Moving from Germany to United States
A classic transatlantic move, usually for work or family, with a smooth customs process if your paperwork is right. Here is the honest brief on cost, shipping from the German ports, and the visa routes that actually apply.
Costs are indicative ranges for 2026.
The honest summary of this move.
Shipping a household from Germany to the United States is a well established transatlantic lane. For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared sea container runs roughly 4,500 to 9,500 US dollars in 2026, arriving in about four to eight weeks door to door from the German ports of Hamburg or Bremerhaven to a United States gateway such as New York and New Jersey, Houston, Savannah, or Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The customs side is friendlier than many expect, but it is front loaded. Returning residents and people moving to live in the United States can import used household goods and personal effects free of duty under the rules in chapter 98 of the tariff, but you must complete the customs declaration, CBP form 3299, the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles, before clearance. Goods you have owned and used for at least a year abroad are the clean case.
The harder part is immigration. There is no single easy route, and the United States runs distinct categories rather than a points system. Germans often use the treaty trader and treaty investor visas, the E categories, because Germany has a commerce treaty with the United States, or an intracompany transfer, the L visa, or an employer sponsored work visa. Family and permanent residence through a green card are separate paths. Get your status settled before you ship.
Once you arrive, one early errand stands out: applying for a Social Security number, the SSN, at a Social Security office, since it underpins payroll, banking, and credit. There is no national residents registry as in Germany, but you will deal with the state motor vehicle agency and local utilities. Budget in dollars and remember that summer is peak season on this lane.
What it costs, by home size and method.
The numbers below are indicative ranges for Germany to the United States in 2026. East Coast and Gulf gateways are usually cheaper than the West Coast because the ocean leg is shorter, and inland delivery adds cost.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars. The main drivers are volume in cubic metres, your United States gateway and the inland distance to your final address, port and delivery access, packing scope, and the season. Summer carries a premium of roughly ten to twenty percent.
- + Best value for a 2 to 3 bedroom home
- + You pay only for the space you use
- - Fixed sailings, so less flexible on dates
- + Faster and sealed, your goods only
- + Pays off for a 3 bedroom home or larger
- - Overkill and pricey for smaller loads
- + Fastest by a wide margin
- + Good for essentials you need on arrival
- - Three to four times the cost by volume
A sane timeline, working back from the sailing.
The visa is the long pole on this lane, so start it well before you book a container out of Hamburg or Bremerhaven.
Settle your visa status
Confirm your route, whether a treaty E visa, an intracompany L transfer, an employer sponsored work visa, or family or green card sponsorship, and begin the process. United States immigration timing is the main constraint.
Get three surveys
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume and a binding quote. Compare sailings from Hamburg or Bremerhaven to your United States gateway and confirm your container slot.
Prepare CBP form 3299
Complete the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles, CBP form 3299, with a valued inventory, and gather your passport, visa, and any supplemental declaration your destination agent requests.
Pack and load
The packing crew comes one to two days before collection. Goods are inventoried, sealed, and trucked to Hamburg or Bremerhaven for the Atlantic crossing.
Clear United States customs
Your shipment clears Customs and Border Protection at the United States gateway against form 3299 and your inventory, then is delivered, unpacked, and debris removed at your new home.
Apply for your SSN
Apply for a Social Security number at a Social Security office, since it underpins payroll, banking, and credit. Then arrange your state driver licence, utilities, and any state specific registrations.
Bringing your household goods into the United States.
The United States allows people moving to live there, including returning residents, to import used household goods and personal effects free of duty, but the entry is documented and CBP form 3299 is central.
Used household and personal effects you have owned and used abroad, generally for at least a year, can be entered free of duty under the household and personal effects provisions in chapter 98 of the tariff, often cited as heading 9804. United States Customs and Border Protection, the CBP, assesses the entry, and the core document is the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles, CBP form 3299, supported by a valued inventory.
You will typically need form 3299, your passport and visa, a detailed packing inventory in English, and sometimes a supplemental declaration listing the goods. New items, goods bought for resale, and certain regulated products fall outside the relief. Alcohol, food, plant material, and similar goods are tightly controlled and can require separate clearance or be prohibited.
Restricted and regulated categories include firearms, certain foods, plants, and products from protected species, several of which involve other agencies beyond the CBP. Pets from Germany must meet the rules of the destination state and the federal authorities, including rabies requirements. A German car can be imported but must meet United States safety and emissions standards, which many European models do not, so most movers sell before leaving.
Verify before you move. The duty free provisions, the use of form 3299, supplemental declarations, and the rules for regulated goods such as alcohol, food, and vehicles change and are enforced by several agencies. Confirm the current position with United States Customs and Border Protection and your mover's destination agent before your goods ship.The realistic routes for this corridor.
Germans need a visa or green card to live in the United States, and the system uses categories rather than points. These are the routes movers on this lane use most.
The E1 and E2 visas let nationals of countries with a commerce treaty, which includes Germany, run substantial trade or a real investment in the United States. They are a defining route for German entrepreneurs on this corridor.
The L1 visa moves managers, executives, and specialised staff from a German office to a related United States office. The employer drives the petition, and it is common for corporate relocations.
Work visas such as the H1B for specialty occupations require an employer petition, and some are subject to annual caps and a lottery, so timing is uncertain and employer led.
Spouses and close relatives of United States citizens and permanent residents can be sponsored for residence, and employment based green cards exist for certain workers. Waiting times vary widely by category.
How to choose a mover for Germany to United States.
We never name, rank, or recommend a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that matters on this exact lane. Apply it to any quote, then request comparable quotes through the form below.
FIDI or IAM affiliation
Membership of the FIDI Global Alliance or the International Association of Movers signals audited financial stability and a complaints process you can lean on if something goes wrong.
Real corridor experience
Ask how many households the company has shipped on your exact route in the past year. A mover that runs the lane weekly knows the ports, the customs broker, and the paperwork by heart.
A binding pre move survey
Insist on a video or in home survey and a binding or not to exceed quote. A price built from a real volume estimate is the only quote you can compare like for like.
Clear insurance terms
Read how marine transit cover is calculated, what the deductible is, and whether valuation is by replacement value. Vague cover is the most common regret on an international move.
Verifiable reviews
Look for recent, specific reviews that name the destination, not just star ratings. Patterns in how a company handles claims tell you more than any single glowing note.
Written scope and timeline
Everything that matters belongs in writing: packing, customs clearance, delivery, unpacking, and debris removal, with who pays destination charges spelled out.
Get moving quotes for Germany to United States.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Germany to the United States?
For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared container typically costs from about 4,500 to 9,500 US dollars in 2026. East Coast and Gulf gateways are usually cheaper than the West Coast, inland delivery adds cost, and summer carries a premium. Base your budget on a binding pre move survey.
How long does shipping take from Germany to the United States?
Plan on roughly four to eight weeks door to door for a shared container from Hamburg or Bremerhaven, including consolidation, the ocean crossing, customs clearance, and inland delivery. A sole use container is faster at about three to six weeks, and air freight lands in one to two weeks at a much higher cost.
Do I pay duty on my furniture moving to the United States?
If you are moving to live in the United States, used household goods and personal effects you have owned and used abroad, generally for at least a year, can enter free of duty under chapter 98 of the tariff, declared on CBP form 3299 with an inventory. Rules change, so confirm with Customs and Border Protection before shipping.
What is CBP form 3299?
It is the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles, the central customs document for importing your household goods to the United States free of duty. You complete it with a valued inventory before clearance, and your mover's destination agent usually helps prepare it.
Which visa do Germans usually use for the United States?
Many use the treaty trader or treaty investor visas, the E1 and E2, because Germany has a commerce treaty with the United States, or an intracompany L transfer, or an employer sponsored work visa. Family and green card routes are separate. The right route depends on your work and family situation.
Should I ship my car from Germany?
Usually not. United States safety and emissions standards differ from European ones, and many German models do not comply without costly modification. Most movers sell before leaving and buy a car locally in the United States.