2026-08-13 · MODUNERA Editorial

Permits in Germany, compared across Europe

Updated guidance to tiny-house permission in Germany: site, use, trailer, documents, transport and authority checks.

Short answer

A tiny house intended for lasting residential or commercial use is generally treated as a building project. Wheels alone do not remove planning obligations; state building law, land use, the plot and the intended use must be checked with the competent authority.

In depth: tiny house permits in Germany →

1. Use before mobility

Residential, holiday-rental, office or temporary use can lead to different treatment. Actual use and duration usually matter more than the label tiny house, and a trailer is not a blanket exemption.

2. Plot and competent authority

Before ordering, check the address or parcel, intended use, duration, dimensions, utility connections and access with the competent authority in Germany.

3. Technical documents

Plans, elevations, sections and dimensions
Structure, weights and trailer data where relevant
Thermal, moisture, fire and services concepts
Placement, foundations, access and unloading

4. Transport is a separate review package

Planning permission at the destination and road legality during delivery are separate questions. Model, route, registration, insurance, driving entitlement and special-transport permits require separate checks.

5. Official starting source

Germany · official permit information ↗

Legal note

Reviewed 2026-08-13. This article is general project guidance, not legal, authority, structural, energy or tax advice. Current law and the decisions of competent authorities are controlling.

FAQ

Only if the trailer, documents, insurance, dimensions and weights comply along the full route. Otherwise delivery is planned on a low-loader or as special transport.

A Ro-Ro or ferry leg may form part of the route. Availability, port, schedule, handling and onward road delivery are confirmed only for the actual model and destination.

For EU destinations, the EU–Türkiye Customs Union and A.TR proof may be relevant depending on tariff classification and customs status. Import VAT, product requirements and national approval remain separate checks; Switzerland uses a separate customs process.

Five destination markets

What has to be settled in each country.

The same question is answered differently in Copenhagen than in Zurich. These five points belong in every project check, whatever detail you are researching right now.

Germany

Responsible: the lower building authority of the district or independent city.

Governing plan: the Bebauungsplan, or an assessment under §34 or §35 BauGB where there is none.

Permanent living is possible where the plot lies within a built-up area or a Bebauungsplan permits residential use and the project is approved. In the outer area under §35 BauGB, living is privileged only in narrowly defined cases — the most common reason German projects fail.

Delivery from 6,800 € · On import: German VAT at 19 per cent applies on import.

Germany →

Netherlands

Responsible: the municipality, through the Omgevingsloket.

Governing plan: the municipal omgevingsplan under the Environment and Planning Act.

Permanent living requires a residential function in the omgevingsplan. Many attractive sites are designated for recreation, where permanent residence is not allowed — even where it happens in practice.

Delivery from 7,600 € · On import: Dutch VAT at 21 per cent applies on import.

Netherlands →

Denmark

Responsible: the kommune.

Governing plan: the lokalplan together with the zone status (byzone, sommerhusområde or landzone).

Permanent living requires a site in byzone or an equivalent designation. In sommerhusområder year-round residence is restricted in principle, and exceptions are tied to personal conditions.

Delivery from 10,500 € · On import: Danish VAT at 25 per cent applies — the highest of the five destinations.

Denmark →

Luxembourg

Responsible: the commune.

Governing plan: the plan d'aménagement général (PAG) and the associated plan d'aménagement particulier (PAP).

Permanent living is possible where the PAG zone permits residential use and the autorisation de construire is granted. Because municipalities are small, practice differs noticeably from place to place.

Delivery from 7,000 € · On import: Luxembourg VAT at 17 per cent applies — the lowest of the five destinations.

Luxembourg →

Switzerland

Responsible: the municipality together with the canton.

Governing plan: the municipal land-use plan and the zoning ordinance.

Permanent living is possible inside the building zone where the zone permits residential use and the Baubewilligung is granted. Outside the building zone, living is admissible only in narrowly defined exceptions — the most common reason Swiss projects fail.

Delivery from 7,900 € · On import: Swiss VAT at the standard rate of 8.1 per cent applies on import.

Switzerland →

All questions and answers per destination →

Models

Which models come into question.

Eight plans on one technical basis, 2.55 metres wide. What differs is length, layout and specification depth.

Model	Layout	Length	Ex works
MD 1	Panorama and loft	8.00 m or 9.70 m	44,900 €
MD 2	Two lofts for families	9.00 m	52,900 €
MD 3	Loft plus extra room	8.00 m or 9.70 m	47,900 €
MD 4	Loft, room and veranda	8.00 m or 9.00 m	50,900 €
MD 5	Compact with extra room	8.00 m or 9.00 m	46,900 €
MD 6	Chalet with pitched roof	8.00 m or 9.00 m	54,900 €
MD 7	Entry model	8.00 m	42,900 €
MD 8	Compact, upgraded line	8.00 m	45,900 €

See MD 1 to MD 8

Checklist

Five points before ordering.

A written answer from the responsible authority on admissibility at the specific plot — verbal assurances do not carry a project.
Access and unloading point, with photographs and dimensions. In practice the last hundred metres cause more trouble than the long haul.
Servicing: the distance to power, drinking water and sewer. That distance sets one of the largest secondary items.
Type of use and number of people. Permanent living, holidays and letting lead to different specifications of the same model.
Budget range including foundation, connections, unloading, planning, fees and insurance — not just the ex-works price.

As of 2026-08-14. All figures are non-binding project guidance and not legal, authority, structural, energy or tax advice. Prices are ex-works indications; only a checked quotation is binding.