How to Relocate Your Household & Pets to the UK

Jump right in:

• Moving & shipping household goods
• Home goods storage
• Custom regulations for the UK
• UK prohibited & restricted items
• Vaccinations & health requirements for the UK
• Moving to the UK with pets

Whether by sea, air or land, shipping your belongings will involve a lot more than packing your items in a shipping container and sending them on their way.

The logistics of moving your belongings to the UK may be a little confusing at first; there are several transport options available and many guidelines you must follow.

The important things to bear in mind are keeping costs down, avoiding damage and breakages, and receiving your belongings on time.

Shipping options

There are three ways you can ship your belongings, and that is either by air, sea or road. Shipping your items with air freight might be the fastest, but it is also the most expensive option. The cheapest way to move your belongings is by sea freight.

Costs

• Air freight: From within Europe to the UK, the cost is approx. 150–210 GBP (150-280 USD) per 100 kg. From outside Europe to the UK approx. 260–400 GBP (350-540 USD) per 100 kg.
• Sea freight: Road transport is usually more common for European moves. For a full container from outside Europe to the UK, the cost is approx. 4,500–9,000 GBP (6,050-12,000 USD) or more, depending on the country of origin, container size and delivery service. Keep in mind that the container can be shared with other shipments and you are not required to load up the container fully yourself.
• Road or land transport: From within Europe to the UK the cost is approx. 600–3,200 GBP (810-4,300 USD) for a shared or part-load household shipment. A larger full-house move may cost 4,000–8,000 GBP (5,370-10,740 USD) or more.

Moving companies

• National
• Parcel Hero
• Elite Moving
• Pickfords

You can import your household goods duty and tax free, if:

You may be able to import your household goods and personal belongings into the UK free from import duty and other customs charges under Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, provided that:

• You have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months before moving to the UK.
• You are transferring your normal place of residence to the UK, meaning that the UK will become your main home.
• You have had the goods in your possession for at least six months before moving to the UK.
• You import the goods within 12 months of coming to live in the UK.
• You intend to use the goods in the UK for your own household use.
• You do not lend, hire out, use as security or transfer the goods to another person within 12 months of the date you moved to the UK. Eligible goods can include household furniture, personal belongings, clothing, bicycles, private vehicles, pets and household equipment. You can start your application here

Keep in mind tobacco products and alcohol need to be declared to customs on arrival. If you are setting up a second home in the UK, you will be asked to pay VAT.

You might want to rent temporary accommodation when you get to the UK so you can calmly choose a more permanent place to live, or the timings of the arrival of your goods and the beginning of your tenancy may not coincide. For example, your things might arrive a few weeks prior to when you can move into your new place. In this case, an easy solution is to put your items in storage in the meantime.

Long-term and short-term storage companies

In the UK, there are numerous storage facilities which can be used for any length of time you require. The most popular ones are self-storage, such as:

• Big Yellow Self Storage
• Safe Store
• Lovespace

Item storage costs You can expect to pay around 27 GBP (approx. 35 USD) per square meter monthly.

• Relocating to England, Scotland or Wales: People moving their home to the UK may be able to import eligible personal and household goods free from customs charges by claiming Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief as mentioned above.
• Relocating to Northern Ireland from an EU country: People moving personal belongings from the EU to Northern Ireland do not usually pay tax or customs duty on their.
• Relocating to Northern Ireland from outside the EU: People moving from a non-EU country may be able to claim Transfer of Residence relief on eligible household goods and personal belongings.

The following are prohibited:

• controlled drugs;
• items designed to kill or inflict serious injury and without a legitimate use
• self-defense sprays (e.g. pepper spray and CS gas);
• endangered plants and animals;
• rough diamonds;
• materials of indecent and obscene nature;
• most meat and all dairy products

Keep in mind that different rules apply for Northern Ireland.

You can access the full list of banned and restricted items as well as more information on the importation by opening the official government webiste.

The vaccinations required for the UK are standard throughout the Western world. As it is a developed country, travelling to the UK has few health risks, but there are some basic precautions you should take.

What vaccinations do I need for the UK?

The World Health Organization (WHO and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) do not require any specific vaccinations to enter the UK.

However, the following vaccines for those travelling to the UK are recommended:

• Hepatitis A.
• Hepatitis B.
• Rabies, meningitis.
• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).
• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis)
• Polio

Health requirements Some visa applicants must provide a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate before applying. This usually applies if the applicant is coming to the UK for 6 months or more and has lived in a listed country for 6 months or more. Some shorter stay visas may also require a TB test.
Travelers should make sure they are up to date with routine vaccinations and carry any medical documentation required for their personal circumstances.

Due to international regulations, relocating your pets can be challenging. In this section, find out everything you need to know about pet relocation to the UK.

• Verify that you can bring your pet: taking your cat, dog or ferret to the UK is possible if it has a pet passport, animal health certificate (AHC), or Great Britain pet health certificate and it has been microchipped and vaccinated against rabies. If your pet is traveling from an unlisted country, a blood test will also be required.
• Get your pet microchipped: be aware that it is mandatory to get your pet microchipped before or at the same time as getting their rabies vaccine. You should not microchip your pet after the vaccine, as it will not fulfil the requirements.
• Get your pet a rabies shot: your pet will have to be 12 weeks old and it will need to get this vaccine a certain number of days prior to traveling. It is important that you get these timings right.
• Get tapeworm treatment: this only applies if you are taking your dog to the UK. The treatment must be recorded on the pet passport or third-country official veterinary certificate no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days / 120 hours before arrival. 
• Get the adequate documentation: you will either need a pet passport or valid veterinary certificate, depending from where your pet is traveling. Your pet has to join you in the UK no more than five days before or after your own arrival. If for any reason this is not possible, stricter rules will apply.