Moving from Saudi Arabia to Germany (2026): Relocation Guide

Moving from Saudi Arabia to Germany (2026): Relocation Guide

Key takeaways

• Plan pets first. Saudi Arabia is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, so a dog or cat needs a rabies antibody titration test (blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, result ≥0.5 IU/ml) followed by a mandatory three-month wait before entering Germany. Start roughly four to five months ahead.
• Close out the Saudi side properly. Your employer cancels your iqama and files the final exit visa through Qiwa and Muqeem; make sure your end-of-service settlement is paid and receipted before departure.
• Claim German transfer-of-residence relief. Form 0350 lets you import used household goods duty- and VAT-free if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and owned the goods at least six months.
• Register within 14 days. Germany’s Anmeldung (address registration) must be done within two weeks of moving in, and third-country nationals need a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel).
• Sea freight Jeddah or Dammam to Hamburg typically runs four to six weeks port to port; air freight is the fast option for essentials.

1. Leaving Saudi Arabia: what to close out

A permanent departure from the Kingdom is largely an employer-driven process, so start the conversations early and keep written records. The central step is cancelling your iqama (residence permit) and obtaining a final exit visa (تأشيرة خروج نهائي). For most private-sector employees this is requested by the employer through the Qiwa and Muqeem platforms and issued on Absher. Recent reforms also allow qualified workers to apply through Absher or Qiwa without employer approval where the contract has ended or expired. Once the final exit visa is issued your iqama is technically cancelled, though it stays usable for domestic identification until you actually leave at the airport.

Mind the deadlines. After issuance you generally have a fixed window (currently 60 days) to depart; leave it too late and the visa must be cancelled and re-issued, with a fine. The Kingdom also sets a minimum residency-permit validity for issuing a final exit, so do not let your iqama lapse while the paperwork is in motion.

End-of-service settlement. Under Saudi labour law you are entitled to an end-of-service award (gratuity) plus any accrued leave. Best practice — and often a precondition of cancellation — is that all end-of-service benefits are paid and receipted before the visa is cancelled, so reconcile the figures with HR before you sign anything.

Close accounts and loose ends. Settle and close bank accounts (or remit your final balance abroad before the account is frozen post-departure), end mobile and utility contracts, clear any Absher traffic fines, terminate your tenancy and reclaim your deposit, and sell or de-register your car. Keep medical records, employment references and salary certificates — German banks and landlords often ask for them.

Household export. Personal effects leaving Saudi Arabia clear through the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) at the port. Your removal company prepares a detailed, valued packing inventory; keep it, because German customs will want the same list. Ship from Jeddah Islamic Port (Red Sea) or King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam (Gulf).

Pet export. To take a dog or cat out of the Kingdom you need an export health certificate endorsed by a MEWA (Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture) approved veterinarian, typically issued within about 10 days of travel, plus microchip and rabies records. This is separate from — and additional to — the EU entry requirements covered in section 5. See the pets section, because the EU titre test and three-month wait are the long pole in the tent.

2. How your household goods ship to Germany

Most Saudi Arabia-to-Germany moves travel by sea in a 20ft or 40ft container — a full container (FCL) for a whole household, or a shared groupage/part-load (LCL) for a one-bed flat’s worth of goods. Loading is at Jeddah or Dammam; the usual German gateway is the Port of Hamburg, with Bremerhaven a common alternative.

Qualitatively, expect roughly four to six weeks port to port for a direct or lightly transhipped sailing, plus one to two weeks each side for packing, export clearance, German customs and final delivery. Routings via the Suez Canal to Northern Europe can lengthen if there is transhipment at a Mediterranean hub or schedule disruption, so treat any single figure as indicative and confirm the current sailing when you book.

Air freight is the fast alternative — a few days in transit — but it is priced by weight and volume, so it suits a suitcase-plus box of essentials (clothes, laptop, a few kitchen items, important documents) rather than furniture. A common pattern is air for a small “arrival kit” and sea for the bulk. Whichever mode you choose, keep a clearly separated set of documents (passport, visa, employment contract, the Form 0350 declaration and your inventory) with you, not in the container.

3. Germany customs & transfer-of-residence relief

When you move your normal residence from a non-EU country to Germany, you can import your used household effects free of import duty and import VAT under transfer-of-residence relief. The declaration is German customs Form 0350 (Zollanmeldung für Übersiedlungsgut), and the relief rests on Articles 3 and following of Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009.

To qualify you must:

• have had your normal place of residence outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months;
• be transferring your normal residence to Germany;
• have owned and used the goods for at least six months before the move; and
• import the goods within 12 months of establishing residence in Germany.

The goods must, as a rule, not be sold, lent or hired out for 12 months after import. Alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles and articles for a trade or profession are excluded from the relief. Present the completed Form 0350 with your detailed inventory to the competent customs office; in unaccompanied freight your forwarder lodges it for you. Because the form runs to some 30 sections, most people let their removals agent prepare it and simply verify the entries.

Keep proof of your 12 months abroad (iqama, tenancy, salary certificates) and proof you are settling in Germany (employment contract, visa, rental agreement); customs can ask for either.

4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare

Residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). As a Saudi or other third-country national you need the correct visa/permit for your purpose — employment (including the EU Blue Card for qualifying salaries), family reunification, study, or self-employment. In most cases you enter on a national (D) visa arranged before travel and convert it to a residence permit at the local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ authority) after arrival.

Anmeldung. Within 14 days of moving into your accommodation you must register your address at the Einwohnermeldeamt/Bürgeramt. You will need your passport, the rental confirmation from your landlord (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) and the registration form. The resulting Meldebescheinigung is the master key that unlocks a bank account, a tax ID, mobile contracts and the residence-permit appointment. Missing the deadline can attract a fine.

Driving licence. You may drive on your valid Saudi licence (with a certified German translation or international permit) for six months after taking up residence; this can be extended by up to six months on request. Beyond that you must convert it. Conversion of a non-EU licence generally requires passing the German theory and practical tests unless a reciprocal arrangement applies, so budget time and start the process at the Führerscheinstelle early. Bring your passport, residence permit, original licence and a court-appointed (vereidigt) translation.

Healthcare. Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. Employees are normally enrolled in statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) via their employer; higher earners and the self-employed may opt for private cover. Sort this in your first weeks — you will need proof of insurance for the residence permit.

5. Pets

This is the single most time-critical part of the move, so plan it before anything else. Because Saudi Arabia is not on the EU’s list of approved (Annex II) third countries, a dog, cat or ferret entering Germany from the Kingdom must complete a rabies antibody titration test — not just a vaccination.

The sequence for the EU side is:

• Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) implanted first — it must be in place before the rabies vaccination to count.
• Rabies vaccination after the chip.
• Blood sample for the titration test taken at least 30 days after vaccination, sent to an EU-designated laboratory; the result must show a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
• A mandatory three-month wait counted from the date of that satisfactory blood sample before the animal may enter the EU. (The wait is waived only if the sampling was done before the pet ever left the EU, which will not apply here.)
• An EU animal health certificate completed by an official vet before travel, and entry through a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry with advance notification.

Add the Saudi MEWA export certificate from section 1 and the realistic lead time is around four to five months. Any misstep (chip after vaccine, blood drawn too early, wait not elapsed) can mean refusal or quarantine. Use an EU-designated titration laboratory, keep every original, and verify the current requirements on the European Commission and your Saudi vet’s MEWA guidance before booking flights.

6. Money, banking & tax basics

You cannot easily open a full German bank account until you have an address (Anmeldung) and often a tax ID, so plan a bridge: keep an internationally usable account or card for the first weeks, and transfer your Saudi end-of-service settlement before your Saudi account is closed. Use a regulated currency provider for the SAR-to-EUR transfer rather than a walk-up exchange.

Tax residence in Germany generally begins when you establish a residence or habitual abode there, and worldwide income becomes reportable from that point — so keep clean records of the date you arrived, your final Saudi payslips and your end-of-service payment. Saudi Arabia has no personal income tax, so there is no Saudi tax certificate to reclaim, but you should still document the source of funds you bring in, because German banks and, later, the tax office may ask. If your affairs are complex (property, investments, a continuing Saudi income), take advice from a German Steuerberater in your first months.

How Flyto handles your Saudi Arabia to Germany move

Flyto Relocation runs door-to-door moves out of Saudi Arabia into Germany and across the continent, backed by our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe. We coordinate export clearance at Jeddah or Dammam, the sea or air leg to Hamburg, and German customs so your Form 0350 transfer-of-residence relief is applied correctly — plus the fiddly bits people underestimate, above all the pet titre timeline that has to start months ahead. One project manager owns the move end to end, from the packing inventory to the Anmeldung checklist waiting for you on arrival. Get a quote and we will map your dates backwards from the day you want to be settled in Germany.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my dog or cat need a blood test to enter Germany from Saudi Arabia?
Because Saudi Arabia is not on the EU’s list of approved third countries, pets need a rabies antibody titration test showing at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken at least 30 days after vaccination, in addition to microchip and vaccination. See European Commission — bringing a pet into the EU.

How long before the move should I start the pet process?
Around four to five months. After a satisfactory titre result there is a mandatory three-month wait before EU entry, on top of the vaccination-to-blood-draw interval and the Saudi export certificate. See European Commission — non-EU pet entry.

Can I import my furniture into Germany without paying duty?
Yes, via transfer-of-residence relief on Form 0350, if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, owned and used the goods for at least six months, and import within 12 months of moving. See German Customs — transferring residence.

How do I get my final exit visa from Saudi Arabia?
Your employer normally files the iqama cancellation and final exit visa through Qiwa and Muqeem, issued on Absher; ensure your end-of-service settlement is paid first. See Absher.

How soon must I register my address in Germany?
Within 14 days of moving into your accommodation, at the local Bürgeramt (Anmeldung). See German Customs and your city’s registration office.

Can I keep driving on my Saudi licence?
For six months after taking up residence (extendable by up to six months on request); after that a non-EU licence must be converted, usually with German tests. See the German driving-licence conversion guidance from your local Führerscheinstelle.

Related moves

• Moving to Riyadh from Abroad
• Moving from Germany to Saudi Arabia

Sources

• German Customs (Zoll) — Transferring residence / removal goods (Form 0350)
• European Commission (Food Safety) — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
• European Commission — Designated laboratories for rabies antibody titration tests
• Your Europe — Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU
• Absher — Saudi government services portal (exit/final exit visa)
• Qiwa — Saudi labour services platform (final exit / contract)
• Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) — animal export
• Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) — customs
• Make it in Germany (Federal Government) — registration and residence

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