Moving from Peru to Germany (2026): Relocation Guide

Moving from Peru to Germany (2026): Relocation Guide

Key takeaways

• Pets are the longest-lead task. Peru is not on the EU’s list of low-rabies third countries, so a dog or cat must pass a rabies antibody titration test (blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, ≥0.5 IU/ml at an EU-approved lab) and then wait three months before entering the EU. Start about four to five months ahead.
• Your used household goods can enter Germany duty- and VAT-free as Übersiedlungsgut under transfer-of-residence relief, using German customs (Zoll) Form 0350, if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and owned and used the goods for at least six months.
• Two paperwork ends. A SUNAT simplified export declaration takes your menaje out of Peru; Form 0350 with a detailed inventory clears it into Germany.
• Peruvians are third-country nationals. You can enter Schengen visa-free for short visits, but relocation requires a national visa/residence permit (work, EU Blue Card, family, study) arranged in advance.
• Register within 14 days. Germany’s Anmeldung (address registration) at the local Bürgeramt is mandatory and unlocks almost everything else — bank account, tax ID, residence permit.

1. Leaving Peru: what to close out

Tackle four workstreams at once: personal admin, household goods, pets, and sea freight.

Personal and residence admin. Settle your Peruvian tax position with SUNAT, close utilities and subscriptions, and gather proof of how long you lived abroad. Germany’s customs relief requires evidence of at least 12 months of residence outside the EU, so keep your Peruvian residence card, tenancy or utility records, and — if you registered with a consulate — a deregistration certificate. Ask your employer for a start-date letter if your move is job-driven; it can help evidence intent.

Customs export of used household effects (menaje). Peruvians ship personal effects out under SUNAT’s baggage-and-household-goods regime using a Declaración Simplificada de Exportación, a free Aduanas form, with no export duty on household goods. You identify yourself with your ID document; a third party (like a moving agent) needs a notarised power of attorney (carta poder notarial). Prepare a detailed, valued inventory in Spanish and English — you will reuse it for German customs.

Pet export (SENASA). The Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria del Perú (SENASA) issues the export health certificate to take your animal out of Peru. SENASA expects current vaccinations (dogs: rabies plus parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis; cats: rabies plus panleukopenia), internal/external deworming within 30 days of travel, and a health check, with application at least 72 hours before departure. This is separate from — and in addition to — the EU entry rules covered below.

Shipping from Callao. Your container is loaded at the Port of Callao, next to Lima, Peru’s main deep-water gateway. Book packing, the surveyor and the container date early, and make sure the export declaration and inventory are complete before the box is sealed.

2. How your household goods ship to Germany

Household moves from Peru to Germany go by sea. From Callao, a full-container-load (FCL) or shared groupage (LCL) container sails to a German North Sea port — usually Hamburg, with Bremerhaven as the main alternative.

Set expectations on transit. There is no quick Pacific route to Northern Europe: sailings route the long way, commonly via the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic to the North Sea, so door-to-door timelines run into weeks and shift with schedules, transhipment and port congestion. Plan a generous buffer rather than banking on a single number.

Match the container to your volume: LCL groupage for a small flat (you pay for the cubic metres used and share the box), a dedicated 20ft or 40ft FCL container for a full household. For anything you need immediately — documents, a laptop, a few weeks of clothes — use air freight or accompanied baggage and let the sea container follow.

3. Germany customs & transfer-of-residence relief

German customs (Zoll) allows people transferring their normal residence from a non-EU country to import their belongings free of import duty and VAT as Übersiedlungsgut (removal goods). The relief is claimed on Form 0350 (Zollanmeldung für Übersiedlungsgut). The core conditions are:

• Your usual residence was outside the EU for at least 12 months (exceptions possible with proof of intent, e.g. an employment contract).
• You established a residence in Germany before applying for relief.
• The goods were owned and used for at least six months before the move (keep invoices/receipts as proof).
• The goods are for personal use and must not be lent, hired, pledged or sold within the first 12 months in Germany.
• You import them within 12 months of relocating.

Attach a comprehensive, itemised inventory to Form 0350, listing your previous foreign address, your new German address, and the dates of your residence abroad. The declaration is submitted with the goods; a customs agent typically files it and presents the supporting documents (passport, visa/residence permit, inventory, proof of the abroad period, and your Anmeldung confirmation). New goods, commercial goods and certain vehicles fall outside the relief; alcohol and tobacco carry separate limits.

4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare

Residence and visa. Peruvians can visit the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days, but relocation requires a national visa or residence permit — for example a work visa, the EU Blue Card for qualified professionals, a family-reunification visa, or a study visa — arranged before you move (usually via the German embassy in Lima). After arrival and Anmeldung, you finalise your residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) at the local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ authority).

Registration (Anmeldung). Every resident must register their address at the local Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving in; missing the deadline can, in principle, be fined. In practice appointment slots in big cities often fall weeks out, so book the earliest available and keep the confirmation. You will receive a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung/Anmeldebestätigung) that you need for a bank account, your tax ID (Steuer-ID, which then arrives by post), contracts and your residence permit. Bring your passport, your tenancy confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord) and the completed form.

Driving licence. A Peruvian licence is generally valid for a limited period after you become resident (commonly six months), after which you must convert it. Germany has no full exchange agreement with Peru, so conversion usually requires passing the German theory and practical driving tests, though some documents (like a certified translation of your licence) reduce the paperwork. Verify current rules with your local driving-licence authority (Führerscheinstelle).

Healthcare. Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. Employees are normally enrolled in statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung); others may need private cover. Sort this early, as proof of insurance is often required for the residence permit.

5. Pets

This is the longest-lead task in the whole move, so start here. Because Peru is not on the EU’s list of low-rabies third countries, a dog, cat or ferret entering Germany must complete, in order:

1. Microchip (ISO-standard), before or at the same time as rabies vaccination.
2. Rabies vaccination, given after the microchip.
3. Rabies antibody titration (blood) test: blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, tested at an EU-approved laboratory, result ≥0.5 IU/ml.
4. A mandatory three-month wait from the date of the successful blood sample before entering the EU.
5. An EU animal health certificate issued close to travel, plus the SENASA export certificate to leave Peru.

The vaccination-to-blood gap plus the three-month wait alone take around four months, so begin the pet timeline four to five months before arrival. Enter through an approved EU traveller’s point of entry, and consider a specialist pet-relocation agent for this corridor.

6. Money, banking & tax basics

Open a German bank account once you have your Anmeldung and, ideally, your tax ID; many banks require the Meldebescheinigung. Move funds through a regulated bank or FX provider and keep records for anti-money-laundering checks on large inbound transfers. On tax: you generally become a German tax resident once you have a residence or habitual abode in Germany, which makes your worldwide income taxable there, subject to the Peru–Germany treatment for avoiding double taxation. Germany operates a mandatory tax-ID system, and employees pay tax and social contributions through payroll. This is general information, not tax advice — take personalised advice for your situation.

How Flyto handles your Peru to Germany move

Flyto Relocation runs the full Peru–Germany corridor: export packing and the SUNAT declaration in Peru, ocean freight from Callao to Hamburg, and customs clearance with Zoll Form 0350 transfer-of-residence relief in Germany. Because we operate our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, your container stays inside our own network rather than being handed between unconnected agents — and we sequence the awkward parts, like lining up your pet’s titre test and three-month wait against the sailing schedule. Get a quote and we will build your timeline back from your arrival date.

Frequently asked questions

Does my pet need a blood test to enter Germany from Peru?
Yes. Peru is not an EU-listed country, so a rabies antibody titration test (≥0.5 IU/ml, blood taken at least 30 days after vaccination, at an EU-approved lab) is required, followed by a three-month wait before entry. See European Commission — bringing a pet from a non-EU country.

How early should I start the pet process?
About four to five months, because the 30-day vaccination-to-blood gap plus the mandatory three-month wait dominate the timeline. See EU designated titration laboratories.

How do I import my furniture duty-free?
Use Zoll Form 0350 for Übersiedlungsgut, if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and owned and used the goods for at least six months. See German Customs (Zoll) — Transferring residence.

Do I need a visa as a Peruvian to move to Germany?
Yes for relocation. Short visits are visa-free in Schengen, but living and working in Germany requires a national visa/residence permit obtained in advance. See Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office).

When must I register my address?
Within 14 days of moving in, at the local Bürgeramt; you receive a Meldebescheinigung needed for banking, tax ID and your residence permit. See German authorities — Anmeldung (Bundesmeldegesetz).

Can I keep driving on my Peruvian licence?
Only for a limited period after becoming resident; there is no full exchange agreement with Peru, so conversion generally means passing the German theory and practical tests. Confirm with your local Führerscheinstelle.

Sources

• German Customs (Zoll) — Transferring residence (Übersiedlungsgut / Form 0350)
• European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
• European Commission — Designated laboratories for rabies antibody titration tests
• Gobierno del Perú / SUNAT — Menaje de casa (baggage and household goods regime)
• SENASA (Perú) — Viaja con tu mascota (pet export certification)
• Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) — Visas and entry
• Bundesministerium des Innern — Registration (Bundesmeldegesetz / Anmeldung)
• Your Europe — Travelling with pets and other animals