International — Germany

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

EU Community Licence Required for Cross-Border Road Transport

Yes

Yes — The domestic-only Güterkraftverkehrserlaubnis does not cover cross-border transport; a Gemeinschaftslizenz (EU Community Licence) is required, covering Germany, the EU/EEA, and Switzerland.

§ 451 HGB Continues to Apply — CMR Does Not Cover Furniture Removal

Yes

Yes — § 451 HGB’s moving-contract liability rules (covered on the Germany page) continue to apply to cross-border moves starting or ending in Germany. The CMR Convention, which generally governs international road carriage, explicitly excludes furniture removal from its scope under Article 1(4)(c) — confirmed directly in the Convention’s own text and by its custodian body, UNIDROIT. This means a genuine household-goods/furniture-removal shipment does not automatically fall under CMR’s liability limits or consignment-note requirement; § 451 HGB remains the applicable framework by default. A mover should not assume CMR terms apply simply because a move is international and by road.

Customs Registration Required for Non-EU/EEA/Swiss Destinations

Yes, if acting as declarant or exporter of record — Moves within the EU/EEA and (largely) Switzerland involve no customs formalities, since these are single-market or closely integrated arrangements. Moves to or from a genuine third country require an export or import declaration through Germany’s ATLAS customs system, and the declarant needs a valid EORI number (Economic Operators’ Registration and Identification number, valid EU-wide, not just in Germany).

Who Needs the EORI Number

The party acting as declarant — This is typically the client (as exporter/importer) or an appointed freight forwarder/customs agent (Spedition or Zollagentur) acting on their behalf, rather than automatically the mover itself. A mover coordinating the international leg through a separate forwarder may not need its own EORI number; a mover filing declarations directly does.

Declaration Thresholds

Yes

Yes — A written export declaration is required above roughly €1,000 or 1,000 kg; electronic ATLAS declarations are generally required above roughly €3,000. Small consignments below these thresholds can, in some cases, be declared orally at a border customs office with supporting commercial documents.

Insurance

Yes

Yes — Liability and cargo insurance appropriate to § 451 HGB’s liability framework and the mode of transport, in addition to domestic vehicle insurance. Since CMR does not apply to genuine furniture removal, insurance should be scoped to § 451 HGB exposure rather than assumed to track CMR’s limits.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Cross-border household goods moves involving Germany add two separate layers on top of domestic requirements. First, the domestic-only Güterkraftverkehrserlaubnis doesn’t cover cross-border transport — a Gemeinschaftslizenz (EU Community Licence) is needed instead. Second, on liability: § 451 HGB’s specific moving-contract rules continue to apply to cross-border moves starting or ending in Germany, since the CMR Convention — which would otherwise be the natural candidate to displace domestic law for international road carriage — explicitly excludes furniture removal from its scope under Article 1(4)(c). A mover should disclose § 451 HGB liability terms to clients for genuine household-goods moves rather than assume CMR governs simply because the move crosses a border. Third, and separately, moving goods to or from a genuine third country (outside the EU/EEA and largely Switzerland) requires customs registration: an EORI number and an export or import declaration through the ATLAS system, though this obligation typically falls on whichever party — the client or an appointed forwarder — is acting as declarant, not automatically the mover itself.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Movers must:

1. Hold a Gemeinschaftslizenz (EU Community Licence) rather than relying on a domestic-only Güterkraftverkehrserlaubnis, for any cross-border road transport.
2. Apply § 451 HGB liability terms to genuine international furniture-removal moves, since CMR’s furniture-removal exclusion means the domestic framework continues to govern by default — disclose this correctly to the client rather than assuming CMR applies.
3. Determine whether the mover itself needs an EORI number, based on whether it will act as declarant/exporter of record for non-EU/EEA/Swiss moves, or whether the client or an appointed forwarder/customs agent will hold that role instead.
4. File export or import declarations through ATLAS (or arrange for an appointed forwarder/customs agent to do so) for moves crossing into or out of a genuine third country, observing the applicable value/weight thresholds for written versus electronic declarations.
5. Carry liability and cargo insurance appropriate to § 451 HGB exposure and the mode of transport.
6. Retain licence, liability-disclosure, customs registration, and insurance records as required for renewal and regulatory review.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

• Gemeinschaftslizenz held for cross-border road transportRequiredwhere applicable
• § 451 HGB liability terms applied and disclosed for international furniture-removal movesRequired
• EORI number obtained, if acting as declarant/exporter of recordRequiredwhere applicable
• ATLAS export/import declaration filed (directly or via appointed forwarder) for third-country movesRequiredwhere applicable
• Liability/cargo insurance appropriate to § 451 HGB exposure in forceRequired
• Licence, liability-disclosure, customs, and insurance records retainedRequired