Austria may sit in Germany's shadow, but it is one of the European countries that receives a steady flow of newcomers from Turkey: the international organisations in Vienna, the industrial and technology companies in Graz and Linz, the tourism sector in Salzburg and Innsbruck, and the universities all attract new employees and students from Turkey every year. For anyone settling in Austria on a Rot-Weiß-Rot Card, an EU Blue Card, family reunification or a student residence permit, moving household goods from Turkey to Austria is the most economical way to start a new life surrounded by familiar belongings. Better still, because Austria is an EU member, you can bring your used household goods in without paying customs duty or import VAT.
In this guide we walk you through Austria's "Übersiedlungsgut" (removal goods) relief, why the Meldezettel is the key document, the road route from Kapıkule to Vienna, the Halteverbot parking-ban permit in Vienna, the finer points of delivering to Altbau buildings, and the difference in transit time between groupage and a dedicated vehicle.
Austrian Customs Relief: Übersiedlungsgut
The Austrian customs authority (Zollamt Österreich) applies the EU Customs Duty Relief Regulation: the personal property of a person transferring their normal residence from a non-EU country to Austria is exempt from customs duty and from 20% Austrian VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) when the following conditions are met.
Conditions for relief
- Your normal residence must have been outside the EU (in Turkey) for the past 12 months.
- The goods must have been used by you for at least 6 months before the move.
- The goods must be used for the same purpose at your new residence in Austria.
- Importation must take place within 12 months of the date your residence is transferred to Austria; shipping in several consignments is possible.
- Goods imported under relief must not be sold, hired out or transferred for 12 months.
What is excluded
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, commercial vehicles, professional machinery and equipment (other than portable hand tools) and goods in commercial quantities do not qualify for relief. Customs duty and VAT are payable on new, unopened items; for this reason, the cost of taking furniture or appliances newly bought in Turkey should be worked out before the move.
Why Is the Meldezettel the Key Document?
In Austria, every change of residence must be reported to the municipality within three days (the Magistratisches Bezirksamt in Vienna, the Gemeindeamt in other towns), and in return you receive the Meldezettel (residence registration certificate, officially the Meldebestätigung). Customs looks first and foremost for this document as proof that your residence has genuinely been transferred to Austria. If the Meldezettel has not yet been obtained, the file can be prepared with a rental agreement, employment contract and residence-permit application documents; in some cases customs accepts later presentation of the Meldezettel, but this is at its discretion. The safest route is to have the Meldezettel in hand before the goods arrive in Austria.
Required Documents
- Passport and Austrian residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel), Rot-Weiß-Rot Card, Blue Card or D visa
- Meldezettel (residence registration)
- Proof of residence in Turkey: Residence certificate covering the past 12 months, social-security (SGK) statement, employer or school letter
- Relief declaration: The written application for Übersiedlungsgut submitted to the customs authority; we prepare it on your behalf
- Detailed inventory (in German or English; box number, contents, quantity, approximate value)
- Power of attorney: For the export formalities in Turkey and the import formalities in Austria
- Invoices for any new items
The Route: From Kapıkule to Austria
The shortest road route from Turkey to Austria runs Kapıkule – Bulgaria – Serbia – Hungary – Austria. Because Turkey is not an EU member, the load has "non-Union goods" status on entering Bulgaria, and a T1 transit declaration is opened so that it can travel untaxed to the customs office of destination in Austria. Since Serbia is not an EU member, this route involves a second EU border crossing on entry into Hungary; the sealed vehicle passes without inspection. Alternatively, the route via Romania into Hungary can be used; our operations team decides according to border congestion.
Entry into Austria is usually via Nickelsdorf (on the Hungarian border). Vienna is about an hour from the border; Graz, Linz and Salzburg are reached via Vienna or along the A2/A1 motorways. At the customs office of destination, the T1 is discharged, the Übersiedlungsgut declaration is lodged and the goods are released.
The Moving Process, Step by Step
- Survey and quote: A video or on-site survey; the volume (m³), packing requirements and transport method are determined; an itemised written quote the same day.
- Document preparation: The relief declaration, inventory and power of attorney are drawn up; the status of the Meldezettel is checked.
- Packing and loading: Our crew dismantles, packs, labels and loads the furniture at your address in Turkey.
- Export from Turkey: The export declaration is closed at Kapıkule; the T1 is opened from Turkey.
- European transit: Bulgaria – Serbia – Hungary – Austria.
- Austrian customs: Relief processing at the customs office of destination; usually 1–2 working days if the documents are complete.
- Delivery: Delivery to the floor at your address, furniture assembly and removal of packing waste.
| Transport method | Who it suits | Total time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groupage (part-load) | Students, single people, one- and two-bedroom homes | 4–8 days | Via our Frankfurt warehouse or transhipment within Austria |
| Dedicated vehicle | Family moves, three-bedroom homes and larger | 3–5 days | Direct door to door, no transhipment |
Because our Austria route lies on the same corridor as our Germany departures, it benefits from regular weekly departures.
Delivery in Vienna: Halteverbot and Altbau
Halteverbot (temporary no-parking signs)
To park a removals vehicle on the street in Vienna, a Halteverbotszone application is made: the municipal traffic department, MA 46, authorises the erection of temporary no-parking signs for a specified day and time window; the signs must be put up at least several days in advance. Without the permit, the vehicle may not be able to stop in front of the building and the goods have to be carried over a long distance, which increases both the time and the risk of damage. We make the application on your behalf; in other cities a similar procedure runs through the municipality or the police. Vienna's first district (Innere Stadt) and pedestrian zones have additional time restrictions.
Altbau buildings
The central districts of Vienna, Graz and Salzburg are full of Altbau buildings with high ceilings and wide doors but narrow, winding staircases and, as a rule, no lift. Carrying to the fourth floor without a lift is a standard situation; large wardrobes, sofas and beds may require an exterior furniture hoist (Möbellift). At the survey stage we ask about the building type, number of floors and stair width at your address in Austria; if needed, the Möbellift appears as a separate line in the quote. In Neubau buildings, the building management may require an appointment for lift use and protective lift padding.
Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck
Graz's historic centre and Salzburg's old town are largely pedestrianised; deliveries are scheduled for early morning. In Linz and Innsbruck, parking permits are obtained from the municipality; for Innsbruck in the winter months, the snow-tyre and chain requirements for the Alpine passes are built into vehicle planning.
Prohibited and Restricted Items for Austria
- Prohibited: Meat and dairy products, fresh food, plants and soil, weapons and ammunition, fireworks, certain types of knives.
- Restricted: Alcohol and tobacco (excluded from relief and subject to excise duty), prescription medicines (personal quantities, with a prescription), packaged dry food in limited quantities.
- Electrical appliances: Turkey and Austria use the same 230V/50Hz system and the same plug type. Türksat satellite receivers work in Austria once the dish is realigned; some TVs need to be retuned.
What Determines the Cost
- Volume (m³): A student or single person measures in the 5–10 m³ range, a two-bedroom home 18–25 m³, a three-bedroom home 25–35 m³; volume is the main driver of the quote.
- Transport method: Groupage or dedicated vehicle.
- Packing: Professional packing including materials and labour, or packing yourself.
- Delivery conditions: Halteverbot permit, floor, lift availability, need for a Möbellift.
- Customs services: Export declaration, T1 guarantee, relief declaration in Austria.
- Insurance and storage: CMR included; optional all-risk cover on the declared value; interim storage in Frankfurt.
Common Mistakes
- Sending the goods off before obtaining the Meldezettel; without proof of residence, customs may refuse relief.
- Claiming relief after living in Austria briefly, returning to Turkey and moving again before 12 months have passed.
- Listing newly bought, unopened items as used.
- Leaving the inventory in Turkish; Austrian customs expects a list in German or English.
- Leaving the Halteverbot application in Vienna until the last day; the signs cannot be erected and the vehicle cannot pull up at the building.
- Not mentioning the floor and staircase details of an Altbau building at the survey; no Möbellift can be found on delivery day.
Example Scenario: Moving from Istanbul to Vienna on a Rot-Weiß-Rot Card
A family starting work at an international organisation in Vienna wants to take the contents of their three-bedroom home in Istanbul. The Rot-Weiß-Rot Card has been approved and a fourth-floor Altbau flat without a lift has been rented in Vienna's 7th district (Neubau). The on-site survey measures 28 m³; a dedicated vehicle is chosen. The family travels to Vienna first and obtains the Meldezettel, while our crew dismantles and packs the furniture in Istanbul. The Halteverbot application is submitted to MA 46 ten days before the delivery date. The vehicle leaves Kapıkule under T1, crosses Serbia and Hungary and enters Austria at Nickelsdorf on day three; at the customs office of destination the relief declaration is lodged with the Meldezettel, proof of residence in Turkey and the German-language inventory, and the goods are released the same day. Delivery on day four: because of the narrow staircase, the sofa and wardrobe are taken in through the window by Möbellift, the furniture is assembled and the packing waste removed. Tax: zero.
Why REG Transport?
- Over 12 years of hands-on experience: Thousands of completed personal-effects shipments for families on the Turkey–Europe corridor; routine practice with Übersiedlungsgut files.
- Our own fleet and warehouses: Warehouses in Istanbul, Gaziantep and Frankfurt; regular weekly departures on the Austria route shared with our Germany services.
- Customs operations from a single source: Turkish export, T1 transit and the Austrian relief declaration are handled by our partner customs brokers.
- City-centre delivery expertise: The Vienna Halteverbot application, Möbellift organisation and Altbau delivery are part of the plan.
- A single customer representative: The same contact from survey to delivery, with updates at border crossings and customs stages.
- Itemised written quote and insurance: Freight, packing, customs, insurance and delivery on separate lines; CMR included, with an all-risk option on the declared value.
Frequently Asked Questions
My residence permit has not been issued yet, but I have a D visa. Can I ship my belongings?
Yes. The file can be prepared with the D visa, rental agreement and employment contract; the paperwork is completed once the Meldezettel has been obtained. We recommend obtaining the Meldezettel before the goods arrive.
How long does it take to ship household goods to Austria?
4–8 days by groupage, 3–5 days by dedicated vehicle. Missing documents at customs and the absence of a Halteverbot permit are the main factors that extend the time.
Will I pay tax if I take furniture I have just bought?
Yes; items used for less than six months or still in their packaging do not qualify for relief, and customs duty plus 20% import VAT are payable in Austria. For new furniture, see our international furniture shipping page.
Do I have to get a parking permit in Vienna?
If the vehicle is to stop in front of the building, yes; without a Halteverbot permit there is a risk of a parking fine and of the vehicle being towed. We make the application to MA 46 on your behalf.
Can I take my car as well?
Yes; a private car registered in your name for at least six months can be imported under Übersiedlungsgut relief. The vehicle is shipped in the same consignment as your belongings or separately by vehicle carrier; registration and the NoVA formalities in Austria are handled separately.
Let's Plan Your Move to Austria
We move household goods door to door from every city in Turkey to Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. Send us your inventory or book a video survey, and we will prepare an itemised written quote the same day. For the general framework of the personal-effects rules, see our complete guide to moving household goods abroad; for the German process on the same corridor, our article on moving household goods from Turkey to Germany; and for service details, our international household removals page.
