Moving from Vietnam to Germany (2026): Relocation Guide
Key takeaways
- Plan your pets first. Vietnam is not an EU-listed country, so a dog or cat entering Germany needs a microchip, rabies vaccination, and a rabies antibody titration test (blood taken at least 30 days after vaccination, result at or above 0.5 IU/ml at an EU-approved laboratory), followed by a three-month wait before EU entry. Allow roughly four to five months.
- Household goods can enter duty- and VAT-free under German transfer-of-residence relief (Übersiedlungsgut, customs form 0350) if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and owned and used the items for at least 6 months.
- Close out Vietnam properly: settle your temporary residence card or visa position with the Immigration Department, clear used effects through Vietnam Customs, and obtain a Department of Animal Health export certificate for any pet.
- Sea freight from Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai) or Hai Phong to Hamburg typically runs several weeks door to port; air freight is faster for a small, urgent shipment.
- After arrival: register your address (Anmeldung) within 14 days, hold the right residence permit as a third-country national, and exchange your driving licence within the first six months.
1. Leaving Vietnam: what to close out
Before your container leaves, tie off your legal and administrative position in Vietnam. If you hold a temporary residence card (TRC) or a long-term visa issued by the Immigration Department (Cục Quản lý Xuất nhập cảnh) under the Ministry of Public Security, you can exit on that document; a valid TRC lets you leave and, while it is live, re-enter without a separate visa. If your stay was tied to a work permit and employer, coordinate the cancellation of your work permit and the closing of your tax file with your employer, and settle any outstanding personal income tax before departure. Keep copies of your passport pages, entry stamps, TRC and work permit — German customs and your future employer may ask for evidence of how long you lived outside the EU.
For your belongings, Vietnam treats an international removal as a standard export. Your mover files an export declaration through the VNACCS/VCIS electronic system with a detailed English packing list, your transport document and passport identification pages. Used personal and household effects are the everyday content of such a shipment; keep the inventory realistic and avoid new, boxed goods that look like commercial cargo, which draw duty and inspection. Physical inspection at the port is common, so pack transparently and label boxes clearly.
If you are bringing a pet, the Vietnamese end has its own certificate: the Department of Animal Health (Cục Thú y, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) issues or endorses the export veterinary health certificate that lets the animal leave the country. This sits on top of — and after — the EU-facing preparations described in section 5. Because the EU rabies titre test and its three-month wait are the single longest lead item in the whole move, start the pet process before you book anything else.
2. How your household goods ship to Germany
Most Vietnam-to-Germany household moves travel by sea in a 20ft or 40ft container, or as a shared (groupage) consignment if you have less than a full load. Containers load at Cat Lai in Ho Chi Minh City or at Hai Phong in the north, and sail to a Northern European gateway — most commonly Hamburg, sometimes via Rotterdam or Antwerp. Direct and transhipped services both exist; transhipment through Singapore adds time. As a planning figure, expect several weeks port to port plus packing, export clearance, and German import clearance and delivery at each end. Treat any quoted transit as indicative — weather, port congestion and customs can move the date.
Air freight is the alternative when you need a small volume quickly (a few boxes of essentials, work equipment) and can absorb the higher cost per kilo. Many people combine the two: air for what they need in the first weeks, sea for the bulk. Whichever mode you choose, the customs relief in section 3 depends on a clean, itemised inventory, so agree the packing list format with your mover up front and keep a signed copy.
3. Germany customs & transfer-of-residence relief
Germany allows you to import used household goods free of customs duty and import VAT when you move your normal place of residence from a non-EU country such as Vietnam. In customs terminology this is Übersiedlungsgut (property moved in connection with a transfer of residence), and the relief is claimed on customs form 0350. The German Customs (Zoll) conditions are specific: you must have had your normal residence outside the EU (the guidance points to at least 12 months), the goods must have been in your possession and, for non-consumable items, used by you for at least six months before the move, and they must not be intended for sale. Clearance under the relief is only possible within twelve months of establishing your residence in Germany, and the goods may arrive in several consignments within that window.
Form 0350 is officially only in German, but Zoll publishes an English translation aid, and most of the roughly thirty sections do not apply to a private move. Attach a detailed, valued inventory of everything you are importing. As evidence of the transfer, Zoll gives particular weight to a certificate from the foreign authority showing how long you lived abroad, plus a registration certificate, tenancy agreement or employment contract showing your new residence in Germany. Private vehicles can be included, but importing a car has extra registration and technical (TÜV) steps. Anything for resale falls outside the relief.
4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare
Register your address (Anmeldung). Everyone living in Germany must register their address at the local Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) within 14 days of moving in; missing the deadline can attract a fine. You will need your passport and a landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). The office issues a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) on the spot — you need it to open a bank account, get your tax ID, take out health insurance and complete your residence permit, so book the appointment as early as you can.
Residence and visa. As Vietnamese nationals you are third-country nationals, so you need the correct entry visa and residence permit for your purpose — employment (including the EU Blue Card for qualifying salaries), family reunion, study or self-employment. In most cases you enter on a national (D) visa arranged through the German mission in Vietnam and then convert it to a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) at the local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ authority) after your Anmeldung. Have your qualifications, employment contract and proof of accommodation ready.
Healthcare. Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. Employees are usually enrolled in the statutory system (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) through their employer; others may need statutory or private cover depending on status and income. Sort this early, because proof of insurance is part of the residence-permit process.
Driving licence. A foreign (non-EU/EEA) licence is generally valid for driving in Germany for up to six months after you establish residence; after that you must convert it. A Vietnamese licence will normally require converting to a German licence, which — depending on recognition — can involve theory and practical tests. Because the six-month clock starts at residence, begin the conversion process soon after arrival, and carry an official translation or International Driving Permit meanwhile.
5. Pets
This is the make-or-break part of a Vietnam-to-Germany move, because Vietnam is not on the EU’s list of approved countries. For a dog, cat or ferret entering the EU from a non-listed country, the EU rules require, in order: (1) an ISO microchip; (2) a valid rabies vaccination, given after the microchip and when the animal is at least 12 weeks old, becoming valid 21 days after the primary course; (3) a rabies antibody titration test on a blood sample taken by an authorised vet at least 30 days after the vaccination, showing a neutralising antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml, analysed at an EU-approved laboratory; and (4) a mandatory three-month wait between the date the blood was drawn and the date the animal enters the EU. Finally, the pet needs an EU animal health certificate issued by an official vet (valid 10 days to the EU point of entry) and must arrive through a designated travellers’ point of entry.
Stacking those steps means the pet timeline is roughly four to five months: microchip and vaccinate, wait 30 days, draw blood, wait for the lab result, then wait three months. On top of the EU-facing steps, Vietnam’s Department of Animal Health must issue or endorse the export health certificate to let the animal leave. Practical advice: confirm your vet uses an EU-approved lab, keep every dated document, and do not book flights until the three-month clock has a firm end date. Start the pet process before the household goods, the visa or anything else.
6. Money, banking & tax basics
You generally cannot open a German bank account until you have registered your address, so budget for the first weeks using an international account or a digital bank that accepts newcomers. Once you have your Meldebescheinigung and tax ID (Steuer-Identifikationsnummer, sent automatically after registration), a full local account becomes straightforward and is needed for salary, rent and utilities. Move money through your bank, not in cash — carrying EUR 10,000 or more across the EU border must be declared to customs.
On tax, Germany taxes residents on worldwide income, and you become tax-resident once you establish your home there. Vietnam taxes on your period of residence too, so the year you move can involve part-year positions in both countries; the Germany–Vietnam double taxation treaty exists to prevent the same income being taxed twice. Because relocation tax depends on timing, employment and any continuing Vietnamese income, take individual advice for the transition year rather than relying on general guidance.
How Flyto handles your Vietnam to Germany move
Flyto Relocation manages the whole corridor as one project rather than a series of disconnected bookings. We coordinate export packing and clearance in Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong, ocean or air freight to Hamburg, and German import clearance under transfer-of-residence relief, including help preparing the form 0350 inventory. Crucially, we build the timeline around the longest-lead item — your pet’s rabies titre test and three-month wait — so the animal, your container and your visa all land in the right order. With our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, we handle the German delivery leg directly. Ready for a plan and a price? Get a quote and we will map your dates around the pet clock first.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a rabies blood test to bring my dog or cat from Vietnam to Germany?
Yes. Because Vietnam is not an EU-listed country, a titration test is mandatory: blood taken at least 30 days after vaccination, a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml at an EU-approved lab, then a three-month wait before EU entry. See European Commission — bringing a pet into the EU.
How long does the pet process take overall?
Plan for roughly four to five months once you add up microchipping and vaccination, the 30-day gap before the blood draw, the lab turnaround, and the compulsory three-month wait. Start it before anything else. See Your Europe — pets and other animals.
Can I bring my used furniture without paying German import duty and VAT?
Generally yes, under transfer-of-residence relief on customs 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 them within 12 months of establishing residence. See German Customs (Zoll) — transferring residence.
When must I register my address in Germany?
Within 14 days of moving into your home, at the local Bürgeramt; you receive a Meldebescheinigung you will need for banking, tax and your residence permit. See Make it in Germany — registration.
Do Vietnamese citizens need a visa to live in Germany?
Yes. As third-country nationals you need the appropriate national visa and residence permit for work, study or family, arranged through the German mission and finalised at the local foreigners’ authority. See Make it in Germany — visa and residence.
Can I keep driving on my Vietnamese licence?
Only for up to six months after establishing residence; after that you must convert to a German licence, which may require tests depending on recognition. See German Ministry of Transport — validity of foreign driving licences.
Related moves
Sources
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- Your Europe — EU rules on travelling with pets and other animals
- German Customs (Zoll) — Transferring residence (Übersiedlungsgut)
- German Customs (Zoll) — Form 0350 English translation aid
- Make it in Germany — Registering your address (Anmeldung)
- Make it in Germany — Visa and residence
- German Federal Ministry of Transport — Validity of foreign driving licences
- Vietnam Immigration Department — Temporary residence cards for foreigners
- General Department of Vietnam Customs
Hiring an international mover? See our full International removals to Vietnam service — Flyto’s own European hubs, vetted local partners and one English-speaking coordinator, door to door.