European removals
Ilford to Europe
Four destinations by road, out via the A406 and the M25. The driving is the predictable half; the paperwork is what decides the date.
Your half
Four documents
- 01The tax or identification reference the destination files against
- 02Proof of your address at the other end
- 03Evidence you are transferring residence rather than importing goods to sell
- 04Identification and any residence paperwork you hold
We tell you exactly what each looks like, and chase until all four are in.
Our half
Everything else
- 01The inventory, recorded at survey, describing contents not carton counts
- 02The declaration, built from that record and lodged before the vehicle travels
- 03Chasing what is outstanding until all of it is in
- 04Route, crossing and access at the far end
What we will not do is quote a clearance time. That belongs to the authorities at the far end.
The four routes
- Ilford to France A406 → M25 → M20 → tunnel Shortest crossing, widest spread beyond it. Nord is barely past the terminal; Provence is most of a country further on.
- Ilford to Spain Through France, in at Irun or Le Perthus Which border depends on the destination — western for Madrid and the interior, eastern for Catalonia and the coast.
- Ilford to Italy Alpine tunnels, or the coast Two ways over the mountains, then a second question about whether a vehicle may reach the address at all.
- Ilford to Portugal France, then northern Spain The longest road route we run, and the one that most rewards starting earlier than feels necessary.
Leaving from Ilford
A European move from IG1 starts like any other: the hall, the stair turn, the permit street. The international part begins once the vehicle is on the A406.
Collections elsewhere in the UK are normal too. Past the Channel the journey is the same wherever it began.
- London collections, delivered to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal
- Manchester collections, delivered to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal
- Birmingham collections, delivered to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal
- Leeds collections, delivered to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal
- Glasgow collections, delivered to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal
- Edinburgh collections, delivered to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal
- Bristol collections, delivered to France, Spain, Italy or Portugal
And back the other way
Return moves run the same roads with the paperwork reversed, and they are how shared vehicles stay affordable — so flexible timing is worth mentioning early.
What we will not claim
That we cover the world. Four countries by road, done properly, beats a list of fifty destinations serviced through agents we have never met.
European removals — questions
Which countries?
France, Spain, Italy and Portugal — four we run regularly and whose paperwork we know, rather than twenty we would learn on your move.
Must it start in Ilford?
Usually, because that is where our work is, but the vehicle can collect anywhere in the UK. Past the Channel the journey is identical.
What changed after Brexit?
Household goods into the EU are now a customs movement: detailed inventory, declaration, evidence of transferring residence, and proof of ownership long enough to qualify for relief.
Duty on my own furniture?
Transfer-of-residence relief exists so people moving home do not pay it. It has conditions and must be claimed properly on the declaration — our side.
Dedicated or shared?
A whole house usually wants its own vehicle. A flat or second home is often better sharing: less cost, less date flexibility. We quote both.
How long?
Depends on route, on dedicated against shared scheduling, and on clearance at the far end. Your quote sets out an expected window rather than a reassuring number.
What cannot travel?
Flammable or pressurised items, most plants, perishable food, and whatever the destination restricts. Fuel drained from garden machinery.
What if the far end is not ready?
Storage here bridges it, and the load travels when the date is genuinely firm rather than hoped for.
Moving abroad from Ilford?
Send both addresses and a rough idea of what is coming. We will come back about the survey and the paperwork.