Moving abroad from Croydon: France, Italy, Spain & Portugal
We move households from Croydon to four countries — France, Italy, Spain and Portugal — and bring people home from them too. Here is how an international move from Croydon actually works, minus the jargon.
How your things travel
Moves to all four countries go by road: across the Channel and on through France, with Spain and Portugal further down the same road. Your goods travel either in a dedicated vehicle carrying only your belongings, or as a part-load sharing the run with other moves on the same route.
Part-loads suit smaller moves and flexible dates. A whole home, or a fixed delivery date, usually wants a dedicated load. We recommend honestly rather than default to the bigger job.
When there is a sea leg
Some routes add a ferry: a direct sailing from England to northern Spain on certain moves, or a crossing to Sicily, Sardinia or the Balearic islands at the far end. We coordinate both halves as one managed job, so your belongings travel as a single consignment rather than a relay you have to manage.
Island deliveries reward a little planning up front, since the vehicle and the sailing need to line up. The earlier we talk, the smoother it goes.
Customs, both ways
A household move between the UK and the EU involves customs formalities. Handled properly, with the paperwork prepared before you leave, it is routine. In general you will be asked for identification, proof of your new address or residence, and a signed inventory; people moving to live in France, Italy, Spain or Portugal may qualify for duty relief on personal belongings, subject to each country’s conditions.
And it works in reverse: moving back to the UK after years abroad follows the same careful process, with UK rules applying at this end.
Pack for the distance
Belongings on an international move travel further than on a local one — which is the whole argument for export-standard packing. Proper cartons, covers, and real protection for anything fragile.
Keep passports, documents and the irreplaceable with you, not in the load. Everything else, we will pack and protect for the journey.
What to sort before you go
Decide early what is going, what is being sold and what is going into storage — a move abroad is the best excuse you will ever have for a proper clear-out. Check whether your new home’s street needs a parking permit for the delivery vehicle, and whether the building has a lift big enough for your furniture.
Then read the page for your destination: France, Italy, Spain or Portugal.
Planning a move from Croydon?
Local, London-wide, UK or abroad — one connected team, from the first survey to the last box. Tell us where you’re headed.