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Be careful if the expat moves his household himself!

A further career step can sometimes lead to a job abroad. If your future employer does not provide you with a relocation budget, a job abroad often means higher expenses right from the start: flights to the destination country for an initial orientation. Search for and rent an apartment and thus broker – brokerage, deposit, first rent, etc….

Of course, they want to save money at every turn. For example, by transporting your household or the part that absolutely needs to move yourself.

But beware! As soon as you enter or leave the Schengen area or the European Union, a customs declaration is also due for your private move.

The preparation for the import customs clearance of the removal goods (personal effects) in the country of destination begins with packing the suitcase.

In the event of a move from a third country to a member state of the European Union, European customs law provides for the exemption from import duties (customs duties and import VAT) for goods that are commonly referred to as personal effects (Art. 3 et seq. of the Customs Exemption Regulation) under certain conditions.

The prerequisites for the recognition of goods as household goods are:

1. The person relocating must be a natural person who transfers his habitual residence to the customs territory of the Community.
2. The habitual residence must have existed outside the customs territory of the Community for at least twelve months before the move.
3. The goods must actually belong to the beneficiary and, in the case of non-consumable goods, have been used by him for at least six months in the third country of origin.

Goods for which this non-tariff exemption is to be applied  for must always be declared in writing for release for free circulation. (Import customs clearance in the country of destination)

In order to be on the safe side, to get your personal belongings to your new place of residence as quickly and smoothly as possible and, above all, free of import duties, it is very important to plan ahead and accurately before the actual move.

For example, the person moving should number these boxes consecutively before packing the moving boxes. As a next step, it is advisable to prepare a table of contents (DIN A4) of the contents of the individual boxes when the box is actually packed. This makes it relatively easy and quick to create an entire inventory list of your own belongings.

With this inventory list, the export of the removal goods must then be declared to the competent inland customs office of the exporting country. It is advisable to do this early (no later than 48 hours) before the actual departure in order to avoid delays due to a possible inspection.

The next step is the release for free circulation (import customs clearance in the country of destination). And it is precisely here that the previously prepared inventory list is worth its weight in gold. The upcoming import of the goods can be declared to the competent inland customs office of the new place of residence before the actual physical arrival. The customs officer uses the list to get a precise overview of the goods they have brought with them in advance. This means that he can use your table of contents to decide whether he wants to look at individual items or individual boxes when unloading the furniture transporter. This approach offers several enormous advantages.

1. You do not have to endure an extensive check on the premises of the customs office. The check can take place during your actual move-in.
2. There is a sporadic check and not all your belongings are checked.
3. You can save a lot of time when entering the country, as it is likely that only a few things need to be seen.
4. Sporadic inspection protects a much greater part of your privacy, as it is not necessary to check boxes with intimate or sensitive contents (this is at the discretion of each individual customs officer).

Feel free to call us and we will take care of your customs matters.

www.diezollagentur.de