How To: Move to the US

For this edition’s How To section, our co-operation partner Hertling GmbH & Co. KG, a moving company from Berlin (http://www.hertling.com) has taken the time to answer some important questions our customers have concerning a move to the US. Hertling is a competent and reliable partner for companies and individuals, taking care of your moves overseas, within Europe and Germany and storing personal property. Our interview partner was Eric Cock-Johnsen of the company’s management board, who would like to point out right now that all information here is of a general nature and will be re-examined and adjusted for every individual case.

TAD: Let’s assume a family from Berlin with two children received a green card for the whole family and wants to move to the US with all their possessions. The family contracts a moving company and would like to know how the move is going to work, how fast their furniture and their car can be in the US and what it will cost them.

HERTLING: To estimate what services are required, they should first schedule an appointment with a moving consultant. After a successful viewing of the personal property the company will write an individual offer according to the customer’s specifications and specific wishes.

After the order is placed we will agree on a date and we’ll take care of all the necessary bookings (shipping space, clearway signs, if needed: craftsmen, car carrier, special boxes etc). The customer will receive all relevant details in the form of an order confirmation. This includes written information about currents US customs regulations.

At the set date, we will pack up the property in containers and/or overseas moving boxes. An inventoried bill of lading (a detailed list of all packed property which has been numbered consecutively) and, if necessary, an additional inventoried bill for all electronic devices will be compiled by our movers. It depends on the total volume of property and the conditions at the place of loading how long it will take until everything is packed up (usually it takes two work days to pack and load a container of 20 cubic meters, and three work days for a 40 cubic meter container).

After the loading of the goods at the port of shipment, the delivery agent in the US will receive a shipping notice including all necessary information about the shipment. In addition, we will include all documents necessary to clear the items for import (inventoried bill of lading/inventoried bill of lading for electronic devices, copy of the passport, and as the case may be, a copy of the visa and car documents), if the customer has submitted them to us prior to shipping. The delivery agent will then contact the recipient from the port of destination (or the other way around) to prepare customs clearance and delivery.

How long it takes to ship the goods from the old to the new place of residence depends on the destination in the US and the time it takes to clear the goods for import. The following time frames are only ballpark figures and can vary depending on individual circumstances: East Coast approx. 4-5 weeks / West Coast approx. 6-7 weeks / Mid-West approx. 5-6 weeks.

In general it is necessary for the customer to be in the US before the property arrives at the port of destination, so that the goods do not have to temporarily stored at customs.

In case the emigrant is in a great hurry, the property may also be transported by air freight. For immigrants who don’t want to take a lot of their property with them to the US, transportation in a consolidated container may be an attractive option.

The moving costs depend on the port of shipment and the port of destination, the total volume of shipment and the scale of the requested services. Each move requires an individualized offer, so we can’t even give you an estimated price, everything we could say would be very imprecise in any case. At any rate, there’s no VAT on a move to the US.

IMPORTING YOUR CAR

Cars for personal use can be brought to the US, exempt from duty, for one year. For longer stays in the US, please note the following: If the car isn’t or wasn’t being sold identical in construction in the US, it will usually not be accepted as a private import, since US authorities won’t have information on emission levels and safety test results. These have to come from American organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). European documents won’t be accepted, the car will either not be cleared at customs, or it has to be rebuilt according to American regulations in a special auto repair shop, which often costs thousands of dollars. Usually, this is not worth the effort. Also, anyone who wants to permanently import a new car to the US will have to pay customs duty.

Especially diesel vehicles can be a problem. But also other types of cars such as Smart, Mercedes A-class, Audi A2 and other European cars will not be accepted. You can save yourself a lot of trouble and costs if you don’t import your car, but sell it before you leave and use the money to buy a new one in the US. The only exception is, as mentioned before, if you only import your car temporarily, i.e. for less than one year. You may not, however, sell your car in the US, if it doesn’t meet American standards. So after one year at the latest you either have to ship it back, have it rebuilt as far as that is technically possible, or scrap it. Otherwise you will have to face severe penalties up to confiscation or return transport on your costs. Special regulations exist for vintage cars or collectors pieces, which we will provide upon request.

Cars can be shipped to the US with special roll-on-roll-off ships (RoRo) or directly in an overseas container.

Due to legal obligations every move is insured with a basic cover, but an additional cargo insurance is still advisable since then the cargo can be insured at reinstatement value, you will have no-fault liability in case of damaged property, and you are covered in a case of stranding. A case of stranding occurs, for example, when a container is washed over board, the ship sinks or other events caused by force majeure. Stranding, for example, isn’t included in the basic cover. The basic coverage, which only covers the goods according to the current value, also sets the liability amount according to the volume of shipment, which is a disadvantage compared to the cargo insurance, which can be taken out at any value. The insurance rate depends on the declared value and the desired form of cover. Hertling also offers a cargo insurance.

TAD: Under what circumstances will there be difficulties with US customs (e.g. self-packing)?

HERTLING: At present almost all containers with personal property will be x-rayed. In addition, the container may be thoroughly examined at customs, in which case all the goods inside will be unpacked under customs supervision. If the customer has taken care of the pacing himself and has not included a detailed packing list, this can lead to difficulties. The list has to give an exact overview of what item is in which box. Summarized information or abbreviations can lead to a customs examination. Importing alcohol requires a special customs clearance, in this case you may have to pay import duty or extra duties.

If the property is shipped in a special wooden container, please be careful to make sure this container is made of specially treated wood, otherwise import won’t be possible. If you choose a company that has quality standards like those of Hertling, this will be automatically taken are of.

Importing plants, meat, or foodstuffs that contain meat, beverages, weapons, untreated fur or leather, pornographic material, drugs and other dangerous goods is out of the question.

Antiquities may be imported, but require a special certificate. Works of art are exempt of duty, provided they have been in the customer’s possession for more than one year.

TAD: What do you have to know about importing high quality electronic equipment such as DVD player, refrigerators etc.? Is there a limited customs value of goods?

HERTLING: There is no limited value, as far as used electronic equipment that the customer want to bring along is concerned. In case large quantities of electronic devices will be imported, customs could suspect import for commercial purposes, this can lead to unnecessary delays at customs. However, customs duty has to be paid, also for electronic equipment, if the goods haven’t been in the customer’s possession for more than one year.

Please keep in mind that mains voltage in the US is only 100 volts and 220/230 volts. So without adapters and voltage converters, most electronic equipment from Germany cannot be used in the US. Electronic equipment worth €20,000 or more should be insured separately. Refrigerators should be CFC-free.

TAD: What do you have to know about bringing pets? What animals may not come along?

HERTLING: Before transporting a pet you should, in any case, check the import regulations for the respective animal, which can even vary depending on the US state. In general, you will have to have an anti-rabies vaccination certificate. A certificate of health for your pet may also be required, some animals will have to be quarantined for different periods of time (birds and exotic animals). For certain animals you will have to acquire a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, for example for reptiles and fishes. Pets on the endangered species list may not be imported.

TAD: Is it possible to conduct a move to the US without a moving company?

HERTLING: Of course it is possible to organize a move without the assistance of a professional company that offers comprehensive advice. If you organize everything yourself, you may save money, but you will need a lot more time and energy, since you won’t have all the necessary know-how and you’re not already in contact with all the required service partners. So it is definitely advisable to get the support of a high-quality company such as Hertling that will organize your move overseas, to make the first step into your new life that much easier.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Please write to berlin@hertling.com. Please note that all of the above information may not necessarily apply to your individual case and do not contain any claim to completeness.