Moving from London to Frankfurt (2026): Costs, Neighbourhoods & Complete Guide

Moving from London to Frankfurt (2026): Costs, Neighbourhoods & Complete Guide

Frankfurt is the natural landing point for London finance professionals moving to the continent. Home to the European Central Bank, the Deutsche Bundesbank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the German offices of most global banks, the city absorbed a large share of post-Brexit banking relocations and continues to draw traders, risk officers, compliance specialists and fintech staff away from the City and Canary Wharf. This guide walks you through the London–Frankfurt corridor: the customs and immigration rules that now apply to a UK departure, what shapes the cost, how to register once you arrive, where people live, and the tax, healthcare, licence and pet steps that follow.

Key takeaways

• Since Brexit, a move from London is a non-EU (third-country) import. Household goods need customs clearance, typically using German customs form 0350 for relief on Übersiedlungsgut (transfer-of-residence goods).
• As a UK national you are no longer an EU citizen, so you generally need a residence title (Aufenthaltstitel) — for bankers and skilled staff, most often the EU Blue Card.
• You must complete your Anmeldung (address registration) at a Frankfurt Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving in, and you will need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord.
• Pets travelling from Great Britain need a GB Animal Health Certificate (AHC) — the old EU pet passport is no longer valid.
• Frankfurt is compact and well paid, but rents in prime districts such as Westend are among Germany’s highest.

1. The route: London to Frankfurt

Frankfurt sits roughly 640 km from London as the crow flies, and by road the journey runs through the Channel Tunnel or a ferry crossing, then across Belgium and into Germany via the A3. It is a well-worn removals lane, but Brexit changed its character completely. Where an EU-to-EU move is essentially domestic from a customs point of view, a London departure is now a third-country import into the EU customs union.

In practice that means your removal lorry clears customs at the point of entry. To avoid paying import VAT and duty on your own used belongings, you claim relief on transfer-of-residence goods (Übersiedlungsgut) using German customs form 0350. Relief generally requires that you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, that the goods have been owned and used for at least six months, that they are for your personal use rather than resale, and that they are imported within a set window of your move. An inventory in German, proof of the address change and your residence documents usually accompany the declaration. This is the single biggest procedural difference from a Paris or Amsterdam move, and getting the paperwork right is what keeps a UK shipment moving smoothly through German customs (Zoll).

Planning the move itself as well? Costs, transit times and how to choose a mover are covered on our page about removal company to Germany.

2. What a London to Frankfurt move costs

Rather than quote route-specific figures — which shift constantly with fuel, season and capacity — it helps to understand the general drivers so you can judge any quote:

• Volume. The cubic metres you ship is the largest single factor. A one-bedroom flat costs a fraction of a four-bedroom house.
• Access at both ends. London terraces and Frankfurt apartment blocks often lack a lift or nearby parking. External hoists, long carries and parking permits all add cost.
• Customs and documentation. Because this is now a third-country move, factor in customs clearance and the preparation of the 0350 relief application.
• Timing. Summer and month-ends are peak; mid-week, mid-month and off-season moves are usually cheaper.
• Services. Full packing, dismantling and reassembly, insurance cover and temporary storage between lease dates each affect the total.
• The Channel crossing. The tunnel or ferry leg is a fixed cost unique to UK departures.

Get at least two or three itemised quotes, confirm whether customs clearance is included, and check the insurance basis (new-for-old versus depreciated value).

3. Registering in Frankfurt

Germany requires everyone living in the country to register their address. In Frankfurt you do this at any Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) — you are not tied to your district — and you must do it within 14 days of moving in.

You will need:

• A completed registration form (Anmeldung).
• Your passport (and family members’ passports).
• A Wohnungsgeberbestätigung — a landlord’s confirmation that you have moved in. A tenancy contract alone is not sufficient; the landlord has up to two weeks to issue this document.

Once registered you receive an Anmeldebestätigung (registration confirmation), which you need for almost everything that follows: opening a bank account, activating utilities and starting the tax process.

Because you are arriving from the UK as a non-EU national, registration sits alongside your residence title (Aufenthaltstitel). Most finance professionals qualify for the EU Blue Card, Germany’s residence permit for university-educated workers with a qualifying job offer. For 2026 the standard minimum gross salary threshold is around €50,700, with a reduced threshold of roughly €45,934 for shortage occupations, recent graduates and certain IT roles — thresholds most banking salaries clear comfortably. The Blue Card offers a direct route to permanent residence and immediate work rights for a spouse. EU nationals, by contrast, only need an Anmeldebescheinigung. Shortly after registering you will also be sent your tax identification number (steuerliche Identifikationsnummer) by post, issued via the Federal Central Tax Office.

4. Living in Frankfurt

Frankfurt is smaller than London expects — genuinely compact, walkable and cyclable, with a dense S-Bahn and U-Bahn network and Frankfurt Airport, one of Europe’s largest hubs, only minutes from the centre. The Bankenviertel skyline is the one German cityscape that reads like a financial capital. Popular districts include:

• Westend — leafy, elegant and expensive, next to the financial district; the classic banker’s address.
• Nordend — central, characterful and popular with professionals and families.
• Sachsenhausen — south of the Main, with museums, apple-wine taverns and riverside life.
• Bornheim — village-like and sociable, with a lively high street.
• Ostend — home to the ECB tower, increasingly residential and up-and-coming.
• Bockenheim — student and creative energy, good value and well connected.

Salaries in Frankfurt are high by German standards, which offsets the cost of living, but prime rents — Westend especially — are among the steepest in the country. The trade-off many Londoners notice is that the same salary buys far more space and a far shorter commute than in Zone 2.

5. Tax, healthcare, driving and pets

Tax. If you spend more than 183 days in Germany in a year, or your main home is there, you are generally treated as tax-resident on your worldwide income. The UK and Germany have a double-taxation agreement, but you should take advice on split-year treatment and the timing of your move.

Healthcare. Germany runs a dual system: statutory insurance (GKV) and private insurance (PKV). Most employees join a GKV fund with contributions shared by employer and employee; higher earners — common in banking — may opt for PKV. Because you are moving from the UK, the previous automatic EU coordination no longer applies in the same way; confirm your cover from day one rather than relying on an EHIC/GHIC card for anything beyond short visits.

Driving licence. A UK licence can be used for an initial period but must generally be exchanged for a German one within six months of establishing residence. As the UK is now a third country, check current exchange rules rather than assuming a straight swap.

Pets. This is where a London move differs sharply from an EU one. A GB-issued EU pet passport is no longer valid. Your dog, cat or ferret needs to be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, and carry a GB Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued by an official vet no more than 10 days before travel. You must wait at least 21 days after the primary rabies vaccination before the AHC can be completed. One AHC covers up to five pets and remains valid for onward EU travel for up to six months.

6. A realistic timeline

• 8–12 weeks out: confirm your job offer and start the EU Blue Card process; book a survey and gather removal quotes; begin the pet vaccination schedule if applicable.
• 4–6 weeks out: secure your Frankfurt lease, prepare the customs 0350 documentation and inventory, and book the crossing and removal date.
• 1–2 weeks out: arrange the pet AHC (10-day window), finalise packing and confirm parking/access at both addresses.
• Move week: supervise loading, keep passports and documents with you, and travel.
• First 14 days in Frankfurt: obtain the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, complete your Anmeldung, then activate your residence title, bank account and health insurance.

How Flyto handles your move

Flyto Relocation manages London–Frankfurt moves end to end, using our own European hubs and a vetted partner network rather than handing your shipment to an anonymous broker. That means one point of contact from survey to delivery, coordinated customs clearance including the 0350 transfer-of-residence relief, and support with the practical after-arrival steps — Anmeldung, insurance and pet logistics — that catch most people out. You get a single, transparent plan for a move that Brexit has made genuinely more complex.

Get your personalised London to Frankfurt moving plan and quote →

Frequently asked questions

Related moves

• Moving from Paris to Frankfurt
• Moving from Amsterdam to Frankfurt
• Moving to Germany in 2026: The Complete Hub
• Moving to Düsseldorf

Sources

• German Customs (Zoll) – Transferring residence
• Make it in Germany – EU Blue Card
• Stadt Frankfurt am Main – Anmeldung einer Wohnung
• Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) – Tax identification number
• Your Europe (europa.eu) – Travelling with pets
• GOV.UK – Animal Health Certificate for pet travel

Hiring an international mover? See our full International removals to Germany service — Flyto’s own European hubs, vetted local partners and one English-speaking coordinator, door to door.