Removals to Spain from the UK

How UK to Spain removals work

Most moves to mainland Spain go by road. A dedicated lorry carries only your things and drives direct, typically in 3–7 days door to door. A shared part load travels with other households and costs much less, but takes 1–3 weeks or more, because it waits to fill and makes several drops.

Most firms on the route prepare the customs paperwork from your inventory — check it's in the quote, not added later. Ask about export wrapping too: at over 1,000 miles, it's what gets fragile things there in one piece.

Where in Spain are you moving to?

Where you're going changes the drive, the dates and sometimes the paperwork. None of the firms publishes prices by region, so use the bands above and expect the far south to sit towards the top.

• Costa del Sol and Málaga — one of the longest road runs on the mainland. Ask how many days the lorry spends on the road; it's in the price.
• Costa Blanca, Alicante, Valencia and Murcia — the east coast. If your villa is up a steep or narrow urbanisation road, say so before the survey.
• Madrid and Barcelona — city flats mean lifts, stairs and street parking. Tell each firm the floor, the lift size and where a lorry can stop.
• Northern Spain — Bilbao, Santander and the north coast are generally the cheaper end. One firm also offers the Portsmouth–Santander ferry instead of driving through France.
• Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza) — the load finishes by ferry, which adds cost. One firm quotes 1–2 weeks in transit.
• Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote) — a sea crossing, quoted at 2–4 weeks by one firm. The Canaries charge IGIC instead of VAT, but the same transfer of residence relief applies.

Removals from Spain to the UK

The same firms collect in Spain for the UK. Every lorry that delivers on the coast has to come back, so ask whether there's space on one already heading home — flexible dates help a firm fit you in, and that can price well.

Returners often move less than they took out, after furnished rentals or a sold villa, so a part load suits many moves home. Transit mirrors the trip out: about 3–7 days dedicated, longer shared.

Coming back, your belongings can enter the UK free of duty and VAT under HMRC's Transfer of Residence relief. You need to have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months in a row and owned your things for at least 6. Apply with a ToR1 form before the goods are shipped, and bring them in within 12 months of moving. It doesn't cover goods from a second or holiday home.

Source: GOV.UK — Transfer of Residence relief (updated 12 Nov 2025)

Small removals and part loads

A part load is exactly what it sounds like: your consignment shares a lorry with others, and you pay for the space you fill. A typical ~5 m³ part load runs £650–£1,250 (as above); a boxes-only consignment sits below that, a few rooms' worth above. It beats sole use whenever your load is under a few rooms' worth and your dates can breathe; the trade is a delivery window instead of a fixed day.

Furniture removals to and from Spain

Single pieces and small furniture sets suit a part load — a dresser out to a new villa, or clearing an inherited Spanish property and bringing the good pieces home. Send firms photos and measurements and most can quote without a visit. Ask for each piece to be wrapped for export.

What paperwork do you need to move to Spain?

Since Brexit, your belongings go through Spanish customs. They can enter free of duty and VAT under Spain's transfer of residence relief if:

• you've lived outside the EU for at least 12 months in a row;
• you've owned the goods for at least 6 months (12 for vehicles and boats);
• you'll use them the same way in your new home;
• they arrive within 12 months of you moving.

There's no separate application: the relief is claimed on the import declaration. You'll need a detailed list of your goods with their estimated value and roughly when you bought them, proof you lived abroad and have left that address, and proof of your Spanish residence, such as your TIE card. Alcohol and tobacco aren't covered. And for 12 months you can't lend, pledge or transfer the goods without telling customs.

Source: Agencia Tributaria (Spanish tax agency) — transfer of residence relief (updated 12 May 2026)

Your own right to live in Spain is a different system — visas and residency depend on your circumstances, and removal firms don't advise on them, us included. Start with gov.uk's living-in-Spain guidance and the Spanish consulate, then book the lorry once that's in hand. Getting the order wrong is the first of the biggest mistakes when moving to Spain, and our guide covers the other six.