Shipping your belongings to Austria: customs and household goods

Moving from the United States to Austria means moving from outside the European Union into it. Goods entering the EU normally attract import duties and import VAT. Austria, like every EU country, waives both for household goods that come with a genuine change of residence. The rules are precise, and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, which runs customs, spells them out. This guide walks through them in the order you will meet them.

What counts as relocation goods

The ministry calls them Übersiedlungsgut: all goods you bring when you move your residence to Austria. Only used goods qualify, meant for your own use, not new purchases. Consumables such as food are the exception to the "used" rule.

Relocation goods include:

• household effects, meaning personal items, linen, furniture and appliances;
• bicycles, motorcycles, cars with trailers, camping trailers, private aircraft and boats;
• household provisions, in the quantities a family normally keeps;
• portable instruments you need for a profession or trade.

They do not include:

• alcoholic products, tobacco and tobacco products;
• commercial vehicles;
• business equipment, other than the portable professional instruments above.

It does not matter whether you bought the goods tax-free or taxed abroad. The exemption still applies.

The conditions for duty-free import

All of these must be true:

1. You are moving your usual residence to an EU country. The ministry defines usual residence as the place where you live for at least 185 days in a calendar year because of personal ties, such as where your family lives. A university or school stay does not count as a move of residence. You can keep your US home as a secondary residence.
2. You lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months. The period is counted back from when you give up the foreign residence. Customs can still grant the exemption if you intended to stay abroad 12 months but had to return early, for example because your employer ended your posting.
3. You used the goods at your previous home for at least six months before giving it up.
4. You will use the goods for the same purpose in Austria. The ministry's example: a car you drove privately cannot become a taxi.
5. You declare the goods within 12 months of establishing residence in Austria. You can ship in several partial loads within that window.
6. You do not pass the goods on for 12 months after clearance. That means no selling, lending, pledging or renting them out. If you need to, tell customs first and pay the import duties at the values then current.

"Belong to you" includes goods you bought on credit or hold under a finance lease with a purchase option, because you can control them as an owner would.

Forms ZBefr 2 and ZBefr 2a

At the customs declaration, you present one of two forms.

| Form | When to use it | |---|---| | ZBefr 2 | The standard case: a declaration that you are moving from your only home outside the EU to your new only home in Austria | | ZBefr 2a | An application for a base decision (Grundlagenbescheid), when ZBefr 2 does not fit your situation |

You must apply with ZBefr 2a before the planned import in these cases:

• a motor vehicle is part of your shipment;
• you already had a residence in the EU before the move, or you keep a residence outside the EU afterward;
• you want to import the goods before you establish your usual residence in Austria.

The base decision comes from the customs office for the area where you live. If you have no Austrian address yet, any customs office can issue it. Attach the evidence listed in the form's instructions.

### Evidence to keep

Any suitable evidence works to prove your new Austrian residence, the 12 months abroad and the 12-month import window. Keep these papers after the move, because customs may check later. If items do not look used, customs can ask for invoices, delivery notes or warranty cards showing you owned and used them before moving.

For cars, bring purchase or lease contracts, invoices, the title and registration or insurance documents from abroad.

If paperwork is missing

Missing a form or some evidence does not stop your shipment. Customs can still clear the goods if you first pay the import duties or provide security. The exemption is granted afterward, and the money is refunded once you supply what was missing.

Alternatively, the goods can travel duty-free under security from the border customs office to your local customs office on a transit document. The border office then seals the vehicle, and the seal number goes on the transit document.

Doing it yourself

Most Americans use a moving company that handles customs clearance. If you drive or carry the goods yourself, declare them at the border customs office and ask staff there what steps you need for the exemption. Bring form ZBefr 2 and any evidence, plus the base decision if your case needs one.

Relocation goods are still subject to the same import bans and restrictions as travelers' goods. Check anything unusual before you pack it.

Bringing a car

A car can be relocation goods, but it triggers the ZBefr 2a base decision before import. Even with the duty exemption, the ministry notes that you must pay Austria's standard fuel consumption tax, the Normverbrauchsabgabe or NoVA, at your tax office before you first register the car in Austria.

Your US driver's license is also time-limited. According to the federal portal, once the holder of a non-EEA license moves residence to Austria, driving is generally allowed for six months. After that, the license loses validity in Austria and must be exchanged.

Pets

Pets are not relocation goods in the customs sense, but they travel with most moves. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service lists the requirements for taking a pet from the United States to Austria. A USDA-accredited veterinarian issues the health certificate, which USDA then endorses; the electronic signature is accepted, but the original ink endorsement is required. Airlines set their own rules too.

If you might travel outside the EU with a dog, cat or ferret later, Austria's veterinary authority recommends a rabies titer test before you leave, at least three weeks ahead. A titer is required for re-entry from most non-EU countries, and if it turns out too low after you leave, you may not be able to bring your pet back into Austria.

Choosing what to ship

Since only used goods you have owned for six months qualify, buy any new furniture or appliances after you arrive, not right before you leave. Leave alcohol behind, since it is excluded. Check your US appliances against Austrian voltage before paying to ship them.

For a few suitcases or boxes rather than a container, a door-to-door service such as Luggage Forward can be simpler than excess baggage. Keep the same paperwork logic: it is still relocation goods, and the same 12-month window applies.

A timeline

1. Six months or more before the move: stop buying items you plan to ship.
2. Before import, if you are shipping a car or moving early: file ZBefr 2a with your customs office.
3. On arrival: register your residence, which becomes your evidence of the new home.
4. Within 12 months of establishing residence: clear all shipments with ZBefr 2.
5. For 12 months after clearance: keep the goods and keep the papers.

Common questions

Do I pay import duty on my furniture when moving to Austria? No, if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, used the items for at least six months and declare them within 12 months of establishing residence.

Which customs form do I need? Usually ZBefr 2. You need a base decision on form ZBefr 2a if you ship a car, keep a home outside the EU, already had an EU residence, or import before moving.

Can I bring wine from my US collection duty-free? No. Alcoholic products, tobacco and tobacco products are excluded from relocation goods.

Can I sell my shipped furniture after arriving? Not within 12 months of clearance without telling customs first and paying the import duties.