Moving abroad from the UK, anywhere.
Whether you are retiring to Spain or Portugal, relocating to Germany or the Netherlands for work, or starting a new life in Canada or Australia, we organise your move from your door in the UK to your new home abroad.
Where we move households to from United Kingdom
Dedicated corridor pages
Other destinations we cover
- United Kingdom → Belgium
- United Kingdom → Netherlands
- United Kingdom → Luxembourg
- United Kingdom → Germany
- United Kingdom → Austria
- United Kingdom → Switzerland
- United Kingdom → Ireland
- United Kingdom → Italy
- United Kingdom → Greece
- United Kingdom → Slovenia
- United Kingdom → Croatia
- United Kingdom → Sweden
Before you leave United Kingdom
- Tell HMRC you are leaving — If you are leaving the UK to live or work abroad, you can tell HMRC with form P85. It helps settle your tax position for the year you leave and may lead to a tax refund.
- Council Tax, utilities and contracts — Give notice to your council, energy and water suppliers, broadband and insurers. Keep the final bills: they prove the date you left the UK, which customs at destination may ask for.
- Your UK-registered vehicle — If you take your car abroad for good, you tell the DVLA it is being permanently exported using your vehicle log book (V5C). Your new country will then register it under its own rules — check them before shipping.
- Prepare your duty-free entry at destination — Moving from the UK to the EU, you can usually import your belongings free of duty and VAT under transfer of residence relief. Start gathering proof of your UK residence and of your new address early.
- Mail and banking — Set up mail redirection and update your address with your bank, pension providers and the DVLA before you go.
Exporting your belongings from United Kingdom
To another EU country: if United Kingdom and your destination are both in the EU, your belongings travel freely. There is no export declaration and no customs clearance.
To a country outside the EU: we file the export declaration in United Kingdom on your behalf. What matters most is the import side: whether your belongings enter your new country free of duty depends on that country's rules. Each destination guide explains them.
Wherever you are going, prepare a detailed inventory of your belongings. It is required at destination for almost every move outside the EU, and it is the basis of your insurance.
Since 1 January 2021, every household move from Great Britain to an EU country requires a UK export declaration and an EU import declaration. We file both for you, so your truck is not held at Dover, Calais or the Channel Tunnel.
How a move from United Kingdom works
- Free quote. Tell us your origin, destination in United Kingdom and approximate volume. You receive an online estimate and a detailed quote within 24 hours.
- Survey and planning. Your coordinator rechecks the volume, locks the transport mode and lists the customs rules you fall under on your way to United Kingdom.
- Packing and collection. A packing crew comes to your address, prepares every item and loads the truck or the container at your door.
- Transport. On the road for a European route, in a sea container across an ocean, or by air for small urgent shipments to United Kingdom.
- Customs clearance (where required). When your route crosses a customs border, we file both sides: the United Kingdom export and the import at your new country (UK export declaration and EU import declaration).
- Delivery and set-up. Delivery to your new home, unpacking and furniture reassembly if included in your quote.
One coordinator follows your move from United Kingdom from the first call to the final delivery.
Transport options and transit times
Expect the figures below as indicative door-to-door windows; season, addresses and customs clearance can all shift them.
| To | Mode | Typical door-to-door time |
|---|---|---|
| France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg | Road — dedicated truck | 2 to 5 days, plus customs clearance |
| Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy | Road — dedicated truck | 3 to 7 days, plus customs clearance |
| Spain, Portugal | Road — dedicated truck | Up to 7 days, plus customs clearance |
| Ireland | Road and ferry — dedicated truck | 1 to 4 days, plus customs clearance |
| Anywhere in Europe | Road — shared load (groupage) | 2 to 4 weeks, plus customs clearance |
| Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark | Road — dedicated or shared | 1 to 4 weeks |
| USA & Canada (East Coast) | Sea — own container (FCL) | 6 to 10 weeks |
| USA & Canada (West Coast) | Sea — own container (FCL) | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Middle East | Sea container | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Australia, New Zealand | Sea container | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Anywhere | Air freight (small volumes) | 1 to 2 weeks |
Door-to-door transit times are indicative and depend on the season, the exact addresses and customs clearance at both ends.
How the price of your move from United Kingdom is calculated
We price every move from United Kingdom with the same ingredients — nothing hidden, nothing improvised:
- Volume — in cubic metres: it drives most of the price. Use our room-by-room calculator for an accurate figure.
- Distance and route — the actual door-to-door distance to United Kingdom, not a bird-flight shortcut.
- Transport mode — shared load, dedicated truck, sea container (shared or exclusive) or air freight.
- Services — packing, taking furniture apart and reassembling it, crating fragile pieces, storage, island delivery.
- Access — walk-up floors, pedestrian streets, long carries from the truck, and hoists where access is tight.
- Customs — brokerage, declaration and port handling charges on routes to United Kingdom that cross a customs border.
- Insurance — calculated as a percentage of the declared value of your belongings.
Typical volumes, as a guide:
| Home | Typical volume |
|---|---|
| Studio | 10 to 15 m³ |
| 1-bedroom flat | 15 to 25 m³ |
| 2-bedroom home | 25 to 40 m³ |
| 3-bedroom home | 40 to 60 m³ |
| 4-bedroom house or larger | 60 m³ and more |
Our online estimator gives you a starting price for road moves within Europe in two minutes. For sea and air freight, and for any move with customs, you receive a detailed written quote — reply within 24 hours.
Popular routes from United Kingdom
Where people move from United Kingdom
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need customs paperwork to move from the UK to Spain or France?
- Yes. Since Brexit, a move from Great Britain to the EU requires an export declaration in the UK and an import declaration in the EU. We prepare both, and your belongings can usually enter duty-free under transfer of residence relief.
- Should I fill in form P85 before leaving the UK?
- If you are leaving the UK to live or work abroad, form P85 tells HMRC you have left and helps settle your tax for that year. It can also lead to a refund of tax overpaid.
- Can I take my UK car with me?
- Yes. You tell the DVLA the vehicle is being permanently exported using your V5C, then register it in your new country. Check its import rules and costs first — some countries, such as Norway, tax imported cars heavily.
- How long does a removal from the UK to Europe take?
- With a dedicated truck, two to seven days depending on the destination, plus customs clearance. A shared load takes two to four weeks and costs less.
- Can you collect from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Yes, from anywhere in the UK. Northern Ireland follows specific rules for goods, so tell us at quote stage if you are moving from there.
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