FAQ

Questions, answered properly

Grouped roughly by when people tend to ask them. If yours is not here, just get in touch.

Before you book

How far ahead should I get in touch?: Earlier than feels necessary, and considerably earlier if you are moving to Madeira or the Azores. The Portuguese residency and NIF paperwork has its own timetable, and the removal has to fit around it rather than the other way round. People who start the removal first and the paperwork second are the ones whose possessions sit waiting for clearance.
Do you charge for a survey?: No. We need to see what is being sent and what the access is like at the UK end before we can quote honestly, so the survey is in our interest as much as yours. It can be done at the property or over video.
Why will you not give me a figure over the phone?: Because an international quote given without seeing the goods is a guess, and guesses get corrected once the load is on a weighbridge or a container is half full. We would rather spend twenty minutes looking properly.
Can I send a car or a motorbike?: Vehicle shipping is a separate discipline with its own registration and tax consequences in Portugal, and we do not handle it. We will say so plainly rather than take the booking and subcontract it.

What route does the vehicle take?: Out of the UK through the Channel — the tunnel or the ferry, depending on the load — then south through France and across Spain into Portugal. For northern destinations such as Braga the crossing into Portugal is from Galicia; for Lisbon, the coast and the Silver Coast it runs down the western side. The full detail is on our route page.
Do you pass through France and Spain, and do you move there too?: The vehicle transits both, but we do not take work to either — they are other firms’ corridors within this network and they know them better than we would.
Will the same crew deliver as collected?: On a full-load mainland move, usually yes. On a part load or an island consignment the goods are consolidated and handled by the destination team, which is why the inventory and the packing standard matter so much.
What happens to my things overnight on the road?: They stay in the vehicle, sealed and strapped as they were loaded, in secure overnight parking. Drivers have mandatory rest periods and we plan the schedule around them rather than pretending they do not exist.

What is Transfer of Residence relief?: It is the EU mechanism that lets someone genuinely moving their home bring used personal effects in without paying duty. Portugal applies the standard EU regime. It requires proof that you are taking up residence, that the goods are yours and used, and that you have owned them for a reasonable period before the move.
What is a NIF and why does everyone mention it?: It is the Portuguese tax identification number. You need it for almost everything — a lease, utilities, a bank account — and for the customs clearance of your household goods. It takes time to obtain and is needed before your goods arrive, not after.
What if Portugal is a second home rather than my main residence?: Then Transfer of Residence relief does not apply in the same way, and the customs treatment is different. This catches people out regularly, so we ask which it is at the very first conversation.
Do you handle the declarations or do I?: We prepare them with you. You supply the identity and address documents and confirm the inventory values; we do the rest. Handing a customer a blank form and wishing them luck is how international moves go wrong.

Why is export packing different from normal packing?: A UK move is handled twice. A move to Portugal is handled considerably more, and an island consignment more again — loaded, consolidated, shipped, transferred, delivered. Export wrapping is built for that number of handling events, and for humidity and salt on the sea legs.
Can I pack the boxes myself?: You can, and many people do to keep costs down. Be aware that goods packed by the owner are treated differently for insurance purposes, and that customs may want the inventory to be more specific than "kitchen, misc". We will tell you which items are genuinely worth leaving to us.
Why can I not drive to Madeira?: Because it is an island in the Atlantic, roughly six hundred miles off the African coast. Everything arrives by sea or air. Anyone offering you a road service to Madeira is describing something that does not exist.
Is storage in Portugal available?: Yes, through destination partners, and it is commonly needed — a rental not yet found, a purchase not yet completed, an academic contract starting before the housing is sorted. Goods are held sealed and inventoried.
What will you refuse to ship?: Anything hazardous or flammable, anything illegal, living things, and perishables. We will also advise against sending certain items to the islands at all — some things simply do not survive a humid sea leg well enough to be worth the freight.

Next step

Ask it. We would rather answer something now than have it become a problem at a Portuguese port.