Door to Door Shipping to the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the second most popular overseas destination. We've been helping people and their families move to the United Kingdom for 50 years. Whether you need to move some selected items, all of the contents of your home, or a vehicle we can tailor a service to meet your requirements. We make it easy by providing a door to door service to anywhere in the United Kingdom London, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Channel Islands. We have the expertise and extensive experience to help make your move to the United Kingdom a pleasurable event. We have also carefully selected partners throughout the United Kingdom to ensure we deliver a seamless service from beginning to end. Let us take care of the hard work while you concentrate on everything else. So if you're looking for great service with a competitive price, let us help you on your journey to the United Kingdom.
How Much Will it Cost to Move to the United Kingdom
There are several key elements that we use to determine the cost of your move. Once we have all of these details we can provide you with a quotation.
- Where are you moving from and to?
- How much do you need to move, i.e. full household or just a few items?
- Do you have any items that require special handling or packing, i.e. a piano?
- When do you want to move?
- Do you require Careful Packing of your boxes?
- Do you require Secure Storage?
- We also have Easy Insurance available as well.
Economy Sea Freight to the United Kingdom
We provide Economy Container Sea Freight services to the United Kingdom. This is where your goods are loaded into a shared container with other peoples goods and you only pay for the space your goods take up. With a shared container it is not always possible to advise shipping dates as they are subject to a container being filled with other peoples goods. We can provide you with an estimated door to door transit time based on historic activity. However, your shipment may arrive sooner or later depending on the level of market demand to your destination at the time.
UK Customs Regulations
When moving goods to the United Kingdom it is important to know that your goods must be cleared for entry by the HM Customs service. You are required to complete a Transfer of Residence Application.
You are able to import your used personal effects and household goods into the United Kingdom without having to pay any customs duty and tax provided you;
- Be moving from a country outside the European Union (EU) to the UK, in order to live in the UK. You're thereby transferring your normal place of residence to the UK.
- Have lived outside the EU for at least the last 12 consecutive months.
- Have used and had possession of the goods for at least the last 6 consecutive months.
- Have used the goods and are going to continue using them in the new place of residence in the UK for at least the next 12 .months.
- Be importing the goods within 12 months of coming to live in the UK.
- Not lend out, pledge, give away, hire out or transfer the goods within the first 12 months after the date on which they were imported.
You can also import inherited goods without paying duty and tax provided you can show proof that the goods have been willed or given to you as part of the estate.
If you include any alcohol, tobacco products or goods of a commercial nature in your shipment you will have to pay import duty and tax on them. There are also very tight controls around the following banned and restricted goods such as drugs, firearms, weapons, food, articles manufactured from wildlife. Please be aware that some goods are completely banned while others may require special permits or licences for importation.
It is important to be fully aware of the requirements, thus it is essential to visit HM Customs to obtain up to date detailed information.
Shipping Your Vehicle to the United Kingdom
All motor vehicles imported in the UK are subject to payment of duty and VAT. However they may be imported free of the duty and VAT provided that the following criteria are met:
- The importer is moving their normal home to the UK.
- The importer has had their normal home outside the UK for a continuous period of at least 12 months.
- The importer has possessed and used it for at least 6 months outside the UK before it is imported.
- The importer did not purchase it under a duty/tax free scheme.
- The importer will retain it for personal use.
- The importer will not sell, lend, hire out or otherwise dispose of it in the UK within 12 months of importation.
- The vehicle arrives no more than six months before the importer’s own arrival date.
- The vehicle arrives no more than twelve months after the importer’s own arrival date.
All motor vehicles must meet certain compliance regulations before they can be registered on the road for use. Depending on the age of the vehicle it will mean undergoing the tests. Note that IVA test can only be carried out at approved test facilities. In order to pass this test it may mean that a vehicle may require certain modifications such as the fitting of a rear fog light. It is also important to know that the UK has very strict emission regulations that need to be met. Please visit the Government Services and Information website to obtain the latest information regarding the IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) which has the locations of the Inspection Stations, Schedule of Fees, and an Application form.
- Vehicles less than 3 years old require an IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) test.
- Vehicles between 3 years and 10 years old require an MOT (Ministry of Transport) test and IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) test.
- Vehicles over 10 years old require a MOT (Ministry of Transport) test.
All vehicles need to be registered with the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) for use on the roads. It is important to note that vehicle insurance must be in place before a vehicle can be registered.
