Moving from Turkey to Germany: A Practical Guide to Reduce Stress

Moving from Turkey to Germany is not just about going from one address to another; it means carrying your life, memories, and daily routine into another country. When you add the moving process on top of visa, residence permit, school and job issues, it’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed.

In this article, I’ll explain the process of moving your home from Turkey to Germany in a clear way, without drowning you in technical terms but with enough detail to actually help. The goal is to give a clear answer to the question: “Where do I start?”

In an internationally standardized door-to-door moving operation, all items to be moved are transported to the requested destination without damage and without any missing pieces.

1. First Step: What Do You Need, and When?

Once you decide to move, the first thing you should do is create a timeline and priority list:

• When will you start work/school in Germany?

• What is the handover date of the house you’ve rented?

• When do you have to move out of your current home in Turkey?

  
  

The answers to these three questions form the skeleton of your entire moving plan. Ideally, you should start preparations at least 2–3 months before your moving date.

This way:

• You have enough time to research prices,

• You can sort and reduce your belongings,

• You can handle paperwork without last-minute panic.

  
  

2. Which Items Should You Really Take?

In international moving, costs are calculated more by volume (m³) than by distance. In other words, every single item affects the total moving cost.

Ask yourself:

“Is it more reasonable to buy this item new in Germany, or to move it from Turkey?”

In general, the following are candidates to be left out of the list:

• Old, worn-out sofas and wardrobes,

• Bulky items with low monetary value,

• Items that are easy to sell in Turkey but expensive to ship to Germany.

  
  

You can set up a simple system for yourself:

• Definitely taking

• Not sure (do a price check – how much is it in Germany?)

• To sell / donate / throw away

  
  

This list not only gives you psychological relief, but also helps you speak more clearly with your moving company.

3. Budget Planning: More Than Just the Moving Fee

Many people focus only on the “moving price” when calculating their budget. In reality, the picture is much broader:

• International moving fee

• Packing service (will the company do it, or will you?)

• Customs fees and official procedures

• Moving insurance

• Final cleaning / painting in Turkey, storage fee if needed

• First-time purchases in Germany (curtains, small household items, cleaning materials, etc.)

  
  

A simple thing you can do: in Excel or on paper, write an estimated amount next to each of these items. Later, when you receive actual quotes, it becomes much easier to compare and adjust.

4. Why Is Working with a Professional International Moving Company Important?

There is a big difference between moving from one city to another within Turkey and moving to Germany. Professional companies that operate regularly on the Turkey–Germany route:

• Visit your home for a pre-move survey, see everything and estimate the volume,

• Take care of packing, dismantling and reassembling furniture, disconnecting and reconnecting white goods,

• Guide you on which documents you’ll need on the customs side,

• Can include your belongings in an insurance policy,

• Can plan door-to-door delivery.

  
  

Here are the key points you should pay attention to:

Don’t just ask about the price; ask about the service details:

• Who will do the packing?

• Who will follow up at customs?

• What is the insured value and what exactly does it cover?

• What is the average delivery time?

  
  

Ask for references: examples, reviews and photos from previous moves to Germany can give you a very good idea.

5. Mode of Transport: Road or Sea?

Household goods from Turkey to Germany are usually transported by road. For large-volume moves, a sea + road combination can also be used on some routes.

The general logic is as follows:

Road Transport

• Your belongings are collected from your home, loaded onto the vehicle and, after customs procedures, sent on their way to Germany.

• In most cases, a door-to-door service is provided.

  
  

Sea + Road Combination

• Your goods may travel by truck to the port, then by ship, and then again by road in Germany to your final address.

• The total duration can be longer, but on some routes it can create a cost advantage.

  
  

You should definitely clarify this part during the quotation stage:

“Which route will my belongings follow, and approximately how many days will it take to reach my address?”

6. Documents and Customs: A General Framework

Since the customs rules of each country are updated from time to time, instead of giving you rigid legal phrases, I’ll draw a practical framework.

When moving household goods from Turkey to Germany, you will usually need:

• Your passport and visa/residence documents,

• Documents showing your address in Germany (rental contract, Anmeldung, etc.),

• A list of the items being transported (a room-by-room packing list),

• Transport documents issued by the moving company,

• Moving insurance policy.

Two points are critical here:

• Your belongings must be for personal use – they should not look like commercial goods. Taking many identical items can be risky.

• Your documents must be consistent – the information, lists and dates you declare in Turkey and Germany should match.

  
  

The healthiest approach is to check the latest customs rules close to your moving date through official sources or via the customs department of the moving company you work with.

7. Packing: The Heart of the Move

Thinking “the company will carry everything anyway” and neglecting packing is a big mistake. Poorly packed items:

• Are at higher risk of damage during transport,

• Are difficult to reorganize if they are opened and checked at customs,

• Can cause problems during the insurance claim process.

The ideal approach:

• Wrap fragile items (glass, porcelain, electronics) generously with protective materials,

• Write the room name + contents on each box (“Kitchen – Plates”, “Living Room – Books”, etc.),

• Don’t pack books and glassware together in very heavy boxes; try to distribute the weight evenly,

• If possible, carry some of your most valuable items (jewellery, important documents, small objects with high sentimental value) with you in your hand luggage.

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Even if you purchase professional packing services, talk to the company separately about the items you consider “extra fragile”.

8. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

We can summarize the common mistakes people make when moving from Turkey to Germany as follows:

• Not packing anything until the last weeks→ Solution: Start 1–2 months before the move and deal with a specific room each week.

• Choosing only the cheapest company→ Solution: Always compare the scope of service, insurance and references, not just the price.

• Leaving documents to the last minute→ Solution: File and prepare documents such as passport, residence permit, rental contract and packing list from the very beginning.

• Underestimating the volume→ Solution: During the pre-move survey, show every room and every cupboard to the surveyor; don’t leave any “hidden” items.

• Lack of communication→ Solution: Stay in regular contact with the company; know exactly who your contact person is during loading, departure, customs and delivery.

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9. Conclusion: Moving Doesn’t Have to Be a Nightmare

On paper, moving your home from Turkey to Germany can look intimidating; but when you break it down into steps, it becomes a manageable process:

• Clarify when and where you’re moving,

• Reduce, list and prioritize your belongings,

• Create a realistic budget,

• Choose a moving company with solid international experience,

• Plan your documents and customs procedures in advance,

• Take packing seriously.