Moving to the United Kingdom
Moving your furniture and personal belongings to the UK requires careful planning, particularly when arranging international transport and UK customs clearance. ClickMoves provides international removals to the UK for customers relocating from Europe, North America and destinations around the world.
Whether you are a British citizen returning home, moving to the UK for work, relocating with your family or establishing a new home in Britain, we can help arrange the international transport of your household goods and personal effects.
We work with international moving partners to arrange collection overseas, transport to the UK, customs clearance and delivery to your new address.
International removal services to the UK
ClickMoves can arrange international removals to the UK for shipments ranging from a few boxes or pieces of furniture to the contents of a complete home.
The most appropriate service will depend on where you are moving from, the volume of your belongings and your preferred timescale.
For smaller moves, shared or groupage services can provide a cost-effective solution. Larger household moves may be better suited to a dedicated vehicle from European destinations or a dedicated shipping container from overseas.
Professional packing can also be arranged at origin where required.
Shared and groupage removals to the UK
If you are moving a smaller quantity of furniture and personal belongings to the UK, a shared or groupage service can often reduce the cost of your move.
Your belongings travel alongside other customers’ shipments heading towards the UK, allowing the transport costs to be shared.
From European destinations, groupage shipments can usually travel to the UK by road. From more distant destinations, household goods can be consolidated into shared shipping containers.
Groupage services are particularly suitable for smaller household moves, personal effects, boxes and individual items of furniture.
Dedicated removals to the UK
Customers moving the contents of a larger home may prefer a dedicated removal service.
From many European countries, a dedicated vehicle can be arranged specifically for your move. This provides greater flexibility over collection and delivery schedules and can be particularly suitable for larger household relocations.
For moves from North America, Asia, Australia and other overseas destinations, larger shipments can normally be transported in a dedicated 20-foot or 40-foot shipping container.
We will recommend the most suitable option once we know your collection location, UK destination and approximate shipment volume.
UK customs clearance for household goods
Household goods and personal effects entering the UK are subject to UK customs requirements.
The documentation and customs procedure will depend on your circumstances, where you are moving from and the goods you are importing.
People transferring their normal place of residence to the UK may be eligible for Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, which can allow qualifying personal belongings and household goods to be imported without paying customs duty and import VAT, provided the relevant conditions are met.
An application for Transfer of Residence relief should normally be dealt with before the shipment arrives in the UK. Customers may also need to provide an inventory or packing list and supporting documentation.
Not every shipment or item automatically qualifies for relief, and certain goods can be restricted or subject to separate customs requirements.
ClickMoves can explain the information required for your shipment and coordinate the customs-clearance process with the appropriate moving and customs partners.
Transfer of Residence relief when moving to the UK
Transfer of Residence relief is particularly important for people moving their main home to the UK from overseas.
Eligibility depends on the circumstances of the move and the applicable HMRC requirements. This means customers should not assume that simply owning used household goods automatically makes them exempt from UK taxes or duties.
Where ToR relief applies, approval from HMRC provides a reference that can be used as part of the customs-clearance process when the household goods enter the UK.
Because customs requirements can change, we recommend confirming the current requirements before your belongings are shipped.
Collection overseas and delivery throughout the UK
Through our network of international moving partners, ClickMoves can arrange collection from many countries throughout Europe and worldwide.
Depending on the origin and size of the shipment, services may include collection, professional export packing, road transport, container shipping, customs clearance and final delivery in the UK.
Once your shipment has cleared UK customs, delivery can be arranged throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We can deliver to major cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as towns and rural locations throughout the UK.
Moving to the UK from Europe
ClickMoves regularly arranges household moves between the UK and European destinations.
Depending on the volume of your belongings, we can arrange groupage or dedicated road transport. Groupage is particularly useful for smaller moves because your belongings share vehicle space with other customers’ shipments travelling towards the UK.
Since the UK is outside the European Union, customs formalities apply to household goods moving from EU countries into the UK.
We can help coordinate the transport and customs arrangements required for your move.
Moving to the UK from the USA and Canada
ClickMoves can arrange household goods shipments from the USA and Canada to destinations throughout the UK.
Services can include collection from residential addresses and storage facilities, export handling, shared or dedicated container shipping, UK customs clearance and final delivery.
This can be particularly useful for customers who already have belongings in a North American storage facility and need them collected and shipped to the UK without being present at the collection.
How long do international removals to the UK take?
Transit times depend heavily on where your belongings are travelling from and the type of service selected.
European road removals are generally quicker than overseas container shipments. Groupage services can take longer than dedicated services because several customers’ shipments are consolidated together.
Ocean freight transit times vary according to the origin, shipping schedule, port routing and customs clearance.
When preparing your quotation, we will provide an estimated transit time based on the origin, destination and service being considered.
Frequently asked questions about moving to the UK
What is the cheapest way to move belongings to the UK?
For smaller shipments, a shared or groupage service is often the most economical option because transport costs are shared with other customers moving in the same direction.
Can you collect my belongings overseas?
Yes. Through our international moving partners, we can arrange collection in many countries and coordinate transport to the UK.
Can you collect from a storage facility?
Yes. We can arrange collection from storage facilities in many destinations, including the USA and Canada. In many cases, the customer does not need to be physically present when the shipment is collected.
Do I have to pay customs duty when moving my belongings to the UK?
Not necessarily. People transferring their normal residence to the UK may qualify for Transfer of Residence relief on eligible household goods and personal belongings. Eligibility depends on HMRC requirements and your individual circumstances.
What is a ToR reference?
A Transfer of Residence reference is issued following an approved application for Transfer of Residence relief and can be used as part of the customs process for qualifying household goods entering the UK.
Can you deliver anywhere in the UK?
Yes. Delivery can be arranged throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Can you move just a few boxes or pieces of furniture?
Yes. ClickMoves handles smaller shipments as well as complete household moves. A groupage or shared service may be suitable for smaller consignments.
Do you arrange complete household moves to the UK?
Yes. Larger moves can be arranged using dedicated road vehicles from appropriate European origins or dedicated shipping containers from overseas destinations.
Get a quote for your move to the UK
If you are planning an international move to the UK, ClickMoves can help you identify the most appropriate transport service and coordinate the journey from collection overseas through to delivery at your new UK address.