same purpose. The property must normally be entered for free circulation within twelve months of establishing the new residence.

The relief also limits disposal during the twelve months after customs clearance: lending, hiring, transferring or using goods as security requires prior customs notification and can create charges. Exceptions and special cases need individual assessment. Do not treat a recently bought sofa as automatically eligible because you unpacked it, or describe business inventory as personal belongings. Ask customs how your specific facts fit before relying on a zero-duty budget.

Prepare an evidence file that matches the shipment

Make a numbered inventory with understandable descriptions, quantities and the owner of each group of goods. Keep records showing the move and previous residence, together with available evidence of purchase or use where needed. Use the same names and addresses consistently across carrier instructions and customs paperwork. An inventory is a planning aid; ask the carrier or customs what format and supporting evidence the actual declaration requires.

Separate the portable file you travel with from boxes that may be inaccessible during clearance. Keep copies of the inventory, transport agreement, identity documents and relevant correspondence. Do not pack your only original permit or essential employment records into a container arriving later. If goods belong to different household members or will arrive separately, explain that before the declaration is prepared rather than assuming one person’s signature resolves every ownership question.

Choose the correct declaration process before loading

The official Austrian guidance identifies the ZBefr 2 or English ZBefr 2E declaration and, where required, an advance basic assessment using ZBefr 2a or ZBefr 2aE. Circumstances requiring advance assessment include certain vehicle and residence arrangements. Do not choose a form just because a friend used it. Describe the timing, any retained home abroad and any vehicle to customs or the customs representative.

Ask who will act as declarant, where clearance will happen, which documents must be ready and whether your carrier’s price includes that work. If there is a transit arrangement, establish who is responsible for completing it. A shipment being allowed onward under a procedure is not necessarily the same as final clearance. Keep the reference and completion evidence; a delivery receipt alone may not prove that the customs step has been closed.

Keep vehicles, restricted items and commercial goods on separate checklists

A car can raise customs-relief, NoVA, technical approval, insurance and registration questions even when it travels with furniture. Do not make a vehicle decision by looking only at the cost of shipping the household. Obtain the vehicle-specific answer before transport, especially where approval work or tax could change whether bringing it is economical.

Also flag alcohol, tobacco, professional stock, medicines, food, plants, animals and other potentially restricted goods rather than labelling everything “household”. Personal ownership does not make every item unrestricted. Ask for the applicable rules for each category and transit route. A moving company’s willingness to pack something is not evidence that its import is permitted, and an exemption from customs charges is not an exemption from animal-health or other controls.

Compare complete delivery costs with selling and replacing

Request quotations on the same scope: packing, stairs or lift access, parking, collection, customs representation, transit, storage, final delivery and unpacking. Ask what happens if the property is not ready or clearance takes longer than expected. Identify insurance coverage, exclusions, valuation method and claims procedure rather than assuming that “insured move” means every item is covered at replacement cost.

Compare the total with a realistic replacement budget in Austria. As a hypothetical example, a low-value bulky item may cost more to transport and store than to replace, while a valuable personal item may justify specialist handling. This is a household decision, not a customs valuation method. If using a shared load, ask about the delivery window and plan essential first-week belongings separately so that a delay does not stop you starting work.

A workable collection-to-arrival sequence

First establish your residence and shipment facts, then ask which customs procedure applies. Next confirm the inventory and evidence, compare complete carrier quotations and coordinate an attainable delivery address. Only then commit to dates and loading. Photograph the condition of valuable items lawfully for your own records, record box numbers and make sure someone can receive the delivery.

After arrival, retain customs and transport documents and track any disposal restriction or outstanding procedure. If the shipment is split, keep each consignment tied to the same move and ask how the relevant time limit applies. BMF guidance recognises partial shipments within the relief period, but that is not permission to ignore declaration requirements or import unrelated future purchases under the original move.

Common questions and when to ask for help

Are all used belongings automatically duty-free? No: the applicable conditions and procedure still matter. Can I sell imported furniture immediately? Check any relief-related disposal restriction first. Is customs treatment the same as my right to live in Austria? No: the goods and the person have separate legal questions. Does the removal company decide my exemption? The customs authority decides; a carrier or representative can help prepare and submit the file.

Move to Austria’s €99 Initial Assessment can help organise the broader relocation sequence, housing dependencies and questions to put to a carrier or customs specialist. We do not act as a customs broker, determine relief, calculate an individual tax liability or guarantee clearance. For a shipment already held at a border or an urgent declaration issue, contact customs or a qualified customs representative directly. Bring the planned route and inventory to any planning discussion so the advice can address a real move rather than a general packing list.

Helpful resources

GuideBook the €99 Initial Assessment GuidePlan your move to Austria ArticleBringing a car ArticleBuild a household budget

Official sources

Requirements and fees can change. Verify your individual case with the responsible authority before applying.

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Moving Household Goods to Austria: Customs, Documents and a Practical Shipping Plan