Relocating a household from Germany to Canada is an intercontinental move that touches two customs regimes, two languages of paperwork, and a points-based immigration system. Your furniture leaves the European Union as export goods through Hamburg or Bremerhaven, crosses the Atlantic by sea, and clears the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as "settlers’ effects." Meanwhile you deregister in Germany, secure a Canadian visa, and start the process of having your German qualifications recognised. This guide walks through each side in order, with every rule linked to its official source so you can verify the current figures before you commit.

Freshness note: Rules and thresholds in this guide reflect German and Canadian government sources as of August 2026. Immigration cut-offs (Express Entry draw scores), CRS scoring rules, provincial health-plan waiting periods and customs value limits change frequently. Always confirm the current figure on the official page linked before you rely on it.

Key takeaways

• Settlers moving to Canada for the first time can import owned, used personal and household goods free of duty and tax under tariff item 9807.00.00, documented on form BSF186 (CBSA).
• You must give CBSA two copies of a complete list of goods, including "goods to follow", at your first point of entry (CBSA).
• Goods sold or given away within 12 months of import lose the exemption and become dutiable (CBSA D2-2-1).
• On the German side, private removal goods (Übersiedlungsgut) are handled as non-commercial personal property, but a third-country move still normally needs an ATLAS export declaration — confirm the exact procedure with your local Zollamt (Zoll — Umzug).
• You must deregister your German residence (Abmeldung) within two weeks when you give up your home and move abroad (§17 Bundesmeldegesetz).
• Most skilled migrants apply through Express Entry, ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System out of 1,200 points (IRCC).
• Provincial health cover is not automatic: British Columbia applies a wait of the arrival month plus two more (Province of BC).
• Around one in five Canadian occupations is regulated; use the federal Foreign Credential Recognition Tool to check yours (Canada.ca).

1. Confirm your immigration route first

Nothing else matters until you have the legal right to settle. Most skilled Germans use Express Entry, the online system run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that manages the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class programmes. Candidates are scored out of 1,200 by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) on age, education, language ability and work experience, and the highest-ranked receive an Invitation to Apply (IRCC — CRS criteria).

One important recent change: since 25 March 2025, IRCC stopped awarding CRS points for a valid job offer (arranged employment). IRCC has described this as a temporary measure with no announced end date, so treat it as subject to change and verify the current CRS scoring on the official criteria page before you plan around it (IRCC — CRS criteria). Draw cut-off scores also move every round, so check the latest before assuming you qualify. Provincial Nominee Programs and Quebec’s separate stream are alternatives worth exploring.

2. Deregister in Germany (Abmeldung)

When you give up your German dwelling and do not take a new one in Germany, you must deregister at your local registration office (Bürgeramt / Einwohnermeldeamt). German registration law requires this within two weeks of moving out, and the office issues an Abmeldebestätigung (deregistration certificate) (§17 Bundesmeldegesetz). That certificate is what utilities, insurers, the Rundfunkbeitrag and the tax office need to close your accounts, so keep several copies. Deregistration also matters for tax residency — settle any open matters with your Finanzamt before you go.

3. Understand the German export (Zoll) side

Personal effects leaving the EU for a third country such as Canada are handled by German customs (Zoll). For a private move, your belongings count as removal goods (Übersiedlungsgut) — non-commercial personal property you already own and use, not merchandise. Zoll’s dedicated guidance for households moving in connection with relocation, marriage, inheritance or study is on its Umzug page.

In practice, exporting a full household to a third country still normally requires an electronic export declaration through the ATLAS system, which your international mover usually prepares as declarant. You may see a widely-quoted €1,000 in value or 1,000 kg limit for simplified or oral export declarations — but that threshold applies specifically to goods of a commercial nature under EU customs rules (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446, Art. 137), not to private removal goods, which follow the separate Übersiedlungsgut regime. Because the exact procedure depends on value, vehicle content and restricted items, confirm the current requirement with your local Zollamt or your carrier before shipping.

4. Ship from Hamburg or Bremerhaven

Germany’s two big container gateways, Hamburg and Bremerhaven, handle most transatlantic household consignments to Canadian ports such as Montréal and Halifax. A typical full-container-load or shared-container (groupage) sea move runs several weeks door-to-door once packing, export clearance, sailing and Canadian import clearance are added together. Sea freight suits full households; air freight is faster but far dearer and is normally reserved for a small "need-sooner" shipment. Build a realistic buffer — customs, weather and vessel schedules all add variance.

5. Prepare your CBSA settler documents

The keystone document on arrival is the BSF186 Personal Effects Accounting Document (CBSA form BSF186). You, the importer, supply the itemised list and values; the CBSA officer at your first point of entry reviews, validates and stamps the form to record your goods. To make this smooth, prepare in advance two copies of a complete list of everything you are importing, in one of two parts: goods accompanying you now, and "goods to follow" arriving later by sea. CBSA is explicit that items will only qualify for duty- and tax-free entry "if they are on your original list" (CBSA). List makes, models, serial numbers and values; high-value electronics and jewellery especially benefit from documented values.

6. Import your household free of duty (tariff 9807.00.00)

As a settler — a person entering Canada with the intention of establishing, for the first time, a residence for not less than 12 months (i.e. 12 months or more) — you may import your owned, used personal and household goods free of duty and taxes under tariff item 9807.00.00 (CBSA D2-2-1). The core conditions:

Note that the CAN$10,000 value cap applies to former residents returning under tariff 9805.00.00, not to first-time settlers (CBSA). Restricted and prohibited goods — firearms, certain foods, plants and wood products — follow separate rules under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and CBSA; check before packing.

7. Bringing a car

Importing a vehicle is a project of its own. On the Canadian side, most imports must be registered with the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) and meet federal safety standards under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and not every German-market model is admissible (Transport Canada — Importing a vehicle; Registrar of Imported Vehicles). On the German side, private vehicle export is covered by Zoll’s export of motor vehicles guidance. Many movers find it cheaper to sell in Germany and buy locally; confirm admissibility with Transport Canada and the RIV before shipping.

8. Recognise your German qualifications

Roughly one in five Canadian occupations is regulated, meaning you need a licence or certificate from a provincial regulator before you can practise (Canada.ca). Use the federal Foreign Credential Recognition Tool on Job Bank to find out whether your occupation is regulated, who the regulator is, and the steps, time and cost involved (Job Bank). For immigration and many employers you will also need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an IRCC-designated organisation — such as WES, ICAS, IQAS, CES or ICES — as listed on IRCC’s official designated-organisations page (IRCC — Get your education assessed). German Meister and dual-training qualifications are well regarded but still need formal comparison — start early, as licensing exams can take months.

9. Sort out health cover on arrival

Provincial health insurance is not switched on the day you land. In British Columbia, new residents wait the balance of the arrival month plus two months before Medical Services Plan coverage begins — effectively about three months (Province of BC). Other provinces differ, and rules change, so confirm your destination province’s waiting period on its own health-ministry page and buy private interim cover for the gap.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay duty on my used furniture?
No, provided you qualify as a settler and the goods were owned and used before arrival, declared on BSF186 (CBSA D2-2-1).

Can my sea shipment arrive after me?
Yes — list it as "goods to follow" on your original list, or it will not qualify for duty-free entry (CBSA).

Must I file a German export declaration myself?
For a full household moving to a third country, an ATLAS export declaration is normally required and movers usually file it as declarant. Because private removal goods (Übersiedlungsgut) follow their own Zoll regime, confirm the exact procedure with your Zollamt (Zoll — Umzug).

How long is the ocean transit?
Plan several weeks door-to-door from Hamburg or Bremerhaven once packing and both customs clearances are counted; confirm timings with your carrier.

Will my German degree be accepted?
It must be assessed. Check whether your occupation is regulated via the Foreign Credential Recognition Tool and obtain an ECA from an IRCC-designated organisation where required (IRCC).

Do I need to deregister in Germany?
Yes, within two weeks of giving up your home and moving abroad (§17 BMG).

Planning your move?

A Germany-to-Canada household move is a full door-to-door international project — export clearance in Germany, ocean freight, and CBSA settler clearance in Canada. Flyto’s overseas relocation service (available on our Platinum tier) handles the door-to-door sea or air move including customs on both sides. For a tailored estimate, get a quote here.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Verify every figure on the official government page linked before you act.