Setting Up a Nachsendeauftrag: The Actual Basics, Cost, and Timing

The Official Rule

Setting up mail forwarding for a move sounds simple, but the actual mechanics, cost, and coverage are worth understanding precisely before you assume it works the way you’d expect.

The current 2026 cost is a genuinely simple, one-time fee, not a subscription. umzugsfahrplan.de’s 2026 pricing guidance confirms individuals pay 31.90 euros applying online, or 34.90 euros applying in person at a branch, a single charge covering the entire forwarding duration, with no recurring monthly billing involved.

Duration options genuinely changed as of a recent rule shift. tsumzug.de’s guidance confirms that since January 1, 2025, Deutsche Post offers exactly one duration option: 6 months. The previously available 12 and 24-month options have been discontinued entirely, if you’re used to older guides mentioning longer terms, that information is now out of date.

You have two genuine ways to apply, and the online route is both cheaper and faster. Deutsche Post’s own service page confirms you can apply online at deutschepost.de/nachsendeservice, which is 3 euros cheaper and takes just a few minutes, or in person at any post branch, where you’ll need to bring your Personalausweis.

Timing genuinely matters for a clean, gapless start. Deutsche Post’s own guidance recommends submitting your request 2 to 3 weeks before your actual move date, with an absolute minimum of 5 working days required. hotlinedienst.de’s practical guidance on common mistakes confirms that submitting later than this genuinely risks a gap where forwarding doesn’t start seamlessly from your move date, mail sent to your old address in that gap simply won’t be forwarded.

What actually gets forwarded is narrower than most people assume, and this is worth knowing before you rely on it completely. According to Deutsche Post’s own help pages, the service covers letters, postcards, registered mail (Einschreiben), goods shipments (Warensendungen) and addressed advertising mail in an envelope. Packages are not part of it: DHL Paket, Kleinpaket and Päckchen are excluded and go back to the sender, and parcels from Hermes, DPD, UPS or GLS were never covered. If you expect a parcel from a retailer, your Nachsendeauftrag will not catch it, you need to change the address directly with that sender or shop instead.

If you are late, there is a paid fast lane. Orders normally need to be placed at least 5 working days before the start date. Private customers who apply online can add an express order (Eilauftrag) for 10 euros extra, which starts forwarding on the next working day after identification. It is not available when applying in a branch.

What Real People Say

Families setting up their first Nachsendeauftrag consistently describe genuine surprise at the narrower-than-expected coverage, several mention assuming it would function as a blanket safety net for anything addressed to their old apartment, only to discover that a parcel from a specific online retailer simply never arrived at the new address as expected.

The recurring practical mistake people describe is leaving the setup until the last minute, several specifically mention regretting not following Deutsche Post’s own 2-3 week recommendation, describing a real, frustrating gap in mail continuity right around their actual move date as the direct consequence of applying too close to the deadline.

Step by Step

1. Apply online at deutschepost.de/nachsendeservice if possible, it’s 3 euros cheaper and takes just a few minutes, versus applying in person at a branch with your Personalausweis.
2. Submit your request 2-3 weeks before your move date, treating the 5-working-day minimum as a genuine last resort, not a comfortable target.
3. Remember this is a one-time fee for a fixed 6-month duration, not a subscription, and there’s currently no option to purchase a longer single term.
4. Know specifically what’s covered: letters, postcards, Einschreiben and addressed advertising mail in an envelope, and what isn’t: DHL parcels and Päckchen, Hermes, DPD, UPS, GLS packages, express items and newspapers.
5. For any parcel, including DHL, update your address directly with the sender, shop or carrier, since your Nachsendeauftrag has no effect on parcel shipments at all. If the move is only days away, add the online express order (Eilauftrag, +10 euros).
6. If you need coverage beyond 6 months, plan to set up a new order once the first expires, rather than assuming an automatic renewal or a longer single-purchase option exists.

Compliance Note

This page explains the general Nachsendeauftrag process, cost, and coverage offered by Deutsche Post, current as of mid-2026. It is not legal advice, and specific prices, durations, and coverage can change. Confirm current details directly with Deutsche Post before setting up your forwarding order.